Prelude to a JBR...Plotting, planning, and pissing off!
Well, this JBR has been a while in the making, but due to circumstances I haven't had much computer access and didn't want to rush it and miss out any of the important details.
To understand the purpose of this holiday, I think I should share a few little details first. My best friend Wendy, and I, both separated from our husbands around the same time and decided that we would treat ourselves to a no holds barred holiday blowout - Thelma and Louise style....this JBR is not going to be so much about the daily routines and details of what cost what and where to eat and exchange rates and such, with the aim of helping out other forumites with information, and there are no apologies there either!. It will probably be totally useless to anybody looking for tips, but if you want to read the story of 2 girls having the time of their 30 something lives, then please feel welcome to read away, if not..then bugger off and don't dare anyone try to judge us for being Aussie yobbos...we had FUN DAMNIT! :-D
I think I will do it in installments over the next few weeks, because I have the tendancy to waffle on things that should only be a paragraph, end up being a whole page, so it's probably going to be long!
Having been a Bali addict for the past 3 years, I managed to convince Wendy that there was no better place in the world to let your hair down than Bali.
We set about making our bookings and I was able to coerce Wendy into making our accommodation at Garden View Cottages as I had stayed there twice previously and always found the staff to be the friendliest and most fun around, and I really liked the location. I did explain to her that the rooms were not all that great and she was a little bit wary, but willing to give it a go.
So...we make our bookings, pay our money and sit back for the agonising 4 week wait until take off time. During this time, we had many a discussion about Balinese culture and way of life, currency, food, tourist attractions and I also started teaching her some of the basic and essential phrases that all tourists should know. We also had Balinese theme nights, in which we would have our families over and cook a-la-Bali style, which was wonderful in getting us in the mood and great for our kids to know what was going on and why we were leaving them for 2 weeks.
Our intentions for our holiday were pretty way out and I guess I can't really go into too much detail here, but we were both pretty hell bent on making every second fun.*Wink* :-)
For the both us, this was going to be our first "single" overseas holiday, and at the rate we had been terrorising our town in the months leading up to it, they were pretty glad to be rid of us, I'm telling you!
With our wait almost over, the night before arrives and we plan to get together at 2am to pack and go over the last details before we left for the 2 hour drive to Sydney airport at 6am. As I had been working pretty long hours leading up to the trip, I didn't actually get to pack until 1am the night before, and it had to be done in about 30 mins, so I kind of threw everything in that I thought I was going to need. What a stupid thing to do! I should have known better than to take up such precious shopping space like that. I mean, who needs 18 bras, 24 pairs of nickers, two pairs of boots, jeans, jackets and a snowsuit! and 6 other pairs of shoes in Bali for goodness sakes?! I will know better than to pack in a panic next time, that's for sure.(and no, i didnt really take a snowsuit..hehee)
I arrive at Wendy's at 2am and she has everything perfectly packed in one tiny carry on bag, and one absolutely HUGE suitcase, empty apart from a whole stack of teddy bears and kids toys to give away. I thought to myself...."This girl means business when it comes to serious shopping!"( I could never have imagined how prophetic this was going to be!!!!!! Serious wasnt even close....maniacal was probably more apt!)
We manage to have a nap for a few hours, then wake up half dead and commence our trip up to Sydney airport. We weren't as excited and jumpy as I thought we would be, but the weeks leading up to it had been a strain for the both of us and on one hand we were just sadly contemplating the fact that we were leaving our children for 2 weeks, but on the other, kind of just relieved to actually be on our way. There was plenty of time for the excitement to set in yet.
We had a few moments of panic when we got stuck in peak hour traffic at Brighton Le Sands and all the way to the airport, but we arrived with enough time to do a little duty free shopping and down a quick nerve settling Johnny before we made our way onto the plane. The Johnny seemed to have done the trick and we started to loosen up and start doing all those things that girls do when they get excited, like squealing, hugging and dancing around! There seemed to be a pretty happy and chill crew sitting around us and we figured we were going to be in for a pretty fun plane trip! We had already discussed the fact that we weren't going to drink on the flight, but those plans went right out the window with the first drink served.
We were flying Air Paradise and for anyone else that has flown recently, you may know that their idea of a nip is more like a sip! I think they just wave the bottle over the cup and hope to get a dribble in there! Wendy, being quite an educated Scotch drinker!, was none too impressed with this and insisted on the hostess to keep pouring until there was a decent amount in the cup! After the first serving they stopped being cheeky and started giving us proper nips. One other thing with Air Paradise is that they have a 6 drink limit per passenger, which is something I never knew until this flight when Wendy and I both got cut off from being served alcohol! Oopsi.......lol.......We weren't the only ones though - the whole row behind us also got cut off and another group of yobbos that were sitting further down the plane. None of us were actually drunk, just a wee bit too happy for our own good! The people behind us engaged us in a round or 5 of APPillow fighting, we also had our own "In Flight" Karaoke session, which was lots of fun! All this only 2 hours into the trip! Now we only had another 4 to kill! The bright spark behind us started ordering coke and we were wondering why, til we saw him dipping into his duty free stash and adding it to his drink! Hrmmm... I thought that was illegal! Wouldn't catch me doing any such thing! *Ahem.....*
We manage to keep ourselves and others entertained and amused for the rest of the flight and finally touch down in my beloved Bali! I was excited to the point of almost wetting myself! But kind of nervous that Wendy would not like Bali. I know that it is either a Love It or Hate It kind of place and I don't think I could have endured 2 weeks stuck with someone who wasnt happy and enjoying themselves.......
We make our way s l o w l y....through Immigration and VOA and customs. No probs with getting out of the airport apart from the waiting. Organise our Taksi at the stand and we are on our way. Wendy hasn't said too much at this point and I'm thinking to myself.........sh!t...she hates it!...but as we drive out of the airport and past all of the amazing statues and architecture and the little street warungs and the families of 5 on the motorbikes and the funny spicy burning smell that pervades the air.....I turn to look at her and she is grinning from ear to ear, bouncing in her seat....."I LOVE IT SHELL!!!!!!! I EFFING LOVE IT!!!!!!!" I breathe a sigh of relief and think that we could possibly have another addict in the making here! I didn't realise then how right I was going to be!!! :-)
All the way to the Garden View, she bounced and squealed "I LOVE IT!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!" which started to annoy me after a bit, lol............
We arrive at the GVC and are greeted by Ayu, who had remembered me and asked where my husband and kids were! Ummmm... I accidentally left them behind, Ayu!
We drop our bags and head over to the bar for BINTANG! and I get the same questions from the guys at the bar and lots of hugs and smiles! That's what I love about this place, and the personal touch impressed Wendy no end. The same deal with all of local shopkeepers and street sellers...."Where your boys???????" I started wishing that I had brought them again, and decided that I was going to make the absolute most of this holiday as I wasn't ever going to come back without my kids again!
We make our way down to our room, which was a mezzanine room, and when I say we make our way down, I mean....wow...we should have taken a packed luch for this trip, it was a bloody long way to our room! Right at the back of the place! I was a bit concerned about drunken stumbles back to the room, the I figured that if it was the last room in the complex, I wasn't going to get lost and accidentally walk into someone elses room ( More on that later though!!!!!)
So, we enter the room, and just stand there looking at each other incredulously. I mean, I am not a fussy person by all means, but holy crap that toilet stank!(no pun intended!) The holes in the walls I could live with, but the exposed electrical wiring was a bit too much to deal with......It was pretty bad.......No, it was disgusting.....I felt like sitting in the corner and rocking ......
We decided to just camp there the night, and try to change rooms in the morning.
As we were both pretty tired, we thought we would just hang around GVC for the night and have a few Bintangs and an early night. We went next door to the Warung Yogya, which has always been a fave of mine, and I had the cap cay, which was delicious, and Wendy had Nasi Goreng. This place is so cheap to eat in and the food is great! From memory, most of the mains are only Rp.11000.
We made our way back to the bar at GVC, where my father was going to meet us to say hi. The lucky thing was 6 weeks into his 2 month vacation and was so settled into Bali mode it wasnt funny!
After a few drinks, we had an early night and lay in bed discussing our programme for the next few days.
JBR1...Bounty, Bintang, and Bali belly.....to follow in a few days!