Two weeks of absolute relaxation. Not a single temple tour, ricefield photoshoot or village visit, just 14 days of veging out around the pool and in the massage room. Bliss.
We stayed at the Bali Hyatt in Sanur and what a wonderful relaxing place it is. I'll post some notes about it later on but I'd say that it was easily one of the nicest hotels we have stayed at in our many trips to Bali over the last 30 years.
We flew Strategic from Perth. On the way over, we had 40 passengers on their airbus and only about 60 on the way home. Terrific for us as we could spread out relax. We were disappointed in the meal on the way over as all we were given was a soggy bread roll with ham and cheese. There was a hot meal on the way back, a chicken and rice dish plus bread roll, bikkies and cheese. Cabin service was good and there was a reasonable amount of leg room in economy class.
The lack of passengers must be worrying for Strategic and maybe the first signs of cutbacks is that we were told by the cabin crew that they are going to stop the hot meal service. When we left Bali there were 4 flights going to Perth all within an hour and I don't see how this can be maintained. There seemed to be plenty of passengers on the Jetstar flight which left before us but if we had only 60 I suspect that Air Asia and Virgin were also not at capacity. We met a couple on the way over who were told that their Wednesday Strategic flight was cancelled only a few days before they were due to leave, so maybe there is a bit of a shake up coming.
Nothing spectacular to report about the journeys either way. The routine at Denpasar is now quite smooth and we were through arrivals within 30 minutes and about the same for departure. I kind of miss the chaos of the old days when you had to fight your way through touts and porters. You really knew you had arrived in Bali when you got off the plane and were hit in the face by the humidity and absolute pandemonium in the arrivals hall. Now it just feels like any other international terminal.
The smoking room at Denpasar airport was something to behold. It was right opposite a cafe where we sipped a drink and watched the addicts come and go in final desperation before their flights. My sis-in-law, who is a total nicotine addict, joined them and said it was a foul experience. The little booth, which holds about 6 people, was full of smoke and smelt foul. We could see her with a row of fellow inmates, inhaling deeply on 2 or 3 fags to fill their bodies with nicotine to last the flight. It really is a disgusting habit.
Now to do the unpacking, see how many of the DVDs work and sift through the photos.
More about the Hyatt, restaurants and other stuff later.