Nov 17 - what to do when stuck in Bali

28/11/17 - Stuck in Bali
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

Rice fields and shelter with the volcano in the distance.
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. 

 Riding bike through the village, trying to work out the gears and getting a few stares from the locals. 

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. 

2017 - and surprise I end up stuck in Bali again

It has been a busy year during the last few months of 2017. 

With my Balinese friends trying to apply for visas to visit Australia and having the applications rejected twice. This to me was an eye opener and the first dealings i have had with the Immigration Department. Given that the area I live in has a huge population of refugees, I assumed that to come to Australia it must be relatively easy just for a 10 day holiday. I now have an appreciation of the freedom Australians have to travel pretty much anywhere we want to. 

Well i was totally wrong and after realising that 2017 was not going to be the year my friends would get to see Australia, i acted on plan B. 

I would go to Bali for 6 nights. (without telling many of my family and friends ) I was off on an adventure on my own to visit my friends and family in Bali again on 22 November.

I had booked my flights on 15 September and luckily travel insurance on that day as well. 

As Mt Agung decided it might like to make it known that it was still an active volcano and start rumbling for the next 3 months, with earthquakes and movement happening but not much smoke from the top. So I watched and looked at the data being supplied each day from the volcanists and Magma Indonesia and some trusted facebook pages with daily updates. 

And off i went to begin my 6 nights adventure to Bali. 

I arrived safely and was greeted by my friends at the airport, it was so good to see them again. This trip was mainly to see my friends and new friends and a few adventures and tours. But not as many tours as my May visit. 

I spent my first night staying in Ubud, at Kori Ubud. Where my adventures all begin in October 2016. Where i was greeted by staff who remembered me from my last visit. I stayed in the Luxury suite as a treat for myself. OMG it was so huge and lovely, i felt like a queen. 

With breakfast included the next morning. 

As my friends were not able to come to Australia, I organised for them to stay with me in Sanur for a few nights. 

Day 2 - Our first night was with Sanur Beach Villas, we stayed one night here, a nice swimming pool. But not quite what we were looking for in accommodation. And as it rained really heavily that night we didn't get to venture out to see the beach or night markets. But had pizza delivered which was nice.

Day 3 & 4 - We were very spoilt with my next choice of accommodation still on the edge of Sanur, but about 1 km away from the beach. The Samata villas. We had a 2 bedroom villa with a private pool, 24 hour butler service, room service and the most yummiest breakfasts in the morning either at our room or in the restaurant. I was in heaven. 

We had so much fun here, in the gym there was a boxing ring, so i was entertained for a while , while my friends reenacted a boxing match.  I joined in the staff aerobics class, and laughed through the whole class as i am so unco-ordinated and the women in Bali learn dancing skills and balance from an early age as part of their culture. Table tennis matches until we finally decided it was time for food in the restaurant. The food was delicious and has a healthy theme to it. 

We enjoyed this accommodation for 2 nights and I highly recommend this location to everyone. It is not near the shopping area or restaurants but if you want a quite place this is it. With views over the rice fields and in the distance the Sanur beach. We had the choice of 4 pools to swim in. 

Booked through www.cantikbalivillas.com an Australian website. 

During this time Mt Agung decided to let the world know that it really was active and blew a big grey puff into the air, which resulted in Volcanic ash floating towards the airport and you guessed it no planes in or out of Bali for a week. 

So what was i to do? 

Hang tight enjoy the remainder of my holiday and not stress about when i would get home, until my original flight date on 28/11 arrived then I had official confirmation that I wasn't going to get home that day, due to the airport being closed and no flights available. 

Day 3 - tour day - Goa Gajah and Tampaksiring Journey  and Tegalalang Rice Terraces 

I had a very nice day accompanied by my friends sister and my driver. We visited Tirta Goa- Elephant Cave ,this time i wanted a photo of the cave entrance which i didnt get in May. Also to explore around a little bit more. 

Tampaksiring Journey is a lovely place to visit for lunch or explore, the structures are made from  bamboo and there are turkeys and birds that populate the gardens. This place is more a locals visiting place than tourists and it has very tranquil gardens. Except in the wet season when the mosquitos are around. 

 

Our next stop was to visit a stall selling postcards and sarongs at Tegalalang Rice Terraces, this stall is a little bit lower than the road on the side overlooking the rice terraces. You can try on the yoke and the man will show you how to walk through the rice terraces. (with a donation ) and have your photo taken. I did purchase a sarong from here and it is one of my favourite purchases from Bali. Check out the smaller stalls in these towns as these people usually don't get many sales but have dependents that they must look after. Just one sale a day can make the difference between feeding the family or not some days. 

We finished the afternoon off with a late lunch at Green Kubu. This cafe had just opened in May when i did my bike ride. They have the most amazing fresh food and pizzas, and cheap meals. Surrounded by lily ponds and on a sunny day umbrellas and bean bags can be seen scattered around the grassed areas, overlooking the rice fields.

 

My originally planned 2 last nights were spent back at Kori Ubud, where i returned to my Luxury suite again and 2 pools to choose from for my daily swim. 

I attended the English speaking church service on the Sunday night at Hill of Shalom, Ubud. 

It was a good service and the community are very welcoming for any foreign visitors to join in. Followed by mexican restaurant in Ubud. 

Then came the time to downgrade my accomodation , so that i could stay for however long i was going to need to. 

Part 2 to be continued....... 

#thesamata #greenkubu #tegalalangriceterraces #ubud #tampasiringjourney #elephantcave 

May 2017 - Bali -exploring Ubud

Day 11-13 Ubud
The time in Bali just seemed to go by so quickly, but during the last couple of days I was very busy visiting more interesting sites around Ubud.

I finally  gave in and visited Monkey Forest, and quite enjoyed it. I watched the monkeys jump onto other visitors and run away with drink bottles they stole from unsuspecting visitors. They have very sharp teeth when you watch them break open a plastic water bottle so that they can get a drink from the bottle.
It was an experience to be done once and i am glad i have done it now. The temple in the middle of the Monkey Forest is pretty amazing and to watch the monkeys play in the water is quite fun.

I visited the ARMA art museum and viewed my favourite painting I have ever seen in Bali. Depicting the rice terraces, but on closer inspection this painting is 3D, with paint applied in thin noodle like strokes. I love it and can sit and look at it for ages.  We also had the pleasure of meeting the owner of ARMA while enjoying a nice cool iced tea in the cafe. This is a beautiful place to visit. It is very tranquil and is also very community orientated. With the local children learning the traditional dancing and music here, providing the community with the traditions to be passed to the next generation. 

NEKA Art Museum - I loved this gallery as well and it had on show by Arie Smit , he lived in Bali and passed away in Bali in 2016 aged 99. 

sorry photo goes the wrong direction 

UBUD Food festival - having been to the Writers Festival in 2016 I was keen to see what the food festival was all about. 

I enjoyed a lecture on waste management and the discussion on Bali needing to reduce the usage of plastic bags and plastic bottles, creating rubbish that does not break down in the environment. 

There was discussion about plastic bags that are bio dynamic and less harmful to the environment and how does an island like Bali get these out to the shops to be used. Start with the airport. 

We watched a cooking demonstration and sampled some gelati. There were food trucks set up for the evenings entertainment with live music. An event worth checking out if it is on while you are in Ubud. 

And just like that the rain came down and we got wet , had fun with the stall holders from Studio Dapur, and went to visit some friends for lunch. Before it was time for a last massage for the holiday. 

And the last supper with my friends and off to the midnight flight out of Bali back to Melbourne - Garuda Indonesia flights - i cannot fault them and found them to be reliable and decent meals and entertainment supplied with a few quite wines to make the flight go  by quickly. 

So that is the end of my May 2017 adventures, but not the final 2017 trips to Bali. more to follow  :)

#armamuseumubud #nekamuseum #ubudfoodfestival17 #monkeyforestubud #visitbali #ubud

#blissspaandresortubud #balikudive