Well I've been back almost two weeks and am shell-shocked to be back at work. I miss my Nasi Goreng, Bintang, Sunshine and the Pool.
Flew out of Bne on the 25th September and will never fly on a Sunday again. Bne airport looked like the shops at Christmas - chock-a-block with excited travellers. Air Paradise were very good, although I still think you need to be either 6 years old or 4 feet tall to sit comfortably on planes.
Arrived in Bali to a huge crowd of people waiting for the whole VOA thingee....which was just crap, but hey I'm on holiday I don't really care and besides I'm here - wahoo.
Tracked down my driver, whom I'd been following around in circles, much to the delight of the other drivers outside the airport and off we went to Ubud.
Spent the next two days in a haze of tropical rainforest, wow look at the squirrels, God how steep is this hill, I can't possibly have blisters from thongs (oh yeah you can) and so there's Casa Luna. Stayed at the Tjamphan (spelling) Hotel and loved the isolation (sort of), but suffered from news withdrawal (sad but true I like to know what's happening in the world). Ubud markets early in the morning were magic and so much cheaper than Kuta. Loved the ladies with the flowers and food and the kids were great.
Two days later and I was on my way to the Bounty in Kuta (which I was somewhat annoyed with). Arrived there at about 2pm only to be told my room wouldn't be ready until 8pm.....ah sorry guys, I don't think so!!!!! I'll give the poor man on reception his due, I'm not pleasant when I'm tired and in need of sleep/shower/cuppa tea. They gave me a room right above the main pool (no wonder teenagers never listen to a word you say they're all deaf from the music). Ended up being moved three times before I got into a permanent room away from the main pool.
By now it's Wednesday morning and I'm off to Janoko to get clothes organised and Discovery Plaza to get glasses. For the rest of the week I got all the gift buying and other shopping pretty much out of the way.
Friday I went to Matahari to buy some shoes etc and had lunch at Raja's next door. Felt very uncomfortable and open there.....female intuition maybe. Saturday by the pool with a book and a bintang. Sunday morning, by the pool when a little man came running over to tell me I had an urgent call from my husband in Australia. He promptly took off at a gallop and I did my best to keep up with him whilst holding on to all those bits we older ladies have that tend to wobble alarmingly. Got to the phone think crap what's up at home only to have a none to happy husband wanting to know if I was in one piece and safe....well der obviously I wouldn't be on the phone otherwise. I had to laugh at him as he'd listed me as missing with DFAT and couldn't describe any "distinguishing features"...ended up telling them about one tattoo on my shoulder but couldn't bring himself to mention the one on my butt.....gotta love him.
Sunday now and Kuta is literally a ghost town. Virtually no one on the streets. I'd booked a massage etc at the Melasti and walked down the road to get a cab. Got waylaid by a tearful Balanese man who begged me for work and I ended up in tears too. Got him to drive me to the Melasti and gave him $100,000 for his trouble...yeah I know but I felt terrible for the poor guy and money means nothing until you don't have enough to buy food and let's face it, I'm way better off financially than he is.
Melasti was wonderful and I walked back to the Bounty, proving once again that yes you can get blisters with thongs. Spent the rest of the week doing my standard breakfast, pool, nap, dinner.
Highly recommend Rainbow Cafe across the road from the Bounty. The boys there are brilliant and the food is fresh and cheap.
What did I buy.....quilts in Ubud, clothes and shoes and glasses in Kuta. Where did I eat, Raja's, Kori, Rainbow Cafe and that's about it.
All in all I had a lovely two weeks with no husband and no kids and no clients.....heaven in heaven as far as I'm concened.
Will I go back. Hell yes. No-one going to scare me off of Bali, besides I love the people and I love the place and I kinda think that the couple of thousand I spend over there on holidays is feeding someone.