Our final destination. This was organised through Accor as Jenny is a member and she had one complementary night owing to her and we got a good deal through them for the other two nights. Three nights in all.
We got in a little late and booked into our room. It was across the road from the main part of the hotel but that was fine. Problem! The Air con was so noisy. I thought, after everything, I was not going to put up with second rate, especially at this place and supposedly a privileged Accor Member. I used to be a member but found that I really didn't get the annual fee's worth. At least Jen is and we get 50% off meals. So off to another room. The Air Con hadn't been on in this room, so it was very hot and stuffy. When they tried to crank it up, it didn't seem as though it was working. The maintenance guy came and said that it wasn't working so we tried another room but I wasn't prepared to relinquish this room as it had a great view over the pool and this other room had no view at all. The guest relations lady was very helpful and understanding, which was good as I kept marching back and forth with every progress report. I told her that we desperately needed to have some good sleep. I told her what the maintenance guy said about the Air Con not working in the second room and the guest relations lady said that it takes at least 10 min for it to start working and to give it some time. Well she wasn't too far wrong and 20 min later, it seemed to be going o.k. and it wasn't NOISY!!!! Phew1. Finally we could unpack. After everything we were so tired that we just had a cup of tea and a few left over munchies and went to bed knowing that there was a big buffet breakfast awaiting. Boy was I hanging out for this!
Down we went all expectant, but the funny thing was, we weren't very hungry and just couldn't do the buffet justice. I tend to get like this in Bali. I just don't feel like eating and just drink heaps of water, maybe a late breakfast and early dinner, but after a week or so, just can't eat all that much. It's the weather, it does that to me. Off down the pool to fill in my ever present diary. Trying to work out what vehicles we had borrowed and how much to pay. The problem is that we borrow from some Balinese friends that we have borrowed their bike for the last couple of years because they insist that we don't borrow from others but of course in true Balinese style, when you say how much, they say, 'don't worry', 'no, no, no' then finally 'up to you'. We tell them that if they don't let us pay them then we will go and hire from someone else. Still the answer is 'up to you'. I love these people to bits but sometimes it can be a little frustrating, in a loving way. We tried to take the family out for dinner, and it was so hard to get them to actually order anything. A very humble people but we were starting to feel that they were looking at us in the wrong light, as though 'he who has the money, rules.' We didn't want them to feel like that with us. We want to stand on level ground but be able to bless them for the use of their vehicles. We finally just give them what we think it is worth and just don't take no for an answer. We just tell them that if we didn't get it from them, we would just be giving someone else our money, and we would rather bless them.
With all of this, we thought that we would again call into Rumah Bali and see Heinz as he had returned from Australia doing a desert cycle race. It was wonderful to see him and he beamed with the exhilaration of completing such a gruelling race for which he had trained all year and hard for the last six months. So super fit and he isn't a young man either. I truly admire this man.
Well he suggested seeing the police again, and this ended up being our biggest wasted day. What started at 12:30 ended at 7pm with no food or water and me just saying 'forget it'. I had two appointments that I didn't make because of it. I hate promising to meet people and just not turning up. It's just rude, and I hate to do that.
So off to the police station, after ages, we had to then get someone to translate. We didn't know who until the tourist police man rang Rumah and said that Diah, the lovely lady that works at the Rumah Bali, was coming at Mr Made's insistence . We ended up taking all of this girls work time, at the insistence of Mr Made, who also came down. I tell you, these people couldn't do enough for us.
Off to Paul's again, but they were waiting for the police car. Finally we just said, let's go and they hopped in our car instead! So here we are giving the head policeman a lift because they only had one car. How ludicrous is that? Well finally after he tried to scam the police, two hours later, it was back to the police station for what we thought was just to drop the chief off. He asked us to stay a moment and then the confusion started. They wanted us for just a moment please. We were in a little stuffy room all 6 of us and others just standing and listening. One guy, obviously thought he was 'the man' and just butted in to ask Diah a couple of things. I don't take too kindly to this kind of dealing. I had a stepfather who was high up in the police force here and I don't have any fear for anyone, not even there. They wanted my passport and gave it to a young guy with 50rps. When I asked why, they said that they wanted a copy of it, he started to walk down the drive with my passport, so I ran after him and just held out my hand for it. I asked him where he was going and he motioned down the road to a roadside stall that did photocopying. I asked for the money and went and did it myself, but of course, the guy was busy. He was doing photocopying for a lady that had about 12 passports in her possession with photo's that seemed to look a bit Swedish. I had to wonder why she had them and did the owners know? Back to the police station.
Hours later, I came to realise that they were re-copying our statements and going through it with Diah whilst we just sat there. When I finally realised what was going on. They were doing all of this because we would have to go to court. They said that we would have to be present for the hearing which could be anytime in the next few months, I just saw red and told them to 'forget it'. They made me sign a form stating that I decided not to proceed and left, dropping Diah back at Rumah and thanking and apologising to her profusely. Tired and exhausted we decided to drive into Kuta and go to T.J's Mexican, down Poppies 1. It's one of our favourite hangouts and there is one of the guys, Wayan, that has worked there forever and is always good to chat to. We had taken the boys there to say hi and to have a great bite to eat. Sorry, but we don't have a Mexican restaurant where I live. So I get to have it once a year. We had to see Made Misi, the lady who's car and motorbike we hire, at least this was one appointment that I had to make to organise getting the car back. Good thing that she was working the late shift tonight. Finally, home to bed after a very exhausting day.
Next morning we had the people to see that we didn't get to catch up with the day before. With one of them, we had already told them about all that had happened, so we filled him in on the day before. The guy said that he had a friend in Imigrassi and I gave him all of the copies of my dealings with Paul Harvey. I left with the promise that this guy would get my money back or let imigrassi know about him. Nice to have others who see justice in treating people properly especially in someone else's country where foreigner's can't own land.
We needed to go and make sure of our order at Cargoku. Felicia wasn't there (we had missed her as we were suppose to be there the day before). We needed to double check the order and pay for it. We were talking to her husband Leo when it felt like a loader had dropped something. Leo told us to get out! I was a little stunned, then he told us again. All of the girls working there started to scream. We ran out as their warehouse has glass shelves with all sorts of nick-knacks made out of stone and glass and also fish tanks. It was an earth tremor. We weren't afraid but a little amazed at the screaming girls. Felicia came by soon after and was amazed that nothing had crashed.
Later we called into see our favourite man, Dede, the owner of Bali Gong. We had taken the boys in to meet him and as always, he was wonderful. He even gave my son a birthday promise of any DVD he would like. We've known Dede for a while now and we would pop in and see him even if we didn't want anything. Jen had forgotten though that her niece was having a birthday and her brother too and knew that there were a few music CD's on their wish list.
Our last night, down to Coco's restaurant on the beach of the Novotel for a quiet dinner. But it was interrupted by three couples and their totally unruly children that just ran around us yelling and screaming like banshees, kicking sand about. I'm one for discipline and my children were taught to be respectful of those around them. This one guy was trying to explain to his two year old why she should behave while she just screamed at the top of her lungs straight in his face! I was so flabbergasted. He gave up and the Mother tried to reason with her. We left as soon as we had our main meal and thought that we would walk to Conrad's for sweets.
We got to know the General manager of this new resort the year previously. We had met him at a travel expo in Perth and found that he used to live in our town with his folks running one of the local pubs. When we enquired where Conrads was being built, we mentioned that we were staying just down the road at a place called Rumah Bali, the amazing thing was the he and his sales manager were living there whist Conrads was being built. So when we stayed at Rumah's, last year we caught up with them. He showed us around the new construction then, so we thought that we would go and have a look at the finished product now. It was late so we didn't want to disturb him. But, wow! It definitely has the 'wow factor'. This place is awesome. Even the toilets were Air Conditioned with flannels to dry your hands. I hate to admit it but I used one to wash my feet as they were feeling a little gritty from the walk. But that's our secret. We walked around and looked at some of the prices for some sweets and 'wow!' it has the prices to match such a ritzy place! My sweets alone were 55,000rps, nothing big, nice, but wow. Hmmm, a lot of money compared to Le Tabu. Not a place that I could afford to eat at regularly.
We thought that we would walk back but ended up catching a taxi as we were so tired. The next day was a slow riser as we realised that we were going home. Even after all that had happened, it is always a sad revelation that there are no more sleeps. We slowly packed our bags, managing to put the basins in my suitcase. The ducks that had been hooded with newspaper were feeling a little nervous and were complaining that maybe they would rather stay in Bali than travel to Perth. We just told them that if they didn't keep quiet that we would hand them over to the customs guy who would frisk them. That shut them up! Little did we tell them that we would have to let him anyway.
We dropped off the car and walked across to Uluwatu Lace. I love their clothing. I bought a lovely dress there last year and Jenny bought some things as well. We couldn't go past a peek. Jenny bought a lovely top for her sister's birthday coming up, one for her and a present for me for my birthday also coming up.
Caught the taxi to the Novotel for a shower then to check out. Off to the airport. Gee the departure lounge has changed a lot, every year it is different. We actually got bussed off to the plane. We normally have to catch a bus to the terminal when we land but not to leave. Then take off was into the setting sun. Such an awesome way to leave. We usually come by Garuda so it is normally a later flight, but this time was with Air Paradise and was a 6pm take off. We got home in good time to make a two hour drive home.
Everything checked o.k. at customs and even the ducks kept quiet. I promised them that they would love it here but I didn't mention about the two dogs that I had waiting for them back home. Filling up with fuel was a shock compared to the price in Bali. Home! and it was 12:20am.
Time to unpack tomorrow. Home. Hmmm, it always has a little bit of a bitter taste.
I must admit that just before writing this report, I didn't really want to go to Bali. I thought that maybe I was bored with it or did I have a bitter taste in my mouth with all that had happened? Well with the writing of this report, it has renewed my love for the place and even someone like Paul Harvey can't dampen that.
Thankyou to those that have joined me on my journey. I hope it read o.k. and Thanks to those of you that contribute to the Bali Forums, it's folk like you that help me so much, and have made me see a lot more of the place than the places that are in the tour books. Thank God for that.
See you around.
Gabrielle