....My best friend is a dog...don't tell him that though, he thinks he is a human...
[Note: JBR's are now not in chronological order of my 4 weeks in Bali]
So, today Monday 12th September, we go to Singaraja to visit the little girl I sponsor through the Helen Flavel foundation. Two of my friends are interested in sponsoring a child through the foundation and they have the opportunity to meet Helen as she is in Bali. For further information about the foundation please go to www.helenflavelfoundation.org
We have hired an 11 seater mini bus and my friend Made is driving us. 8 [including Made] are going making the trip. We are starting out at 8.00am. The previous night I advise everyone don't have a big pissy night as it is a long trip and there is nothing worse than doing this journey with a hangover.
Wouldn't it be great if I could take my own advice. Raels, Catty, Pat, Jim and I leave Billys, and have arranged with Jack and Billy to stop on the way up and visit at their homes. We head back to the villa with Katak my other driver and his mate wayan.
Katak and I sit up till 5.00am drinking bourbon. His friend passes out on the daybed totally smashed, meanwhile we conspire to draw a moustache on his face. Isnt it great how bourbon inspires the inner child to come out. We are giggling like school kids.
At 5.00am we call it a night and I pass out on my bed but only after we carry Wayan to the car. He is feeling a bit sick....my only thought being god don't vomit on me...
At 6.50 am awake with a fright as I misread the time on my phone thinking it was 7.50 and we were being picked up a little after 8.00am. My head is thick from too much alcohol and very little sleep. I bang on the door to wake the girls in the other room and run into the shower.
Raels and Catty think it is highly amusing that I am in the state I am having preached to everyone else don't have a late night...Oh well I guess I deserved it.
Made, Pat, Jim, Marg and Susie arrive to collect us. We grab the esky, water and some beer from the fridge, and head off for the day. I grab 2 vitamin B tablets and take my pillow so I can sleep. I feel like utter crap and cant talk to anyone. They all enjoy taking the piss out of me for the best part of the day. One last stop at circle K for ice, nibbles and more drinks. So we are off. Our first stop will be to visit Jack and Billy, at their homes in Tabannan.
We are caught up in a bit of a traffic jam heading out of Kerobokan. There is a cremation and organized bedlam rules the roads as everyone is detoured. I groan at the prospect of being delayed in traffic and turn my head into my pillow to catch some zzzz's. The others are cracking the first of many beers and I feel nauseaus at the thought of alcohol passing my lips.
On the outskirts of Jacks village we call his mobile to make sure he is home. He has a beautiful wife and daughter who some of us have met previously.. Little Putu has grown since I last saw her and Iluh is as lovely as ever. These 2 are a perfect match and their home is lovely and spotlessly clean...Unfortunately, we have a long journey ahead and must leave them to go about their daily business, and, as we had been a little delayed in traffic we decide we will visit Billy on the way home.
The long and winding road is beginning to take its toll on me. I am feeling seedy. We stop at Lake Bratan which is picturesque as always. Again we are all ready to get back on the road when I realize Raels and Catty are missing. In my state which is now rapidly declining I go in search of the girls and eventually locate them. Back on the bus I urge Made to get me to the Handara Golf club. I need a loo which isn't going to make me spew at the very sight of it.
We are falling a bit behind schedule to get to Singaraja at the designated time so we skip going to Gig Git waterfall. I don't think anyone was too concerned as there was a bit of a party happening in the back of the bus...Most of the beer had been drunk and the girls had cracked open a bottle of wine....Yeeha!!
On arrival in Singaraja we meet John from the foundation who takes us to my sponsor child Kadek's home. We meet the family who are devastatingly poor. Her father works in a foundry across the road from their house. Her older brother who speaks very good English invites us into his family home and apologises that his house is broken. They are a lovely family who have little in the way of possessions but hearts and smiles as big as watermelons. Kadek is a gorgeous little girl and it pleases me no end to sponsor her and hopefully give her an opportunity in life which she may not have if she didn't attend school. So we hand out presents, soccer balls,Frisbees, clothes, the obligatory Chupa Chups, toys, pens, pencils and the list goes on. As we are about to leave them to go visit Helen at the site of the new Learning Centre, Kadek's older brother comes to me and thanks me for helping his family. I assure him I will see Kadek has the opportunity to continue her education throughout. He hugs me and is sobbing uncontrollably in my arms. I had to bite my lip to stop the tears from welling up in my eyes.
He had told my friends that he had finished his schooling and had gone to Kuta to earn money in the hope he could go to university, but his dreams were dashed on October 12 2002 when the bombs exploded at Sari Club and Paddys and he lost his job at the Hard Rock Café.
It was a bit more of a somber ride to meet Helen as most of my friends had not seen how a good proportion of the Balinese live...
Helen greets us warmly as is always the case and we walk up to the building of the learning centre, meet with the workers who are on a break, take some photos and my friends can learn more about the foundation and can chat with the woman who makes it all happen. I am proud to be able to call Helen my friend and am lucky enough to live only 20 minutes away from her. Actions speak louder than words. Helen's actions speak volumes. Please look at her website which I have listed at the top of the page if you have any interest in sponsorship of a child.
Our time with Helen is relatively brief. The builders arrive to meet with her so we get back on the bus and head to Lovina for lunch, everyone is craving food, and then off to the Hot Springs for a quick dip before returning to Legian.
It is a long day and on the way home Made takes us via a different route which has some spectactular scenery along the way. We never make it to Billys home as we are very much behind schedule arriving back at the villa at 7.30pm some 2 hours after the bus was due back at the rental company...
I think my friends enjoyed the day, well they all said they did, and I know as a result of the visit to Helen and meeting Kadek and her family, Pat and Jim have now taken out sponsorship through the foundation.
And me well I learned a valuable lesson....dont sit up drinking all night before taking that road trip....haha :-)