Note: For anyone reading one of my jbr's for the first time I would like to explain that I write about my time spent in Bali as a story. The 2 previous jbrs are now in the archives in January 2006, should you wish to read them, in order to gain a better understanding of where this story began and where it is leading ...
2 days after xmas...
Today I am feeling decidedly worse. The flu or cold that I have managed to catch still has me feverish and the sweats come in waves. Regardless of how miserable I feel, I organize to go do a bit of shopping and finally make my way with Kermy to Discovery Plaza [Centro] to go and have some prescription glasses made.
We make a few stops along the way and drop into the Pub again for sates as I think I am going to pass out in Supernova. I needed to raise my blood sugar levels and skull down a coke. A wave of nausea and sweat came over me. At that point I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to Centro, which to date, I have refused to enter. I can't believe they built this eyesore on the beachfront, and my worst fear was that I would never be able to leave the Prada shop....[thank god I didn't take the credit card].
As we have parked downstairs we make our way up from the beachfront end and Kermy directs me to Melawai Optik. I go to have my eyes tested. [My job involves reading ridiculously small print]. I have noticed that some days at work I find it difficult to clearly focus and decide it is time to get glasses for work. A completely painless experience and within 30 minutes voila I have reading glasses. How cool is this... and all for around 560,000rp.
I still have my reservations about Centro but I did love the Prada shop.... My only purchase [other than the glasses] was a couple of books from Periplus to add to my growing collection. One is called Touching Earth by Rani Manicka and the other is a new release called Bali Blues by Jeremy Allen.
Also today, more mates from Australia arrive and I hope to catch up with at least 2 of them in the early evening at Indo, so we head back to the villa to relax for a few hours before another night of drinking begins...
As daylight turns to dusk and night falls Kermy and I make our way to Indo-national to catch up with Bob [bob_melb] and another friend Chrissy. I haven't seen these 2 since Bob's party in Melbourne back in January. I also then run into Mitch [Original_mitch] and another guy I had met in September. It's great to catch up with everyone again, makes you feel like you never left . I remember talking to Kerry saying to her that sitting there with everyone that night it was hard to distinguish if I was more ‘ at home' in Bali, than at home in Oz. A group of us headed down to Billy's for a few drinks [like we needed more]....and then 6 of us headed back to the villa to continue the party...we finished at 6.00am
Dec 28th...
It was this day that very quietly in the late morning The Frog [Kermy] hopped down the stairs of the Hidden Garden Villa [aka The Pickled Gecko] with her bags packed and departed without word or warning.
I awoke a little later, when the sun was actually shining, no rain for a change and went downstairs to make coffee.
On the kitchen bench, I found a note from Kermy. It read - 'I am off on a road trip c u in 3 days. ...ribbit, ribbit." I scour the recesses of my mind which like a rubbish tip, littered with empty bourbon bottles, and I have a vague recollection of Kermy muttering something about seeking out adventures beyond paradise.
I pick up my mobile and sms her ...'Hey frog where the hell are you?'...I get no response. I try to call her but her phone is switched off... I sms Meredith to see if she knows where Kermy is. About 15 minutes later Meredith calls me to say ...'I didn't get a reply either. I think Kermy is MIA. '
It will be some hours before I discover the frog [Kermy] has hopped on a plane to Lombok and then spent three hours in a leaky boat on her way to the Gili Islands...but that is her story and I will leave it for her to tell you of her adventures...
Meanwhile, back at the Pickled Gecko [Hidden Garden Villa], I guess I should explain how it came that I renamed the villa. One evening we had been watching DVDs and I fell asleep in the armchair with a half glass of wine in my hand. Finally Katak roused me from my sleep to go to bed and I put my glass on the kitchen counter... The next day while tidying the kitchen bench I spied something in one of the wine glasses..... eek! I peek into the glass and discovered a small Gecko which has drowned. I felt quite sick as I love Gecko's [Chit Chats]. I poured the remainder of the wine and the pickled gecko onto the garden. : - (
Dec 29th...
So, there has been an invasion of Harley Davidson's' in Legian. There is a 3 day Harley exhibition 28th - 30th Dec being held on the vacant lot next door to Ace Hardware in the Kuta Galleria white elephant complex. I go weak at the knees when I hear one of those bad boys drive by and have arranged for Katak, my mate Beepa and I to go for the afternoon.
Katak is like a kid in a candy store and I am not far behind him as my love affair with these mean machines goes back some 20 odd years ago when I first traveled to Bali.
It is a stinking hot day but we wander around looking at all the bikes...hmmm so much chrome and leather. A couple of stunning new bikes which we all drool over and as I wind my way around my heart skips a beat when I discover an old Indian...Oh how I love her so. I drag Katak over to show him as I have before talked to him about the old bikes which used to be in Bali.
I am now officially dying of thirst so the 3 of us find a spot to sit back and relax with a cold Bintang.
There is a huge stage at the back of the lot. Later that night there will be live bands playing. Currently, there is a body painting competition happening on stage but it is painstakingly slow and only a few are showing any interest. The whole thing is a bit like a dog's breakfast, a bit of this, a bit of that, but hey it's Bali. There is also a tattoo comp happening and a very odd assortment of people milling around. There are a few bule but not many.
Finally, there is some action happening. A concourse of witch's hats has been set up. Riders and their bikes must weave around them and back. The one to finish in the fastest time with out coming off or missing an obstacle will be deemed the winner. Some of these Harleys are BIG bikes and it is difficult for them to circumnavigate the course. There are a couple of spills along the way which makes everyone ooh and ahh, and much laughter when a couple of guys get it totally wrong.
There is nothing in this world that compares to the throb of a Harley Davidson between your legs and a bad man to ride ....oops did I get that the wrong way around ??!!!...hmmmn. Having drooled over leather and chrome for some 3 - 4 hours we decide to call it a day. It is around 4.30pm and our timing is perfect because as we get back into the car the heavens open up and it buckets down with rain....
Back at the villa, Katak and I look through the photos I have taken of some of the bikes. I ask him about me buying a Harley in Bali as I have always wanted one ... he looks at me ...'are you serious'... and so the quest begins to find me a bike....
Meanwhile on Gili Trawangan the frog [Kermy] finally sends an sms....Greetings from the Bali Goddess Queen...see you for new years.
I text back yeah woteva!!!....
It's time to PARTEEEEEEE - Dec 30th !!!!!
Ok, so you are saying to yourselves...what else has she done to date except party... Answer...not a lot, but I fully intend leaving this world screaming out wooohoo! What a ride!!!...
Having just survived Xmas, there is one more big night left in me, well 2, or maybe 3 before this journey ends.
The next event is my friends' birthday. I have told Katak he can have the party at the villa inviting whoever he would like, so we do the last wholesaler run for more bourbon and then to Makros for decorations, plates and the other essentials for a bbq. The boys do the best bbq's...can't hardly wait ..
In the afternoon Katak heads off to go food shopping, ribs, chicken and sates and later returns with everything prepared and some of his friends who will cook the food. Under the cover of the garage the boys set up the bbq and a smoke fest is happening. I go out to hand out drinks and exit stage right as I can't bear the billowing smoke choking me...
There is so much food, I wonder how many people are coming and cant believe that it will all be eaten...In addition to the meats we have noodles and steamed rice. God the food is delicious. The ribs and chicken have been marinated in a spicy bbq sauce. About 8 people are at the villa with more to turn up later, so we decide it is time do sing happy birthday and have Katak blow out the candles on the non-existent cake I forgot to organize...ooops!!
Can you guess what makes a re-appearance tonight?? ...Yes, the green fairy dress comes back out of the closet. OMG, what is it with guys wanting to frock up. This night, even our security guard Wayan to join in the celebrations. [We always invite him in for drinks but generally he declines.] Tonight however, he is in like Flynn and even wants to put on the fairy dress. God love him. I was in stitches watching them all.
The time has come to throw Katak into the pool and I conspire with his friends to get him. He knows just by looking at me what is going to happen, so I say ..'take off your shirt so you wont be completely drenched..' but he refuses. I have confiscated his mobile earlier along with some of the others' so no tragedies occur. Patiently we bide our time and wait for him to stand too close to the edge then 1,2,3 and in he goes. Unfortunately for Wayan who assisted me, who is standing at the edge of the pool laughing is not expecting me to push him ...but I do!! It's the quick or the dead and most of us race inside and I lock the doors because I think I know what will happen next...
While we are all killing ourselves laughing the boys are entering via the bathroom window and suddenly appear dripping wet in the lounge....OMG I think I am in trouble.. but suprisingly the boys take pity on me as I still have the flu. Instead they grab their other friends and drag them in....soon there are 10 soggy Balinese in the pool others jumping in to join in the frivolities. Every towel in the villa is handed out for them to dry off and we settle back inside to play Connect 4 and resume drinking...The last of Kataks friends leave around 5.30am, and I finally crash at 6.00ish.....
TBC... New years and The Last Stand...