Yeah or Nah!! I was a bit nervous for a while not knowing when would i be able to fly home.
Will i get a direct flight home (6hr ) or will i have to go overland to Java and Surabuya - 16 hr bus ride/ferry ride and then wait for a flight to get home a couple of days later. ??????
So I lost a day - trying to get through to Garuda Indonesia to confirm my flight had been cancelled. I could not get through on their chat line online, or their phone line. So i resorted to social media. Twitter provided to be the right choice as I received a response advising that my flight had indeed been cancelled. So I was definitely not going home as scheduled.
I rang my travel insurance , TID insurance - they advised me that I was covered for Natural disasters, thankfully i applied for travel insurance when i did, had i waited 5 days later i would not be so lucky.
I moved to some new accomodation that was more affordable - Bliss Spa and Resort, Ubud. I stayed here in May and found it suitable. I didnt get to try out the pool this time as it was raining and it was late by the time we got settled into my new room. I did have a lovely dinner at the restaurant and breakfast. The staff here are very nice and friendly.
Wednesday mid morning saw me and my driver and my friends sister go off to the Garuda office, and nearly fall over backwards when all the seats in the office are full and the ticket i got handed was 131 and they were serving no 70 at the time. So i sit and i wait 1.5 hrs, nothing much happening but i do get chatting to a lovely English couple who will eventually go overland to Java and back onto England 3 days later.
We decide to go for a lunch break and unfortunately or stupidly for me, we get back and they are serving no 136. Damn. and it is nearly time for the office to close.
So its back to my new accomodation, this time Lokasari , Ubud at a huge $30 pn , this included breakfast and a swimming pool directly in front of my room. Nice breakfast serviced in the cafe.
Accomodation here was very quiet and i was the only guest for part of my stay.
Thursday - 2nd trip to Garuda - this time we arrive at 8.45am just after the doors open, and ticket number 12 with 3 people in front of me, but 9.15am i was smiling as i had been issued with the next available direct flight back to Melbourne. Exactly one week after i should have left the beautiful island of Bali.
I was stuck in paradise for another 6 days.
I worked out that where i was staying if i went for a walk passed my friends village and the Kamandalu resort where he works, i could see the rice fields and also in the back ground Mt Agung, in all its glory. Puffing white smoke into the air. But luckily for me that was how it remained for the next 7 days.
This became my morning ritual for the next few days. I would go for a walk before it got too hot and take photos of this majestic mountain in the distance, that was causing so many flight delays.
My friends looked after me and made sure I wasn't lonely or lost during this extra time in Bali.
Time with my friends visiting Luis' village and house.
Mt Agung puffing a bit at sunrise
The track i went bike riding along
Mt Agung once the sun had risen and the rice field in this photo is my friends family rice fields. They are handed down in the generations.
Friday - We did one tour day, to Tanah Lot. My first trip along the south coast of Bali.Luckily for us it was low season and there were not the number of buses present as there is in the high season. We did not stay for the sunset as the rain decided to descend upon us instead.
It a very fascinating temple built on the rocky outcrop just off the coast. With other outcrops with temples on them. I was fascinated by the very busy market that you walk through to get to the temples, there was a big variety of products even Bali boomerangs.
Saturday - I went to ARMA museum to watch Wis' daughter dancing.
On our way back to Ubud we visited Petulu , where the white herons reside and also poop on you if you stay under the tree for too long.
The poop is suppose to bring you good luck. I love visiting these villages, as they are not designed with tourists in mind but are fully functioning villages for the locals. With the food being blessed in the ceremonies and carried on the ladies head. A very hard skill to learn if you have never had to stand straight and balance objects on your head.
My friend Wis' daughter and friend, after i had watched these gorgeous girls learning the traditional Balinese dance.
So in the movie Eat Pray Love there are ducks along the roadway, but i didn't realise the significance of the ducks. Duck is very popular on the menu in Bali . the ducks are free range ducks, amongst the rice fields eating any bugs that come along and then fertilise the ground to help grow the crops.
Amazing skills to carry this bucket on her head. I am in awe of the ladies that carry there food and belongings on their heads.
So my final Sunday in Bali, i am up early, taking photos of the volcano, and decide i will borrow a bike from my friend Wis, so I can go for a ride later in the day.
Breaky time and then i decide to pack my backpack, water and snacks as I don't know how far i will go. Eye off the pool, and decide that will be where i will be on my return.
So off I go down the first hill and around the corner and i lose my gears when i try to change them to go up the hill. So walk the bike up the hill. By now i decide it is a bit warm to be doing this, but hey it should be ok.
I feel a bit like Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love, a ride through a village, ride past the rice fields and the agricultural channels along the side of the road (by now small rough track ).
Statues in front of Viceroy Resort and punjar poles from the recent ceremonies with offering box.
Washing day rural Bali style.
Clothes drying on the grass on the bank of the channel.
Prior to getting to this point in my ride i had come across people bathing in the channel, which is apparently a common occurrence, but a bit confronting when I am riding along and i come across a man stripping ready to step into the channel.
Which way do i look?? without falling off this damn bike. By now i was sweating it out a lot, and around the corner was a road that went straight upwards. I guess that is what happens when visiting the hills in a country.
But i made it up the hill , walking the bike up. It was an interesting ride through this village as the houses have open studios where they were mainly carving wooden shapes or animals and painting them. Very locally made. As I arrived at the main road, i was able to ride slowly passed all the creative art shops and look at the variety of wooden statues and other objects on display.
It was very rewarding getting out on my own for a few hours and exploring an area I would not have had the opportunity to do so, had i not been stuck in Bali for a few extra days. Allowing me to do unplanned activities and low budget activities. But just as rewarding as visiting the main tourist venues.
So bike ride finished and bang the filter is not working in the pool. The staff inform me that i cannot swim in the pool as they cannot get it fixed today. Low budget and no pool, really testing me out here. So i shower, freshen up and get out my phone and booking.com and googlemaps.
Check out what is affordable still in the same area. Kamandalu restort would be amazing to stay at but not at $300 pn. Just not in my budget, unfortunately.
But fortunately for me there was another villa 1 km along the road.
So off i set to find it. " Hidden Villas"
After i stop off a a warehouse type of gift shop, chat to the lady there about her time in Australia and that i will return and say hi next time i visit Bali. A walk 50 metres down the road and i have to refer again to google, there should be villas here but no signs , no driveway. Lucky for me Made and his family were coming along the hidden pathway and i was able to go and check out the Hidden Villas.
I was in love the minute i saw them. Wow, wow and wow. 3 villas all slightly different, with Balinese themes. And a working pool. An open air restaurant. And there was full vacancy.
So I had found my accomodation for my last 2 nights in Bali... at this stage fingers crossed i was going home on Tuesday night.
I organised for 2 villas, one for me and one for my friends who could join me and enjoy and the look on their faces when they saw this accomodation and how did i find it was priceless.
Once again i felt like a princess in my round room with spa and 2 basins in the bathroom. And the pool to myself pretty much. And the other view from my decking was of rice fields.
These villas are well hidden but the most amazing hidden villas. I got to share the experience with my friends and their families with dinner and breakfast all together. Hot showers and the kids got to play in the pool. Everyone was happy and having a wonderful fun time.
And to continue this fun time we went looking for live music in Ubud, at The Laughing Buddha. Fantastic easy listening live music, with some food and a couple of drinks. Followed by a fun time dancing along with some Reggae music at the next bar. - LOL bar.
Tuesday 5/12/17 came all to fast. After having a lovely breakfast with everyone, my friends going off to work for the day and my friends sister and children back home for the day.
I relaxed and enjoyed my final massage, where i fell asleep it was that relaxing. A final swim and a walk to the market for some snacks for the afternoon and then ready to leave this beautiful Hidden villas.
I had the chance to visit my friends house and to say goodbye to everyone, it was the most amazing holiday and i have made life long friends and a new family in Bali.
It is sad i have to wait so long before i can return again. But I look forward to new adventures and new places to explore in 2018 in Bali and in paradise.
One day I might even go and see what Kuta is all about, but for the time being i prefer the more arty and quieter places to visit.
But for now...... It is Happy New Year for 2018.
I have now updated my blog and my goals are to return to Bali and take one of my children back with me , so that he can learn about another culture and how lucky we are to live in Australia. And to be able to travel to lovely places like Bali.
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