Been back for almost a week.
Travelling with Jetstar:
Checked in by a 'Brunehilda' type who weighed my cabin luggage & declared that I must pack some of it into my check-in luggage. Stood to the side & re-arranged things (yes, I was one of those people!). Took my some stuff out of my cabin luggage & put into my handbag. On re-weighing, my cabin luggage was only 1kg over now, so she let it pass. After checking in, went round the corner & emptied my handbag back into my cabin luggage. What a pointless exercise.
The flight was delayed by about 45 mins after scheduled take off time, but ended up being only 15 mins late landing. No complaints about the flight - wide comfy seat with long seatbelt (yay). The flight was full & those poor hosties worked like navvies up down the aisles dishing out food & drink & then selling it.
Bali Airport:
No trouble going through immigration or buying a visa. I had to wait ages for my luggage. It finally came out with the dreaded chalk cross on it. Oh no! I knew it would be searched, and sure enough.....I had bought 6 little bottles of ‘Yellow' sparkling wine - 3 per pack. This was what interested them & once I'd shown them, they were happy.
Accommodation:
Stayed at Adi Dharma Cottages on Jl Legian, Tegal Sari in Ubud & then Adi Dharma Hotel off Jl Benesari. Had to change rooms in both Adi Dharma properties - one room only had single beds so changed to a double the next night. The staff were slow to understand that pushing two single beds together, pulled out 3 feet from the wall to accommodate the bedside table normally between the two & bolted to the wall & both still made up with their individual linen was not very satisfactory compared to sleeping in a double bed! Breakfast at the cottages consisted of toast & a choice from the menu - eggs, rice or porridge.
The aircon was kaput in the hotel room on my second stay. It was also band night, & the lead singer sounded like she was singing from my balcony. Very noisy along those ground floor rooms near the restaurant. I was becoming an expert in packing/unpacking my stuff! My new room on the next floor overlooking the gardens was much better. Both properties could do with bathroom renovations though. The strong wind one evening blew the wire mesh panel from the window into the bathroom. The houseboys always leave the bathroom door open, allowing the hot air from outside to come in through the glass-less window in the bathroom - not very energy efficient, especially if you have been out all day. I did appreciate the library at the hotel. I left my finished book there & borrowed another. Breakfast at the hotel was more a smorgasboard type - so if you are a big eater, stay there rather than the cottages.
Tegal Sari was superb as usual. I had room 11 this time, which was of course spotless. My room faced the rice fields & monkey forest. Fortunately the rice wasn't quite ready for harvest & was tall & green. Last year they had harvested a few days before I checked in. The staff were very friendly & helpful & the laundry service continues to excel. There were a couple of sound & light shows at night with thunderstorms. Brought out the frogs. I'm always happy to see frogs - they are a good indication of a clean environment.
I will be posting my photos of these 3 hotels on Webshots in a few days.
Shopping:
Only did a little shopping. One day I set out on foot from Adi Dharma Cottages to the Bintang Supermarket, armed with the list of shops from ‘Big Bum'. I could not find a single shop that she recommended on Jl Legian/Seminyak that stocked plus size clothing - maybe they have all closed or are only open in the evenings?? I was very disappointed, not to mention very hot! I took refuge in the Bintang Supermarket's veggie section - it is wonderfully cool in there. Stocked up on Yakult while I was there - I forgot to pack my Inner Health Plus.
I bought my DVDs, after pre-ordering them before I left from my usual source & had them delivered to my hotel. So far I have only found 2 that won't play properly.
I bought the Biokos 40's skincare range by Martha Tilaar at Supernova- cleanser, toner, day cream, night cream & anti wrinkle serum for $30 the lot! I have ultra sensitive skin, so I figured testing it in Bali where no-one knows me if I break out looking hideous, was a good option. In the past everything I have tried has made me break out in a rash. I've used the MT products for just over 2 weeks now and I'm thrilled that there has been no allergic reaction! I am only sorry I did not buy more.
Internet:
Went on-line almost daily. Most internet cafes were air-conditioned, cheap with reasonably fast speeds. My only gripe - many had elaborate toolbars that took up half the screen.
Bali Baik Ride:
In Ubud I did the Baik Bike Ride. Cost: Rp 350,000. We stopped at a fruit farm on the way to Kintamani & saw how fruit & coffee were grown. Had taste tests of various coffees & teas. Sure enough, they had a shop that sold coffee, tea, spices & oils. Had breakfast later at a hillside restaurant overlooking Mt Batur & the lake. I wish I had taken some photos of the fruit stalls along the way - they had arranged their wares in pyramidal stacks - very artistic & colourful. We were driven to a rendezvous just out of Bangli to pick up our bikes and commence the ride. I rode the bike for about 15 minutes & after pulling a calf muscle I decided it was too much like hard work & spent the rest of the trip in the car at the back of the pack. For those who posted that you don't need to be fit to do this ride - I beg to differ. Sure most of it is level or down hill, but the roads are littered with potholes & some pedalling & dexterity is required. Quite a few of us struggled. There are a few decent hills towards the end too! Though I travelled the course in style, it was still fun. The driver in the car was a mine of information. It was a Sunday, so many of the children were out in the street playing while the women did the weekly washing. Clothes abounded the route - lining the grassy verge and hung from bushes by the side of the road. Rice paddies aplenty & we were fortunate enough to see rice getting planted, weeded & harvested during the ride. Our tour ended with lunch at Wayan's house. It was delicious - a variety of Indonesian dishes cooked by his wife.
Offerings Course:
The following day I did a short course at Nirvana learning how to make offerings. Cost: Rp 150,000. I was the only student, so I had the undivided attention of the two instructors. I learned how to make 6 different types of daily offerings made out of young coconut leaves, bamboo sticks & flowers. It was like a form of zen occupational therapy! My creations were bundled up for me to take back to the hotel & much admired by the staff at Tegal Sari. Such a pity they began to wither after a couple of days.
Dolphin Swim:
Went up to Melka Hotel in Lovina to swim with the dolphins. Cost: Rp 225,000. The change rooms at the poolside are less than desirable. There are 2 cubicles with a shower & toilet in each. There are no hooks & nowhere to hang your bag or clothes whilst changing & the floor is wet. Ended up having to put my bag on top the toilet lid - eww! You need to BYO towel too.
I went in the second pool first, which had a male & female dolphin. I didn't want to force an encounter, just treaded water in the one spot & waited to see what happened. The male slept & hardly moved. The keeper says he's lazy. Before long the female was circling me, brushing against my legs & nosing me. She was quite gentle & happy to frolic around me for awhile. The 2 male dolphins in the front pool were very ‘frisky' shall we say, & were very keen to rub against my legs as often as possible! I soon realised that these lads are in need of a girlfriend! They were a bit rough so I did not stay in that pool for long!
I quizzed the keepers and their affection for their charges was obvious & I thought the dolphins looked well cared for, though I am no expert. The swimming pools, however, are way too small for them and there is nowhere for them to go if they don't feel sociable. In another pool were dozens of small reef sharks. What the? Are they farming them? I looked over the zoo to check that all the animals had water. I didn't see the bear - it may have been in a cage I thought empty. It wasn't until the drive back that I remembered they had a bear. I did see an orangutan, which was all by itself in a cage, the poor thing. It had the saddest eyes - it must be so lonely. I didn't like the zoo - animals need companionship of their own kind & more natural habitat if they are to be kept in captivity. My opinion anyway.
Cracker's Bar:
After visiting Melka, it was on to Cracker's Bar for the unofficial opening of the kitchen. Unfortunately it poured with rain. I met some of the BTF & BCF members & had a nice lunch. Just about needed to rappel down the bar chairs though - they were so high! It is true what they about the toilets at Cracker's - they are lavish! A few policemen arrived during lunch & took an interest in one of the diners, taking her to the front & frisking her. It took a minute or two for me to twig that they weren't serious. Turns out they were friends of David's. Prior to leaving I ducked into the Adopta Ladies stall next door & bought a couple of t-shirts.
School Visit:
I visited my sponsor child through Helen Flavel Foundation in Singaraja during my trip. It was a horrendous drive through the mountains - heavy rain, mist & wind made visibility poor. I felt sorry for the fruit stall holders huddled under their small shelters waiting for a sale. Had I liked durian.......!!! Not!
I was given a tour of the Helen Flavel Learning Centre by Nyoman, and then taken to Ketut's school. It was playtime when I arrived & I was soon centre of attention. I was ushered into the teacher's room & met all the teachers & was introduced to the headmaster while Ketut was fetched. We then went to her classroom, where Ketut introduced me to the other students & they sang me a song. We were given permission to take Ketut into Singaraja town where I purchased a pair of jeans & a top for her & some food staples for her family at the local market. We also stopped at a sports shop so I could purchase some sporting equipment for her school.
I met Ketut's parents & her brothers at her house along with many of the neighbours. They have a very basic house in a co-operative compound shared by neighbours. They were very gracious about my visit & I felt very humbled by their hospitality. I was treated to a cup of tea & biscuits, while Ketut handed out the sweets I had bought. I am very proud of Ketut & honoured to sponsor her education. She is a confident, well mannered girl of 12. She says she wants to continue her education & study to be a nurse. I was quite chuffed - I'm a nurse.
We returned to the Learning Centre to drop off Nyoman & a class was in progress. The children took it in turns to ask me questions to practice their English & sang me a couple of songs. It was a lovely ending to my visit. It was a shame we had to travel back through the mountains to Ubud - the weather didn't improve much.
Travelling with Jetstar:
My flight home with Jetstar was uneventful. I had worried about the weight of my luggage - needlessly as it turned out! I was still 3 kg under with my check-in luggage & my cabin luggage was not weighed at all. I berrated myself for not buying more Martha Tilaar. Too late now. I opted to go to the Prada Lounge, which cost me Rp150,000. It was quiet, comfy & the food & drinks were fine. Nothing was dried up or wrinkly, as reported on another post. Spent half an hour on the internet. My flight was announced over the PA system too. My stuff went through the xray machine again and had my cabin luggage was searched in the boarding lounge. Overkill. Fortunately I had the seat to myself on the flight home. It would have been nice if the economy passengers had been given their complimentary bottle of water - we didn't & I ended up buying a soft drink.
They have changed the customs & immigration procedure in Melbourne over the past year. We were queued like cattle going to the market, with a sniffer dog doing the rounds waiting to clear immigration. There is no walking out of the double doors when you have nothing to declare anymore. Still had to queue alongside the something to declare lanes, & have my luggage xrayed before being allowed out into the public areas. I'm sure there are more xray machines in airports than in the health care system now!
A couple of days after returning home, I had an email from a survey company employed by Jetstar asking me to participate in a survey about my return flight. So I guess they are taking the complaints made since they began their Bali service more seriously now.
So sadly it is back to work next week.
Thanks for letting me share,
Merril.