How we spent a week in Bali

My friend and I went to Bali with a very simple plan: to rest for a week, eat delicious food, swim, take pictures, and at least take our time for a few days. Everything looked perfect in my head: a villa with a pool, palm trees, sunsets, coconuts, and we were so beautiful, as if we had just come out of an advertisement for an expensive resort. Reality, of course, made its own adjustments in the first few hours, but that's why I remember this trip with a smile.

The first day. We arrived and immediately realized that we were in Bali

On the first day, we decided not to overload ourselves with excursions and just get used to it. After the trip, we checked into a guest house, dropped our suitcases and stood by the pool in silence for about ten minutes, because it was completely incomprehensible how one could live in such a place and why we hadn't done it sooner. 

However, half an hour later, the first household problem began: we couldn't figure out how the hot water in the shower turned on, and as a result, we stood in front of this mysterious device together, studying it as if it were a spaceship control panel.

In the evening we went for a walk in Ubud. There were palm trees, small cafes, temples, the scent of incense, and endless mopeds that appeared literally out of nowhere. We tried to walk beautifully and relaxed, but after a few minutes we were already dodging traffic, laughing and saying to each other: "The main thing is not to lose each other."

Day two. Ubud, rice fields and our great journey over breakfast

The morning in Bali turned out to be exactly how I imagined it: the sun, the greenery, the humid air and the feeling that you're finally not late. We went to see the rice terraces and, of course, to take pictures literally every five minutes. At first, my friend patiently photographed me, then I photographed her, and then we both realized that half of the pictures were taken with our eyes closed because of the bright sun.

After the walk, we decided to find a beautiful place for breakfast. Everything looked great in the photos: a tropical garden, wooden tables, fruits, coffee, and some incredibly beautiful bowls. We ordered about everything we saw on the menu, and then we found out that drinking coconut, which is so beautifully in the photo, is not as easy as it seems. In the end, breakfast ended with a small coconut shower, laughter, and a photo, which, of course, we won't show to anyone.

Day three. A beach day that didn't go according to plan at all

On the third day we decided to go to the ocean. We imagined ourselves lying on the beach with cocktails, but Bali quickly reminded us that nature lives by its own rules here. First there was the sun, then suddenly clouds came up, then it started to rain, and twenty minutes later the sun came out again.

The funny thing was that we managed to hide from the rain, order drinks, discuss that the day was ruined, and go outside exactly at the moment when the rain stopped. In the end, we just took off our shoes and went for a walk along the ocean. Both of them had their hair blown out by the wind, and their dresses were a little wet, but the photos turned out to be much more vivid than all the perfect shots we tried to take this morning.

In the evening we had dinner at a small restaurant near the beach. We tried local dishes, talked a lot, and at some point realized that we hadn't been in a hurry for hours. It was probably then that I felt a real vacation for the first time.

Day four. A waterfall, wet sneakers, and a little heroism

On the fourth day, we decided to add a little adventure to the program and went to the waterfall. When I saw the way to it, I immediately realized that the person who coined the word "easy walk" had obviously never been here. We went down cheerfully, but we were already climbing back up with the expression on the faces of people who suddenly rethought their love of nature.

The waterfall was incredibly beautiful. The water was falling down among the greenery, everything was wet, noisy and somehow completely unreal. Of course, we took a closer look and ended up getting our shoes wet.

They returned barefoot, carrying wet sneakers in their hands and laughing at how effectively this day began and what it turned into. But for some reason, it is precisely such moments that I remember best later.

Day five. The day we decided to do nothing

After four days of walking, we officially declared the fifth day a day of idleness. No waterfalls, temples, trails, or early climbs. Just a pool, fruits, coffee and lie down so that you can see a maximum of one palm tree.

In the morning, we had a long breakfast, then moved to the pool and discussed everything for several hours. At one point, I said that I definitely needed to get up and go somewhere, because "we came to Bali," and my friend looked at me and replied: "We are already in Bali. Here he is. Stay down." And she was right.

Then we went out for a walk nearby and bought fruits that I probably wouldn't even consider at home. For some reason, I want to try everything in Bali: mango, dragon fruit, passion fruit, coconuts and some other mysterious fruits whose names we don't even remember.

Day six. Sunset, beautiful dresses and our last evening

We decided to devote the sixth day to beautiful places and photos. We dressed up, took a long time choosing where to go, and then spent half the time trying to catch a good light. ""There's a special moment when traveling with a friend: one says, "Take a picture of me here," the other takes twenty pictures, after which the first one looks at them and says, "No, let's do it again."

After ten minutes, the roles change.

But in the evening we found ourselves in a beautiful place at sunset. The sky gradually turned golden, the palm trees darkened against the background of the sun, and for a few minutes it became surprisingly quiet around. We just stood next to each other and looked at the ocean, realizing that tomorrow we would have to pack our bags.

In the evening we had our last dinner. We laughed a lot, recalled all our adventures during the week and came to the conclusion that half of the trip did not correspond to the original plan at all. And it seems that's why it turned out so good.

Seventh day. Suitcases, the last coconuts, and "let's stay"

The last morning is always kind of weird. It seems like you're still on vacation, but you're already mentally sorting through things, checking your passport and trying to figure out where all the free space in your suitcase has disappeared to. We were going for quite a long time, because for some reason there were a lot more things, although both swore that they hadn't bought anything extra.

Before leaving, we went out to the pool again, had coffee and just sat in silence. Then, of course, the traditional phrase appeared: "Maybe we should stay another week?" We both understood that this was impossible, but for several minutes we discussed this wonderful, but completely unrealistic idea quite seriously.

We were already going to the airport a little sad. In one week, we managed to get used to palm trees, the heat, the ocean, mopeds, rains, fruits and this strange feeling when no one is in a hurry.

What I realized after this trip

Bali for me turned out to be not only about beautiful beaches and Instagram photos. It turned out to be about the feeling of freedom, about the possibility of not knowing how the day will end in the morning, and about small adventures that cannot be planned in advance.

And I also realized that traveling with a friend is a special pleasure. Because you can get lost together, get wet in the rain, ruin your perfect hairstyle with humidity, not deal with hot water and choose a restaurant for half an hour, and then say anyway: "God, it was so good."

And if I were asked if I would go to Bali again, I wouldn't even think twice. But next time, we'll definitely take shoes that don't get wet, and we'll figure out the shower beforehand.

And, of course, we'll leave a couple of days just to lie by the pool and do nothing. Because sometimes this is the most correct route.