On a Bali High

Our Bali Bungalow with private pool
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Flight from HK to Denpasar was made all the more pleasant with an upgrade to business class - smooth and uneventful - just the way we like it - and the champagne helped!

We arrived in Bali and were hit by the intense humidity and heat - 37 degrees c. Once inside the arrivals hall, we were besieged by porters who 'had' to carry our bags - then they told us that that would be 100,000 rupia - we asked the money changer what to give them she said 20,000 rupia ($2 US) - and off they went - quite happy. We were met by our driver whose vehicle just about coped with us and all our luggage (slightly misjudged) and he drove us (I use the word drove loosely) to our villa. Outside the walls of the Villa was a world away from inside. Bali is a 'third-world' nation, poverty is everywhere - yet the people are so friendly and helpful - and they seemed to like the English or any foreign visitors.  Inside the Villa complex, we had our own swimming pool, suite of rooms, veranda. The staff were on hand around the clock to help with whatever.

I now have feet like two puddings

Smart restaurant!
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Our first evening we ate Italian in a restaurant nearby then retired.  The next day, Andrew was up early and swimming...not so Fr D. Eventually, we sat down to an American breakfast, with delicious freshly squeezed orange juice. Coffee was different and the toast soggy - but heh - breakfast and a swim at 830am - it wasn't Oldham - was it - 30 degrees C!!

Midmorning we strolled to the local beach and strolled in the surf - we walked for a good way, before turning back for a restaurant we'd seen earlier and we headed back there for lunch - Nasi Goreng (an Indonesian rice dish speciality - mmmmm delicious!) We had a couple of Binteng Beers (Bali local beer) and then because of the heat there was only one thing to do - rent a sun lounger, read a book (I've started Stephen Fry's 'Moab is my Washpot' - his autobiography), Andrew did some puzzles, and then I learned to count and learn days in Latin American Spanish (ready for El Salvador).

Catching up with reading
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We were really relaxing and me moreso - stupidly, I'd taken my eye off the ball re: the intense rays of the sun, and I've now got two beautiful burnt upper feet and calves . and I'm sure I'd used Factor 50+!!!

In the evening we went to a superb local restaurant (Sati Bali) serving typical Bali dishes. We had a sampler menu of about 15 dishes - the tastes and presentation were exquisite. If you were really adventurous, the same restaurant offered Bali cookery lessons - Andrew resisted. We had one of those sacry moments where we thought we were going to have to wash up - we had a bill for nearly 1/2million rupia but in the wallet there was just short of that. The Lady behind the counter suggested that Andrew go on the back of the chefs motorbike to draw some cash - but in the end we managed to get the hotel over the road to change $20US to cover it - phew! 1/2 million rupia btw is just over 30 pounds.

Thursday - still suffering from the effects of the sun - and I now have feet like two puddings - though they are going down. We walked upto the internet cafe - but as regular readers will remember the connection was by carrier pigeon. After updating as much as we could we turned back towards the Villa and stopped off for some lunch at an Art-Cafe (think that is self-explanatory). The Nasi Goreng was delicious, the diet coke cold - and the artists brushed their canvases and were producing some amazing art work before our eyes - huge canvasses - and I guess many millions of rupias - I resisted! Back at the Villa we spent the rest of the afternoon, in and out of the swimming pool - staying in the shade and keeping as cool as we could. We had a beer and some pringles before dinner - our last night in Bali.

This was extraordinary. We had discovered the "HU'U Restaurant" on our way home from the beach our first day. It looked different and we thought it might be interesting - we weren't disappointed. The restaurant seating is mostly outside but cleverly, you are actually sat in tent/marquees. There is a huge waterfeature in the middle surrounded by candles, the tables each having their own flower display....candles everywhere. The staff were delightful and so attentive. The food was perfect and if I say divine, that's is probably because from where we were sitting we could see a Hindu Temple.... even the lavatories are worthy of a mention...forgive the pun...but another water feature this time with goldfish swimming in the display. Reasonably priced at 995.610 rupia - highly recommend it!

Two remarkable things happened next. Firstly, the family who had been sat at the table next to us finished their meal and got up to go. Somehow we go into conversation about our travels. It turned out that they were from Australia - big deal...lots of visitors to Bali are from Oz....(it is to Oz what Spain is to UK)...this family were actually from near Perth...."really?" we said "whereabouts?"  "Oh you won't have heard of it" they continued  "a smallish place called Esperance"  We were astounded....of all the places in all the world...and it gor more remarkable when we said why we were going to Esperance and with whom we were staying. It seems the family knew of The Perry's and of Andrew in particular whose picture had appeared in the local newspaper....the family's eldest daughter is enrolled to join the school later this year.   The next remarkable happening was the rain! Yes it rained (well showered) and Andrew and I refused taxis to the Villa and walked in it - what refreshing, soft, non-soaking rain it was - we loved it - all over in a flash though - shame! And so to bed - our last night in Bali.

Friday morning - Andrew up and swimming. As I surfaced, breakfast was ordered and we ate it of course in the sunshine but in the shade of veranda. A quick swim then we were thinking about lunch (we stayed local I had a very nice satay (Fr D) and Andrew a Mai Goreng (noodles and seafood). Off to the Sarong shop next (When in Bali.....) which we wished we had done earlier! Back to the Villa, more last minute swimming, then from 4pm we were packing in readiness for the taxi which was collecting us at 6pm - it arrived dead on time. Off to the airport for fun and capers at the hands of the authorities and the airline Jetstar. A long story but Andrew put his foot down with a firm hand!!!!! We won the day in the end. One thing we weren't warned about (readers beware) and it doesn't appear anywhere in literature - was the departure fee. This was 150,000 rupia each (about ten pounds) - we had got rid of all our rupias earlier so we had to be let out of the airport to use the ATM (along with most of the Europeans/US/OZ tourists). One other thing to note....did you know that from the time one leaves Manchester airport arriving in Bali and leaving Bali for Manchester airport...it is possible for your luggage to have gained 4kg mysteriously - this cost one young woman $65US even though she had exactly the same luggage she arrived with and hadn't bought a thing. Our luggage managed to lose weight when we checked it in at Darwin - perhaps their scales need attention.