On reflection- the highs and lows of our trip to Bali

So home and unpacked it's true to say we have had the most fantastic time exploring Bali and experiencing a little of the so many things it has to offer. 

First mistake we made though was arriving home mid afternoon and even though we said we wouldn't, showering and getting straight into bed. Despite setting an alarm for a couple of hours later, we ignored it and had our evenings sleep. Mistake! By 2am we were both wide awake and hungry! We were expecting  to have a bite to eat and then fall straight back asleep- as if! Balinese time had obviously set in and our body's natural alarm clock could only think it was morning time. It was just a shame that the butler didn't know where we lived! Anyway, the same mistake will not be made again- tonight we will go to bed at the correct UK time!!

So on reflection....our highs and lows (obviously not in that order!)

Lows

It has to be the illnesses and ailments we had whilst over there! A dodgy stomach for Chris on and off and a three hour episode of food poisoning for Helen. On the plus side- less money spent on food and fewer pounds gained. In fact for Chris a two pound loss!! A broken tooth for Helen (at least £200 trip to dentist next week) and a bad shoulder for Chris.  Not too bad- no trips to see the Balinese medics! 

The travelling. Despite the excitement of the adventure ahead and thought of home, the travelling there and back was a bit of a pain. Our reserved seats were granted so at least we were where we wanted to be. However, 27 hours travelling is a bit much! Made all the worse by one guy on the outward flight being a little odd-  funny sounds, ridiculous snoring, sudden laughing-perhaps too much of the strong stuff. Also, the second outward flight being so cold!!! And of course, little sleep for Chris! On the way back, the first two flights being sat next to a man who snored profusely, coughed when he wasn't snoring, took my seatbelt, had my leg room and armrest and generally wasn't the best person to sit next to (and no- it wasn't Chris!) probably added to it. Oh and the taxi man making us go to departures  to be collected- not the best to see happy faces eagerly awaiting their holiday when you feel shattered and just want to get the M62 journey done with!

The fact we never walked on a beach, never got to experience day time Ubud, our poor bartering skills, however it is always good to leave something for next time.

And now the highs...

Two full weeks together, in such different hotels and places that provided so many contrasts and memories.

Seeing so many different sides of Bali in such a short time; the natural beauty of the lakes, rice terraces and mountains, the cultural side of the palaces, temples and dances, the day to day life seen on every street corner, the gorgeous food seeing from fields to kitchen to plate and finally to our stomachs.

Gaining so much insight in to the traditions, rituals and beliefs just by talking to our guide Arri, witnessing the things we were told about actually happening, seeing what we thought were stereotypical images to be a true reflection on Balinese life.

The welcoming nature of everyone we met throughout our travels, yes they all asked the same questions, is this your first visit to Bali, how long are you here, where have you been, where do you live, do you like Bali.  But it is the responses we got back that made the conversations so genuine, the welcome to Bali we got every time we said it was our first visit was always so heartfelt and the pride that shone out when we said we loved Bali showed to us how much the Balinese love Bali too.

So that's it! Goodbye beautiful  Bali and thank you for lots of beautiful, happy, memories we will hold to these for the rest of our lives. 

Day 14- Final day, night, day .......travelling!!

 As we woke to the usual sound of the pool filling, the staff sweeping and the birds singing, today really was the last day. We were pleased that we had made the decision to pay extra to keep the villa on until 6pm and made the most of it. Awake and both feeling well, we opened all the sliding doors, including the bedroom ones and Chris slipped straight into the pool! Nothing like a quick dip to wake you up! 

Just as we were waiting for breakfast we were most alarmed that we noticed, next to the sink in the little kitchen area (not for preparing food just a sink, fridge and glasses) that there were animal droppings! Worried that our breakfast was arriving in less than five minutes there was little we could do but thinking the worse- mice or even rats, we were surprised how these had suddenly appeared as they were not there when Chris looked after his swim. Scrubbing hands and using anti-bacterial gel, we were comforted that at least the breakfast was prepared elsewhere and always arrived in cling film etc.  DING-DONG the doorbell went and the butler promptly arrived carrying the large tray. Before he was able to put it down I ushered him to the droppings and I said "rats?"! He laughed and said rat droppings "MUCH bigger!! They're just gecko dropping!!" Hmmmm, .not sure this made it much better but he promptly cleaned them away and I guess I was relieved to know they weren't rat droppings! I'm sure gecko droppings aren't that great either!  However, we sat down to the last breakfast and made the most of the freshly squeezed fruit juices we had become accustomed to!  I daren't think how many pieces of fruit go into each glass full of juice! Mmmmmm..lovely.

After that we both read (I managed to get my total of books up to three) and just enjoyed our pool and  villa on our last day. 

After packing late afternoon, we were ready to go to Reception by 5.50pm to start our long journey home and following a leisurely drink at the main pool, our transport had arrived early to take us to the airport. In the usual send off we had be come familiar with (doors being opened, bags packed in car for us, ladies bowing with their hands together, everyone thanking us for choosing their hotel and wishing us a good day) we set off knowing we had a good 27 hours travel ahead of us. 

The journey to the airports seems to fly by and our guide (different guy) was keen to chat to us about our holiday.  We can't possibly say which has been our favourite part of Bali as everywhere has been different so we promptly replied as much and he agreed.  Aft discussing the cookery school with him he too was interested in the food we ate and explained Balinese food is often too spicy for tourists- I think he was quite pleased that we have enjoyed the traditional dishes! Although he did laugh when we had been fed teeth- his favourite part is the ear! Hmmmm.

He explained to us that his  home village is in the North of Bali and that is where he considers home, despite residing in Denpasar. He still has an obligation for his village and his visits at home are often spent involved in ceremonies and maintaining the upkeep of the temples- when he can't make it home regularly, he sends back packs of cement etc for his share.  The family home is obviously very important to the Balinese and remain in the family - when he leaves Denpasar due to retirement, that is where he will go.

 Upon arrival at the airport we said goodbye and we started the mammoth security procedures to get out of Bali. In no time at all, we were boarding the plane and saying our goodbyes.  Our first stop was to Singapore- albeit briefly but nevertheless a stop and opportunity to stretch our legs.

When we arrived at Doha airport it was easy to see that becoming familiar again with the changing time zones was going to be a challenge.  Trying to decide whether we were taking notice of Bali time, English time or Qatar time- we gave it up as a bad job and decided to watch the sunrise in Qatar regardless!! 

This is us 17 hours in to the journey only 10 to go before our own bed etc become a reality.

Day 13. Our last full day on the beautiful island of Bali

Well after an unpleasant last few hours, it was unlikely that today was going to be anything but spent recovering. And indeed that's all it was. Spending most of the day asleep on the sofa and day bed we did very little.  

Whilst on the road to recovery, It did give me the opportunity to look up the name of the flower that is everywhere in Bali and used for decoration in the hotels! I had suspected it was Frangipani and it was!! Everywhere we have stayed  these flowers have adorned our room and its no coincidence that a tree can be found just outside.  I've watched hotel staff gently shake the tree to collect a few flowers but I have to say you can usually find many on the floor!! 

The other thing I finally did was look up the rather large bees that are always buzzing  around in the flowers. Making a loud buzzing noise, almost looking like a flying beetle with a hard black shell, I was intrigued as to what they were. Mystery solved- Carpenter Beetle! The scale of the picture doesn't quite show the size but you wouldn't want one of these to land on you!! 

They seem to love these flowers although I've not worked out what these hanging beauties are called! 

Each of our hotels have had the same type of foliage and flowers in the grounds. Huge, huge leaves create a jungle like effect and in amongst them, the orange and red flowers and of course the usual place for religious offerings. 

When we had our walk to Seminyak the previous day, we had passed a florist. If you were to receive a bouquet of flowers in Bali, you could expect the above orange and red flowers to be in!!! 

By 4pm it was safe to say that our last full day in Bali hadn't gone exactly to plan.  We cancelled our last dinner reservation, had a quick walk to the shops to allow our villa to be cleaned and were back in the villa by 5.30pm for the night.  After a decision to not eat tonight, the evening was spent listening to music, viewing the photos and generally feeling sorry for ourselves!! 

If only we had something more to blog about!! Sadly not.

Dy 12 Very little to blog

After breakfast, a quick swim and the known fact we had little time left here in Bali, we decided to use the hotel's shuttle service into Seminyak Square. As we arrived we were immediately stopped by a man giving us a free scratch card each! Trying not to be too rude we said thanks and headed on our way. Not good enough for him, we had to open them.  I had won t-shirts and Chris had won first prize!!! Surprise surprise. Adamantly we would not be attending any meeting; we turned our back and walked away. Phew. So where to next? No sooner had we moved a little we were then offered the scratch cards again and again- even though 'they're different' they kept telling us. Needless to say we became quite rude and managed to not gain eye contact, continued walking and sternly said no.  

Seminyak square consisted of lots of shops and restaurants. We managed a whole hour there and didn't even go in one shop! We'd run out of cash so spent a long time finding a cash machine. By the time we had found one we had had enough of the heat, uneven pavements and beeping horns so we  grabbed a taxi back to the hotel. 

So that's it- day 12!! We didn't manage to eat out due to a bad case of, well...we just didn't manage to eat is all I will say, I'll leave the rest up to you!! 

Day 11 An evening at the theatre

I feel I must start off sharing the ornaments in our villa.  Balinese sculptures...Balinese carvings....Balinese glass? No ....... I think they knew I was staying here!  Five of these fat ladies dotted around the villa- even one at the side of my bed!! 

Now for the day. After a very poor night's sleep we were pleased that we hadn't to get up early for anything other than breakfast which was arriving at 9.15am. So our morning was spent leisurely around our villa pool and enjoying the occasional shade and feeling grateful for the clouds, shaded bale (day bed), pool and bottled water! 

Our pick up arrived at 3.15 pm, with an apology from the driver about the lateness due to traffic. It would seem that traffic can be somewhat unpredictable here in Bali! We were heading to Uluwatu to view the amazing views, sunset, temple, watch the Kecak dance and dine out in Jimbaran  (well known for seafood).

A quiet journey inside the car but nothing was quiet outside the car! Travelling this time on major roads at rush hour time (for hotel staff) the roads were the usual chaos- bikes and cars everywhere, less beeping but still the usual fight for lanes ( not that they use them anyway). 

We stopped off at a viewing point of the sea. A popular place for surfers the area was littered with mopeds- we have realised that carrying anything on a moped is possible, so it would seem that the tourists follow suit with their boards. There weren't many surfers due to the low tide but it was picturesque just the same and we got our first sighting of mischievous monkeys on the beach! 

After a brief stop we set off again to our destination for the evening. It was easy to see we had arrived when we saw the high volume of tourist cars queuing to pay in to the car park. Most tourists with guides tend to travel in the same type of vehicle so at the main tourist spots, you are most grateful to have your guide who either phones the driver and the car comes to you or knows exactly where the car is parked! It's all so well organised and there is very little hanging around or walking back to the car. The vehicles are unusual but perfect for tourists with their own air con at the back and high seats for viewing. There seems to be very few colours- white, dark purple (my favourite), light blue, silver or black. In fact, I haven't seen one red vehicle on the island!

Once we had paid and been dropped off, we were promptly provided with a sash to wear. This time as Chris had three quarter trousers and I had a dress below the knee, we didn't need a sarong, I was quite sad as the luxurious purple sarongs everyone was wearing looked nice! Anyway, guiding Chris through the uneven ground (the worst ground we had walked on) as he had removed his glasses due to the monkeys, we headed down the steps towards the viewing point.  I felt slightly uneasy as many of the other guides had sticks in their hands  for the monkeys but Arri didn't think it was necessary ( he's so laid back about everything even though he'd said he'd run if they came to us as he had once had his headgear snatched by a cheeky monkey!). Yes we passed a few monkeys but they didn't seem too bothered about us as some tourists had bought bags of food to feed them so they were more interested in them. I did have to warn Chris about their tails as I am certain he wouldn't have seen the tails (that's if he could even see the monkey!) without his glasses and standing on a monkey's tail might possibly have been a catastrophe. Arriving at the beautiful viewing point, the nerve wracking walk with the monkeys was worth it and you could see the famous Uluwatu Temple high upon the cliff edge. 

Chris was given permission to put his glasses on briefly to admire the view and have our photograph taken. Arri was most alarmed when he took our photo as a monkey almost climbed up on to Chris- I thought he was winding me up when he started shooing it away but the photo proves it!! Had Arri not made the noise the glasses  might now have been added to the many broken sunglasses I saw on the walk down.

Just to let you know- the monkeys are not what I would call cute! They are naughty, determined and clever! 

After a walk around the temple, Arri was anxious that we needed to head to get our seats for the dance as he could see the spaces were being taken.  Fifty minutes before the dance was due to begin seemed a little early but we trusted him to be right and as he paid for the tickets, we were just two of many who were waiting to view the performance.  Approaching the tiered wooden seating area we knew he was right. The top row is the best apparently but we were pipped to the post to get the last seats by a family of Japanese. Not a problem- Arri ushered us towards the left end of the seating area and said we could the get good photos of the famous sunsets here too. And he was right (although we actually missed getting really good ones as we were watching the dance). 

So the seating area was filling up fast and after about ten minutes all the seats (wooden benches with little legroom) were taken with tourists desperate to see the famous fire dance. However, that didn't matter, the ushers just continued to sit people on the floor on the stage, in other areas and basically wherever they could! Considering this dance had fire in it and the majority of us were seated on rickety old wooden benches, many on the stage itself and those that couldn't get a seat standing and blocking the exits, it could have been a disaster if things were to wrong! Hey ho- this is Bali and we already knew that Health & Safety was non-existent! 

The performance opened with the priest (I think) making offerings to the gods and once the men were on stage, sprinkling them with holy water.

The Kecak & Fire dance is unique as unlike other Balinese performances, it's not accompanied by any musical instruments. Instead a chorus of about seventy men imitate the sounds of musical instruments with their voice to tell the story and provide sound effects. They are also a big part of the story and scenery as they form the trees, forests, magic circle, the villagers, buildings and much more. The name Kecak comes from the chattering cak-cak sounds of the men.  The story is adapted from an ancient ritual ceremony that was originally held to purify a village during an epidemic. This abridged version consisted  of four main scenes and a few main characters; Rama, Sita, Laksmana, Ravana and  Anoman. The story is easily understood with the aid of the English overview tourists are given although it is easy to get the essence of the story without.  As in the previous dance we saw, there were some slapstick scenes where members of the audience were picked on to go on stage and some close interaction between some of the characters and the audience. Another good reason to be there early and seated away from the stage- thank you Arri! 

The climax of the performance is when a ring of fire is lit on stage to try to burn Anoman. With the fire surrounding him he promptly dances around and puts out the fire with his bare feet (as a character he has magic powers- as an actor/dancer he must have hardened feet). Once the ring of fire is out, the representation of him burning down the whole palace and village is created by a smaller fire and the chorus creating dramatic sounds and actions. Although we didn't get a photo of this part- Chris did manage to video it!!

(When we know how to upload a video back home- we will add it in!).

Another wow evening but I have to say we were both pleased when  it had finished as the seating was most uncomfortable! 

Joining the masses of people trying to exit, Arri had arranged a very close meeting point and we managed to reach the car safely.  We had decided to skip the meal included on the trip  and dine in the villa, making use of the hotel's fabulous service. After about an hours journey, the first part in a convoy of tourist cars, we arrived back 'home'.

It was time to say goodbye to Arri who had been a wonderful guide and had added to the memories of our holiday. He is always trying to improve his English and was pleased when we gave him our Rough Guide to Bali book and a little more for his excellent hosting skills. Should we ever return to Bali, it would be lovely to meet up with him again! He told me if I came back, I had to bring back a naughty student as he had enjoyed telling me about how mischievous he was when he was at school.  Somehow- that doesn't surprise me!

So trips over and done with, the next few days we are on our own and have only a visit to Seminyak in the day planned. Other than that, choosing where  to sit around the pool villa should be our most taxing decision! Oh and which cocktail to have also!!

Day 10 The lovely Mini

Waking up this morning to the sound of our pool being automatically cleaned, it sounded as if we were next to a running stream.  The plan today was to relax, enjoy the villa and go out for drinks and dinner to watch the sunset.  The villa we are staying at the moment has sliding doors, so during the day we have them open creating an open plan living area.  The concept is actually based on traditional outdoor living, as in Balinese homes. Here are a few photos of our villa; the first one is taken from the bedroom looking out to the pool. 

The outdoor day bed or bale

The living room with doors shut.

As rest was the name of the game today we'd decided to have breakfast delivered to the villa, and I think this will be a common occurrence over the next few days. A feast in itself- we were pleased that we were not out for lunch today! 

Mid afternoon, we went up to the pool bar for a change of scenery and a drink.  This also gave an opportunity for the villa to be made up and the breakfast things cleared away. The hotel pool is nice and was relatively quiet, and as it was midday also very hot.  Luckily we could jump in the pool to cool off as we waited for our drinks.

As the sun sets  around six thirty we had an early start to the evening and set off for a taxi at five thirty.  This would be our first attempt at going it alone, no shuttle buses, just us and the taxis and a fee to negotiate.  As we'd not ventured into Seminyak before we had no idea where the restaurant was and how far - we just knew we weren't planning on walking.  Yesterday as we left the hotel to walk the short distance to Sarong a member of staff asked if we wanted a taxi so I was hoping this would happen again.  No such luck, the road our hotel is on is unmade and we had read much about it before we left from home, typically for us last night they road was being laid with tarmac so no cars were let down it. So it was a walk to the main road in the heat, in the sun, in the dust, over hot Tarmac and in daylight but dressed up for the evening you can all probably guess this evening wasn't starting off as planned.   We managed to flag a taxi down and it was time to negotiate a price, I had no idea on a target price but the speed at which my offer was accepted leads me to believe I was taken for a ride in more ways than one.

As we arrived at Breeze we were led through the hotel down to the restaurant on the beachside, feeling slightly out of place as we were dressed up this quickly passed as other tables arrived also dressed to see the sunset and eat.  Our waitress came over and introduced herself, Mini and she was, Mini by name mini by nature, she made Helen feel tall.  

After Mini had introduced herself and found out our names we were referred to a Helen and Chris all evening.  Well used to her customers needs,  at a couple of points during the sunset she came to take photos as required.

The beach was busy full of people there to enjoy the sunset, including a bride and groom at one point.  As you will see from the photos, the sunset was worth seeing and it was amazing to see the sun set so quickly and afterwards the beach empty almost as quickly.

We both chose food from the Indonesian section of the menu, having beef sate and Gado Gado to start, with Nasi Campur and seafood Laska for main courses.

The food was delicious, we have found a Balinese wine we like (two island Chardonnay) so a pleasant evening was had, so much so we have booked to return on our final night on Wednesday.

After the meal we had more chance to talk to Mini as things had quietened down.  Her village was about four hours from the hotel so she only gets home on her days off. She was telling us how she wants to get married to her current boyfriend but can't yet as she is still supporting her sisters and brothers though school. Apparently it cost 20,000,000 rupiah for a years university fees (about £1300) and it is out of reach for many Balinese people. We both felt a real compassion for Mini- she was so, so lovely, treated us like friends and made us realise the importance of family values.  Mini even said she would try to change her shift so she could see us on Wednesday and gave us a hug as we both left. We had both commented that Bali really is a welcoming place and very much unique in the way the people treat tourists. On some other holidays, despite us never speaking about it, we have often felt like an inconvenience to people who work in the tourist industry.  We very much feel that Bali is a very special place and hope it stays this way.

As we left for our taxi ride home the hotel parking attendant flagged a taxi down for us using his red baton.  When I asked the taxi driver how much and he said how much do you want to pay!!  I knocked 10000 off my earlier price and it was still accepted so I guess I need to go lower next time! 

So another good day was had- slightly lacking in traditional Bali life but made up for by the Bali hospitality we received! Let's hope the monkeys have learnt a thing or too from the Balinese tomorrow- otherwise, if the guidebooks and guides are right, it could be another unforgettable experience with monkeys snatching our belongings! 

Day 9 Trips, trousers and teeth (pig teeth!)

Whilst having breakfast on the balcony on our final morning in Ubud, we watched an elderly gentlemen tending to his rice crops.

As we waited for our cases to be taken down to reception so that we could check out and be ready for our next exciting day we thought about our time in Ubud.  We had seen plenty sights around Ubud but had not ventured into the centre of Ubud during the day; I guess there is always next time.  When the porter arrived to collect our luggage, I felt somewhat worried that there was only one so in usual Helen style, I decided to help.  As we agreed to at least carry our small flight bags I made the most dramatic exit from our room.  Yes- I went flying! I've spent all the holiday pointing out steps to Chris so he doesn't fall and then it was me who actually did it.  With my ankle underneath me at a bit of a strange angle, I could help but have images of a pot and a delayed departure from Bali.  Obviously I was overreacting so I swallowed my pride, stood up and managed to walk to Reception. Phew- no trip to Bali hospital this time! By the time we arrived in reception there were two porters behind us carrying our luggage- on their shoulders!! As you know, we don't travel light!! Checking out we spotted the stunning artwork and sculptures around us- all this was becoming the norm so we were starting to miss things. 

So in the car we went and passing the usual Bali sights we chatted to Arri and told him about our cooking class. He was impressed with the food we had been able to cook and you could see by his reaction that they were foods he liked to eat. We were able to establish whether his family used the outdoor kitchen for cooking and he said not. His family of 25 who live together all have their own kitchens for each small family unit (along with four bathrooms to share) and certainly in the city where he lives, the traditional cooking methods are being used less.  Just as we had thought.

Our first stop was to see a traditional Balinese dance. Unlike our last minute decision to see it the other  night, we were pleased to see a tiered seating area with a good choice of seats available so we knew we would be able to see this time! Armed with the English overview of each act, we happily watched and managed to understand the dance! There was actually a lot of humour in it and we likened the performance to a pantomime with exaggerated characters and slapstick humour. A few local Balinese people were watching from the side and this was confirmed as they were laughing somewhat! The performance about good conquering over evil was enjoyable but not quite as elaborate with the 'wow factor'  as the one performed in the dark in front of the palace. However- at least this time we could see and follow the story and see the musicians. 

Our next stop was to Pejeng, a village west of Ubud.  I had read about a couple of smaller temples here and thought it would be good to see some smaller local ones.  As they were small temples they were only five minute stops but interesting to see the difference tourists can make as these needed much more attention than the popular ones we visited.

The second temple is the temple of the moon.  It is legend that the wheel of the chariot pulling the moon lost a wheel and fell to the earth in Pejeng.  The drum seen in the photo above is the moon and is worshipped.

As we crossed the busy road confidently like a true Balinese, we got back in the vehicle which seemed much higher up than usual. This was confirmed as Chris got in and managed somehow to dramatically tear his shorts in the most worrying place!! Looks like his sarong would become his staple item of clothing both in and out of temples!!

Our next temple visit today was to Tirta Empul, the temple of the holy springs.  Not only does the temple attract visitors from overseas but also Balinese from all over the island to come to bathe in the spring water to cleanse themselves spiritually.

The bales and statues here were particularly attractive, in fact it was only let down by the maze of tourist shops you were forced to walk through to exit the temple.  Arri advised, keep your head down, keep walking it's all rubbish and you get ripped off.

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We had realised that we had got a really good guide who we could laugh with. He'd soon got the measure of us and Chris as usual became the subject of the jokes (nicely though) and Arri had realised that I was the chatty one.  I had to laugh to myself later when I recalled Arri commenting on a ladies hairstyle (stylish I would say and Gareth would have been proud had he created it) as he had sneakily whispered in my ear to take a look at that!! Noticing that almost all Balinese ladies have long, straight hair, it was easy to understand how this mass of curls, quiff, shaven, asymmetrical haircut may have caused amusement for him.  Here is a photo of Arri and Helen taken later in the day.

By the time it was lunchtime, we had previously arranged with Arri for him to take us to try to Babi guling (suckling pig). Admittedly it was slightly concerning as he had given us an overview of the day in the car and referred to the place we were eating at as Balinese but "not quite so dirty". Hmmmmm....well let's see. Upon arrival there were plenty local people, several tourists and a whole load of hawkers outside so we were slightly reassured (although Chris did comment later that he thought the guy selling food at the side of the road was where we were eating!). So two diet cokes and the only dish sold was promptly served to us. Sadly we didn't take a photo but served in a basket was rice and suckling pig which consisted of sliced pork, crackling, fried crackling (delicious), black pudding and a few vegetables. Surprisingly good!!! However....upon Chris' first forkful he produced what looked like a piece of meat surrounding two pig TEETH!!! Yes I kid you not. I couldn't help thinking that as tourists we might have been had! Putting the piece of meat with teeth to one side out of sight, we happily tucked into our meal and could see the appeal of the dish. When Arri arrived back to collect us we asked him about the teeth- yes they were teeth and the best part of the dish- apparently the Balinese eat the meat from around the teeth as its the most tasty and of course the head the most sacred. Another memorable experience for the Parkers!! 

An hours journey ahead of us meant we could have a snooze if we so wished.  We were beginning to realise that Arri liked an afternoon nap and took the opportunity to catch up on sleep at this time.  Lucky for him we aren't demanding tourists who expect him to talk to us constantly! Of course we didn't mind and being as soft as I am, I liked the fact he managed to get some shut eye as I know his day begins at 5am and often ends much later than 7pm.  One night he had only four hours NOT working! And we think we have busy jobs- a tour guide in the height of the season has some very long hours.

As we arrived at Tanah Lot the heat was definitely as Arri had described.  It was the first time that we had felt the heat so extreme and we both commented that we had expected the whole of Bali to have been like this. Luckily for us it hasn't and that has helped me enjoy the sightseeing far more.  We expected this visit to be very touristy and it was. However, it was a very beautiful sight and it was nice to see the ocean again.

The temple of the hole.

With clear blue sky, large crashing waves and a familiar smell of the sea-side you could have almost mistaken it for one of the lovely beaches in Cornwall. Tanah lot is a temple built on a rocky outcrop and is much photographed.  A Hindu priest Nirartha followed a light to a spring and set up a temple, as he was a rival preacher he was forced out by the local holy man.  He meditated so hard that he pushed the rock he was sitting on out into the sea creating the island temple.  He dedicated it to the sea and left holy snakes to protect it. Heading down to the beach and towards the holy water spring, a number of people were trying it. I think anyone could have tried it but we opted not to do so as all the people in front of us were Balinese and dressed in traditional, white dress ready for the walk up the steps to the temple, which rightly so is only reserved for devotees. We also decided not to get too close to the holy Cobra snakes.

After getting wet feet from a rather large wave, we headed back to the car to our travel to our new and sadly, final destination- the glamorous Seminyak.  We are staying at the Maca Villas and the sights we were greeted with made us smile as we were told to enjoy our honeymoon!!

A meal out at a local trendy restaurant followed where the difference between upmarket Seminyak and the other side of Bali became apparent. However, it made us realise that we had certainly chosen a holiday which allowed us to experience all of what beautiful Bali has to offer.