Just returned from another beautiful 4 weeks in Bali, actually was our 4th trip this year. Have already posted a JBR for February's trip but June trip and July trip did not make it to JBR. Will give you a brief overview.
June trip was 3 weeks. The major objective for this trip apart from swimming, eating and drinking was to buy a car for our good friend Danny. Have known Danny for many years and he is a DVD salesman from Ulluwatu. He's 24, married with an 11month baby and they live in a tiny room in a Kost in Kuta. Decided that it would change his life and so off we went to Agung Toyota dealership and ordered a brand new Toyota Avanza. Danny cried the whole way home. Seven days later it was time to pick the car up; Danny did not sleep the whole night before. Car was great and Danny, his wife and baby all so happy, made me feel very happy as well.
On our return this October we were greeted at the airport by Danny's smiling face, complete with esky with Bintangs and Kretek cigarettes. One day Danny asked me to come back to his place. He wanted to show me how they have moved to a slightly larger room, inside he has a photo of me and him on the day we picked the car up, it is blown up on canvas, and at the bottom has written ‘the greatest day', I cried. But Danny had more to show me. Since we bought the car in June he has saved 46 million rupiah (parents loaned him a small amount) and was able to gain finance to buy another car, an APV van. The payments are 3 million a month and the way he is going at the moment he will have it paid off pretty soon. I was just so proud of him; he now employs his brother as well to drive the second car. Here is Danny's contact details- +6281933017742
The July trip was a quick 10 day trip to attend the cremation of a good friend of ours from Nusa Lembongan. It was a great experience. The first day we arrived we were taken by some friends to view the bones. There were 31 people being cremated and the bones were all wrapped in white cloth and had the persons ceremonial clothes folded up on the top. There were several yellow clothed bones and we were told they were not married people, mostly children. Some families had several family members being cremated. Then all the families met at the temple and there was a huge procession down the street to the cemetery with all the families carrying a chair type thing with offerings and ceremonial knives and weapons. The procession went for the whole of the main street of Jungabatu village.
The next day we gathered in the main street at 9am. My son helped carry the Pagoda which housed all the bones, there were about 40 men required to carry it. It was the whole width of the street and several times the carriers had to step into shops to gain enough room. For around an hour the procession went up the street and then turned and made its way back down the street. Each time they edged closer to the cemetery. Then the priests started removing the bundles of bones and handing to the families. From there they were taken by the priest to the families' animal statue. These were made out of foam and highly decorated and painted. The bones were placed on the back of the statue and firewood placed at the bottom. The whole thing was then set alight. A short break followed and then a ceremony at the cemetery and finally the ashes were taken down to the beach and put into the ocean. The day finished at 9pm, first time we had been in our kabayas for 12 hours.
And on to the October trip, we spent a week in Perth with my brother in law to spend the anniversary of my husband's sudden death with family. We flew Strategic Air and they were great, looking at booking them for next trip. Arrived to Danny at the airport and off to Lumbung Sari for 3 nights before we disappear to Lembongan. Had a few very nice dinners at Je Je's and one lunchtime went to Warung Kartini and it was completely full, had to wait for a table but was worth it as the food was great and I had Danny with me and he hates going to expensive restaurants, you can see him looking at the prices in some places and thinking 'I can feed the whole family for a month for the price of this'
Arrived in Lembongan and gave a big sigh, home again. Caught up with all our friends and I stayed at Puri Nusa with my son and the 2 daughters stayed at Acha's surf warung next door to Linda's. The owner is a young local boy and he firstly built the restaurant and then used some of the families' home to create 3 rooms, very basic but clean and with good beds, new bathrooms with cold water, all for 80,000rp a night great for the girls' budget.
Friends of mine came over and we organised a room at Agus Shipwrech Bar and Bungalows. Agus put in a pool in July and has a new two storey room which is beautiful. My friends were on the top floor and had the view to die for, lay in bed and watch the surf break. Two Aussies built the room for Agus. Went to Scallywags for dinner which is in the most beautiful setting, and they pick you up and drop you back, food was good but not fantastic. My friends loved Lembongan and are very keen to return.
My daughter bought a motor bike while we were in Lembongan 14 million rp, she will leave it with her boyfriends family as they don't have a bike. When the bike arrived we had to organise the priest to come and bless the bike and put the offerings on. Also went to friends wedding which was fantastic. Spent 2 evenings prior to the wedding at his family compound, drinking Bintang and catching up with the Island. Guests received a small box with a boiled egg in, lollies and snacks. My son was amazed at the glasses on each table filled with a variety of cigarettes!
Not much shopping this trip but made up for it with a large purchase. I bought a block of land on Nusa Lembongan. It is 6 arias, 600sq meters, in a lovely peaceful spot. Its about a 5 minute walk to the beach and I am so excited. It's been a plan of ours for a few years and we have sat and watched the land values go up and up so decided there is no better time than now. I return on 16th January and will have an appointment at the notary, have a very good friend whose name will appear on the land title.
Thanks for reading and will post about my land purchase experience when I return after January trip.
Sharon