Bali Indonesia. Dec 17th.......

We were slightly delayed taking off, it wasn't a problem, id informed the hotel I was arriving late, knew there would be taxis in the airport, so just waited and watched the people arriving on the same flight. There was alot more westeners, all with the same plan to head for the beach for Christmas I guess. Theres a few resorts in Bali, my trusty Lonely planets guide and online webpages made up my mind that Sanur was the place to be, not a party or hippy place like Kuta. I'm going to the oldest resort on Bali but less party town and more established, I wouldn't go as far as saying i'm a yuppy or it's high ended.....it's NOT...walking around in a tye dyed t'shirt with a far away look in my eye hugging anything that moves is not my ideal, so Sanur it is. Anyway we landed and got off the plane in the rain, oh well. I waited at the immigrations in the visa on arrival line, I read that we had to pay $30 to get a visa and they needed the correct money, so I got some dollars in Kota Kinabalu and a photo incase, and waited. I got to the immigrations officer who took one look at my passport and said I didn't need a visa as im British....happy days. So didn't have to pay anything and walked past all the people now lined up trying not to look smug. :-) very difficult...I got my bag and changed some money whilst being hassled about taxi's...which i've now learn't is a daily routine to get asked at least a million and one times 'Taxi mister'...I changed up all my Malaysian money...and was given back 254,000 Indonesian Rupiah. I still can't get used to all this different money, I just started singing "if I was a rich man....Yaba yaba...something  something" in my head...when I looked on my phones currency app it was only about 12 quid!!!! I went to an ATM and got another 50 quids worth....it should last me. 

The taxi driver took me to the hotel in Sanur which was a 45 minute drive, there was alot of traffic and Bali seemed different to what I was expecting without knowning what to expect??? It was about 11pm when I got to the hotel, dark and quiet but the welcome was pleasent enough and the room was nice and big with my own bathroom which has been a rarity, although the shower and toilet is kind of outside....a sort of Indonesian open plan bathroom...with no roof! Not kidding....I'm paranoid now about sitting on the loo incase the international space station is overhead looking down on me!! not a pretty sight. When you shower as well you can't do it in the rain you get soaked! So I shower between rain storms and use the toilet when I know the ISS isn't over head....there's an app for that..;-) Apart from that it's a lovely hotel a nice big pool and gardens...very civilised. Mom would approve...:-) 

The first morning I was up and headed for the breakfast bar. There was rice and noodles, but also any eggs you wanted, toast, pastries, fresh fruit and tea....guess what I had? I filled my boots, well it was free, then went for an explore. it's only a five minute walk to the beach, the skies were really overcast but I felt sure it wouldn't rain...well why would it I'm in Bali!!The beach was lovely, it streached for miles, and had the traditional Balinese boats on the shores. There was restuarants, bars, shops and excursion places all along and you do get asked alot to "look at my shop" .."you want drink"...."taxi??" "massage"?? ....I did notice signs dotted all along about 'Tsunami evacuation point', arrows pointing this way and that...maps with safe zones to flee...makes the ol bum flap... I forgot it's earthquake ville here, I had a look at the instructions just to acquaint myself with the procedures, not really rocket science, just run for your life up the nearest tall building. man with a plan. 

I took my camera along and photographed the surfers and fisherman standing in the surf chest high with a rod, they all had crash helmets on? or odd shaped hard hats, now I'm not sure if this was the tsunami thing and 'elf and safety' and all that, lets face it a huge hundred foot wave baring down on you a crash helmet will not help! There was a sailing boat with about five blokes in that went past me all wearing different hats, it looked like a day out for the band 'Village people', made me chuckle, see the photo. Just then the heavens opened, it fell down! I didn't have my poncho as "this is Bali and it doesn't rain"...hence I got soaked, but it was warm rain. I got back to the hotel eventually passing the locals all sheltering from the downpour, gone were the usual requests of "taxi?"..."massage"? ....to " it's raining sir" ...."i'm bloody English I know what rain is thank you!!!!!" Once I got in, I waited for the rain to stop before I took my shower made a cuppa and read my book. Now fully chilled again I got some dinner and settled in for the night.

The next day it was sunny, I had my breakfast and sat by the pool catching the sun ( don't mean to rub it in but your all probebly freezing your bits off in Europe now...:-)..;-)) so I won't rub it in. I didn't want to over do it on the first day of sunning, plus I got bored laying there, I decided to head off to the beach again, it looks alot different when the rains not thumping down, I still run the guantlet of "massage sir?"....."taxi"..."you buy from my shop" ....but the sun chills you out. It was busy there today, the odd Christmas decoration on the palm trees or christmas carols blarring out is the only evidence of Christmas really. Im determind to find a place that does Christmas dinner that will be my treat for Christmas day. I'm close, very close. :-) 

Ubud, Bali. 27th Dec......

The days have passed now, its another 363 days to Christmas ;-) Today I've moved from Sanur upto the center of Bali, a place called Ubud. I've heard the name countless times from friends who have been here. When I did a little research it sounded just what I like, Sanur is nice enough don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my days of doing nothing but sitting on the beach or walking around, but I was bored. The only people I had a full conversation with whilst there was over the phone to my bestie Clare bless her for a catch up and my Mom and dad, there was people there in Sanur but they were all tourists, no backpackers or that. The only words I would speak on a regular basis were "no" ..."no thank you".....these were in reply to 'Taxi?'.....'want to come to my shop?'.....I should have got a t'shirt printed with the words NO TAXI NO SHOP!!! 

 The hotel was nice as well, with the lush gardens and a couple of pools, and it was nice to put my bag down for a whole ten days without repacking every other day.  I did still have a problem with the hotel name, it was called 'Swastika', I kid you not. With big swastikas carved into stone....thankfully they were the 'friendly' kind of Swastika.... "peace", when Hitler had them he inverted it to "peace off"....(actually it's a Hindu symbol meaning 'fortune' or luck.....The Nazis just corrupted it) After a few days of seeing no storm troopers, black shirts or copies of 'Mien Kampf' in the desk drawer I began to relax. I was still concerned about going to the toilet or having a shower though, this Balinese open plan bathroom takes some getting used too, the rains still came but if you enjoyed a real zesty water fall experience shower then this is the place to come! As for going to the toilet the ol faithful Longji came into it's own again, you can sit there with ISS overhead and they wont see a thing, no longer was I paradoid I'd be in tomorrows 'Sun'newspaper. Great my Longji is. 

Christmas eve I finaly found my roast dinner, (see told you I'd find one..:-)) I went to a few places and looked at the menu advertised as "Christmas Menu" .reading down their menu I discovered..'rice and noodles....with turkey'....Yeh right!..move on!! One place didn't have yorkies but all the other stuff...it's like having a cup of tea without a tea bag! why bother!?? move on....there was a few posh hotels offering Christmas menus with a price to match my total 10 days hotel bill!....apparently they're not satisfied with just stuffing the Turkey!  moved on. Finaly a place called the star restuarant had a full Christmas dinner with Pork chicken or beef including all the trimmings and a pudding for 90'000. (less than a fiver...happy days) In celebration of finding a Christmas dinner, and the fact that it's Christmas eve I sat down and had it just as a tester to see..😉.....(oh i'll come back tomorrow onChristmas day and have it again don't you worry..;-)) two Christmas dinners in a week.....well it must be Christmas..;-)

It was gorgeous! even took photos! I can look at the pics when I'm next eating rice and bloody noodles again! Anyway, Christmas day came. I just had my breakfast which to be honest I still wasn't hungry after the dinner the night before. Then I sat on the beach and watched the world go by. I had a walk around and was met by the usual 'taxi sir?' 'massage sir?' 'look at my shop sir?', in fairness to them they did open with 'Merry Christmas sir'....then finished off with the routine....Christmas dinner was again like food from the Gods....and they even gave me an extra pudding...probebly thinking 'greedy fat get'...

So here I sit now, in a lovely home stay in Ubud surrounded by gardens feeling very chilled. It's only an hour away from Sanur but there's alot more people here, a great backpacker feel and already met some people. Today I went to the 'Monkey temple'...it's whats written on the box....a temple full of monkeys....and the little gits are into everything! I got mugged by a monkey! little get! I got a photo of him so will catch him!! ;-) I enjoyed it today the place was buzzing with tourists, met some Spanish people, had a laugh. Ive booked to go and see the volcano tomorrow ( Last one I went to was Paqaya in Guatemala about 15 years ago, the thing errupted a few days later!!! watch this space)  and rice terraces, there's a few temples thrown in there as well....elephant temple...I'm abit templed out now but can enjoy the scenery. Also going to see a coffee plantation as part of the tour, they make this coffee here, dead expensive it is! the names forgotten for the minute...( you know what i'm like with names!) anyway apparently its "recycled".....all right it's crapped out of monkeys!!...and if you think i'm taste testing that your out of your tiny mind!!!! i'm bringing my own tea bags!...Ill keep you posted. 😆

Ubud 31st Dec....last day in Ubud, last day in Bali ,last day of the year...

I'm sitting here in Starbucks, i'm moving on again and have 14 hours to kill! It's a 2 hour drive to the airport, that should kill two hours. But for now I sit here content to drink tea, write the last blog for Bali, and with any luck eat my last rice meal..:-) because tonight, New years Eve i'm going to Australia....I got my visa online, that was painless enough. I booked a flight which is cheap as chips....whilst the whole world is out partying i'll be on a plane! Just hope the pilots are not P***d.??!! ....or miffed they have to fly on party night! I Land in Cairns 9am local time 9pm your time...different country, different year owz that...;-). Bali was nice, I did have a chill, but it lacked the culture and charm of Myanmar and Vietnam. It's a constant effort to get 50 feet without being asked if you want a taxi, then just yards down the street another one asks you....then another....what do they think? that i've changed my mind and need a taxi a few feet on?? You get asked if you want to be fondled in the street?? "alright massaged, same difference!" 'look at my shop'....I just look at it for a few seconds then say "yeh great shop"....the sarcasm straight over their heads! ..."no you look inside!"..I wanted to go on a snorkel trip to manta Island to swim with the Manta rays. On the board it's advertised as $45, then the guy tells me as there are no people it goes upto $75....but as I'm on my own I have to pay $125...'and with this price can I get the boat shipped home, and how many BBQ'd Manta rays is that????" again sarcasm wasted on them....it was pretty much the same story for all the excursions, so give up trying. Coming to Ubud there's alot more backpackers so competition is fierce amongst the travel companies and they know the prices have to be good. I booked my volcano and rice field trip and waited for the punch line but that was it, a fraction of the price and I get to join a group. I was picked up by a people carrier, and met a Dutch girl, then we picked up a girl from Venezuala, and finaly a girl from  Ilford, they were all travelling solo but we met up and had a good laugh, It's the first time ive chatted in ages, ( apart from Clare and me mom and dad on the phone that is good ol Whatsapp) The first stop was a temple, I left them to it, I really didn't want to see another temple and there was alot going on outside I could take pictures of. We went to the coffee plantation next, the one where the Racoon things (and not monkeys) crap out coffee beans for that richer fuller taste??:-/ They did offer to give you a sample for 50'000 Ringets...quite frankly I wouldn't have tryed it if they gave ME 50'000!!! We saw one of the little crapping machines asleep on a log, in a big cage, I asked if they were to protect them from theft as they were obviously little gold mines...the guy said no they're vicious little gits and would sink their teeth into your fingers without a thought!! ..well he didn't use those exact words but you get the drift.  The Volcano was next looming like a sleeping giant, it takes your breath away I know one volcano is active here but not sure if its this one? We went to a restaurant next, had a buffet of rice, rice...noodles...rice..but next to it was a rice terrace such a great view, see the photos. After another couple of temples We headed back to Ubud, what a great day. 

I spent the next day walking around, I went back to Monkey temple to see if i could find the little git from before.....I didn't...but felt content just watching them harrassing the tourists...jumping on them, snatching bags...they are little characters for sure, like little gremlins. Later that night I booked my hotel in Cairns, feeling excited i'm finaly going to Australia. It's a backpacker place but to be honest I like them. You get to meet great people, looking forward to it. Let the adventure continue....:-) see you in Aus.