Bounded out of bed to get ready for the gym. That is after I checked FB & my emails, then I bounded. Well bounded is probably an overly physical description of me getting out of bed & getting dressed, taming my wild night hair into respectability, gathering my bits & pieces and heading off to the ground floor gym. Hooray, I am the only one here! That is for the 1st 30 mins anyway, then an older couple come in to MY gym to use the treadmills while I am struggling to remove the largest weights from the smith machine bar. Blimey, it's a snug fit & I've worked up a sweat before I even use the thing! Then another 2 people come in & room to work is now at a premium. I have already bagged the bench so I can finish my workout without waiting for equipment.
Then it's breakfast time! I'm starving so make short work of my crispy pork bacon & scambled eggs with mushrooms, waffle & fruit & a mini croissant. Back to my room to shower. Griping pains in my gut were the 3 second warning I got to get to the toilet NOW! Luckily I am already in the bathroom or I shudder to think what might have happened! Crisis averted & instant relief. Phew.
I forgo my usual post breakfast nanna nap and instead do some online research about the Bali Zoo & Bali Safari Park. I've been to both in the past but I fancy doing something today. Oooh look, you can do night tours at either. I jump on trip adviser & read the reviews & decide on the zoo over the safari park. I book online - it won't let me use today's date on the calendar provided so I add it manually & use Paypal to pay. My confirmation is emailed to me and it has Wed 20th Nov as the date of activity. WTF? I email the zoo to confirm that I'm going tonight & get quick confirmation and we'll pick you up between 4:30 & 5pm. Cool.
My belly does it's warning dance & I race to the toilet again. And again. And again. Sweet mother what on earth did I eat? It was the Balinese buffet last night so obviously something did not agree with me. I'm pissed off because I have been taking Travelan religiously before meals & it's supposed to prevent this from happening. After my 5th go on the loo I decide to intervene with a couple of Gastrostop. I end up taking another 2 during the next couple of hours. I hope this stops before my zoo excursion.
I while away my morning watching a DVD which keeps jamming. It's a dud. Note to self to buy another copy as I want to see what happens. I'm feeling just the slightest bit queasy so I defer lunch as late as possible and go for something bland. I order a chicken pizza from room service at around 2:30pm. I'd read online that they don't feed you until around 8pm so a late lunch will hopefully tide me over.
It's 4:30pm so I make my way down to the foyer to wait for my transport. I had just pulled my iPhone out of my bag to occupy myself while I wait when the driver appeared. That was quick, I'm used to Bali time, which can sometimes mean waiting around up to an hour later. I learn I am the only passenger. Am I going to be the only one going tonight? No, just the only one from this area. I feel a wee bit blonde. With the horrid traffic, it takes nearly an hour to get there.
There is a large group of seniors at the zoo reception. I go up to the window to get my ticket, but more importantly ask for directions to the nearest toilet. The only toilet is at the restaurant. Great, another Mt Everest of stairs & I quickly walk to the restaurant & safely find the loo in time. Surely I must be empty by now? I pray that this is the last time for the night.
When I get back to the group, they are having a photo taken with a grumpy looking owl. He looks grumpy because he has large feathered eyebrows that lift at the ends so he looks like he is frowning. I am last to have my photo taken, so I ask one of the seniors to take a pic with my camera. A thick leather falconry glove is placed on my right arm & Mr Owl transferred onto it. He's not happy & starts flapping his wings, narrowly missing my face. I tell him to stop mucking up my hair & he settles but refuses to look forward for the photos.
We are ushered up the steps to an elevated stage area that has tables & chairs positioned around it. The staff think I came with the seniors & worry that there is not enough seats around their table for me. I explain that I came on my own & get shown to a table set for one. I receive a welcome drink. No idea what it is, but mainly crushed ice & tastes good. We are divided into 2 groups & the 1st group, which included me are taken to meet the elephants. It's a bit of a trek, but it is still light enough to see. We are advised to keep an eye out for porcupines, as they have a few that roam free. The 1st elephants we see are 2 males, one young, the other full grown with 1/2 of his tusks insitu. Our guide said we will not be meeting them, instead a docile female was led up by her mahout. Adele was led with nothing more than a piece of frond which she held onto with her trunk, the mahout with the other end. We were given some corn chunks to feed her & have photos taken. Again I was last. On the walk back to the stage we pass the other group on their way for their elephant encounter. It's dark now. We stop off at the toilets to wash our hands. Fortunately I don't need to go whilst there.
Back at the stage, we sit at our allocated tables & a waitress brings around a drinks menu. Our guide tells us it's time to meet some animals up close & personal. A keeper comes out with a binturong called Molly, also known as a bearcat, draped around his neck. Another keeper comes out on stage with a large reticulated python called Kai wrapped around his body. We take it turns to have pictures taken, both professionally & with our own cameras. Snake first. I don't like snakes & have never touched one in my life but for some reason I have no fear as this huge snake is placed across my shoulders & arms, with me holding him about a foot from his head. He is cool to touch, heavier than I expected & I can feel his muscles ripple under his skin as he settles himself. Easy peasy. Next comes Molly. I have to hold up my right arm, horizontal & bent so she can climb aboard onto my shoulder & rest her head on my arm. She is still for only seconds, then climbs onto my head & nibbles at my hair clip, then bends forward across my face & licks my nose. I squeak in surprise & her keeper plucks her off me. Back to handwashing. The other group returns & have their animal encounter & photos while we watch on. There is some squealing amongst the senior ladies and the snake. One lady is rejected by Molly because she doesn't like her perfume & refuses to go to her.
Next we have a little animal show. A keeper walks out on stage followed by a porcupine, which settles with a piece of fruit. Then a young one comes out & follows its keeper off the stage & around our tables. So cute. The bigger porcupine won't leave the stage as it's still eating. It won't let its keeper take the fruit from it, so needs to be bribed with another piece to relinquish the original & the fruit dangled in front of it to make it move. So funny. Next comes a small binturong which runs backward & forward along a thick rope extending across the entrance to the stage. Also cute. The guide then asks for 4 volunteers to come on stage. A massive boa constrictor is brought out & laid across their arms. So glad I didn't volunteer! Next they call all the men to the stage, got them to stand close together in a row & bend over. A huge binturong walks across their backs.
It is now time for our tour of the zoo. The other group goes first & we follow after 5 minutes or so. We see a variety of animals with our informative guide as we weave our way through meandering paths & lush foliage to different exhibits. It's so hot. There is no breeze at all & I'm feeling distinctly seedy. We stop at an animal enclosure & given some food to feed the animals - mainly deer, goats & a rabbit. A young goat stands on my belly trying to get to food. There is a tiny fawn on spindly legs - just gorgeous. It takes around an hour to tour the zoo, ending at the stage where we began. There is a buffet dinner, but I hold back until everyone else has sat back down. The smell of food is nauseating. I take a spoonful of steamed rice & a couple of pieces of watermelon back to my table. I only manage one bite of the rice & one piece of fruit. While we were eating, we were 'entertained' by a band of drums. They played solidly for about 20 mins maybe longer, my head was pounding & wanted them far far away. When they finally stopped (yay) there was a fire dance. Not the kecak dance you may be familiar with. This was more african or pacific islander style with dancers using fire lit batons, ending with blowing fire from their mouths which was quite spectacular. You could feel the heat from the fire as it shot out several feet into the air.
I went over to the photo booth & looked at the photos taken of me during my animal encounters. I choose one with Molly. The photo is quite large & presented inside a folder with zoo animals all over it, and aptly titled 'A Night At The Zoo'. We exit the zoo and find our transport. I am wrecked, feel sick & doze off on the way back. When I awaken, I've no idea where we are. A stupid thought crossed my mind - what if I was being kidnapped? No one would know where I was - my hotel doesn't know as I booked online. It would be several days before I'm missed. I tell myself not to be ridiculous as I start reading the addresses on the business signs we pass. Ok, we are on Jl Kerobokan. I wonder how far the jail is? We came in to Jl Pettinget from the opposite end I was used to. Soon we are turning down the street where my hotel is situated. Phew.
Up Mt Everest to the sanctuary of my room. I have some Stemetil, so take one & quickly jump into bed. I transfer tonight's photos from my camera memory card onto my iPad & go through them. They look pretty good, but I'm not up to doing anything else now but sleep.