Our Rice Padventure

We are now back in 'cultural hub' Ubud and have had a brilliant few days. I might sound a bit traveller in this post as we've seen a lot of the country and I was genuinely amazed at how beautiful it all is. So apologies in advance.

Our driver, Adi, took us to some hot springs, Bali's best waterfall (tm), a floating temple (culture tick), the twin lakes (which were very pretty volcanic lakes), lunch with the most amazing rice field view ever and then to jatiluwih. Now, about 2 weeks ago I wittered on about ubud being pretty and green. It now looks like West Byfleet park in comparison. Jatiluwih was amazing - I can see why it would be a unesco heritage site. We oohed and ahhed appropriately until I brought things back to our level by falling in an irrigation system (it had grassed over so totally wasn't my fault). We passed through lots of non tourist towns that were holding festivals and they were pretty cool, too. By the time we arrived in Ubud we felt like we had 'seen' Bali and booked ourselves on a cycling tour for the next day...

...which was an excellent plan! Another early start and we were whisked to mount Kintamani where we had breakfast overlooking mount Batur (Bali's highest volcano). We then went to a local coffee place where we saw and were told all about local spices and coffee (I don't want to brag but my coffee roasting technique was highly praised). We had a tasting tray with 7 different types of local coffee, including poo coffee, made from coffee beans which have been eaten by a luwak (ferrity cat type creature) and pooed out. Apparently its the most expensive coffee in the world. Yes, me, drinking sort of poo. It was actually really nice and I didn't add milk or sugar to any of them! Our guide kept making a 'it good sheet' joke. Poor jokes aside he was very sweet and very insightful plus an inbetweenera fan to boot. Tour friend! We were also given lots of local fruits to try which we're all lovely apart from one. Durian. Sophie had told me about these in Singapore so I didn't go in quite as open minded as I might have been but I still tried it. It smelled like rotting chicken, it tasted like rotting chicken and it had the texture of curdled milk. Luckily I hid the dislike well*

On we went on our bicycles to a typical Bali house and saw how families live. It felt a bit awkward, partly due to the fact that I had shorts and trainers on which screamed TOURIST but they carried on weaving and chopping and farming and cooking and singing and defaecating like we weren't there. Next up was a very large 500 year old tree, followed by cycling through a ceremony (where we were told lots of very interesting facts about local traditions including the fact they file your teeth at your wedding...) and then another rice paddy. But this time I shed my tourist trainers and helped with the weeding. It was really fun and worth the fact my feet may never be clean again. A bit more cycling and one last uphill slog the tour was over. The last two days have felt very travelly and touristy indeed, but I have loved them!

I'm hoping to hit an Internet cafe soon and will try to include some photos as I know picture books are far more entertaining. All I can give you now is our breakfast view!

*i did not hide the dislike well

Pemuteran. It's not a bad option B

Tuesday 9 October

Pemuteran was lovely. Quiet, but lovely. We had a lovely little bungalow with a dive school right on the beach for the princely sum of £10 a night. We were up early to breakfast and sort out kit (because apparently I can do that now) then climbed aboard our vessel for the day...with our fellow dive buddies. It was about an hour to the dive site - mejangan island - which was a very beautiful coral wall. Aside from our shiny short wearing captain our boat mates included a snorkeling German couple (there are Germans everywhere!) and a very strange Chinese family (mum, dad, son, daughter) who were capturing EVERYTHING on video. They were also wearing beautiful swim burkas (the parents in life jackets too) and clearly had no idea what they were doing. One of the local guides had to take himself away to regain composure and we all stifled the giggles. Once in the water they were no more graceful. There were limbs everywhere and her mask was completely fogged up for most of the dive.

I don't want to upset you too much, but I've had a bit of a cough for the last week and I couldn't equalise my ears on the second dive so retreated to the boats sun deck and promptly fell asleep. My snow white days will be over in no time. Still enjoyable though!

Everything up north is much cheaper and we enjoyed delicious meals right next to our bungalow for less than one main meal in Kuta. We did try exploring the town, but there really wasn't one, so settled for drinks on the beach for sunset and had a successful FaceTime home.

Tomorrow we've booked a driver for the day to take us south again...the scenic route!

There's a problem with the left phalange

I've had my first traveling glitch and failed by AirAsia. After catching our 5.30am taxi and navigating domestic departures we boarded our plane to Surabaya en route to Borneo to spot the 'rangas. An hour of the same song later (actually the same song, it didn't repeat it just kept going and going and going) we were told there was a technical problem with the plane and told to go back to the terminal to wait. Which we did, diligently. For 6 hours. At this point catching our connecting flight over to Borneo was a fading dream, so we were booked onto the next days flight for a take two and given a McDonald's for our trouble - a bit of chicken and a rice ball (I declined). I had been perfectly happy and calm for most of it, even though the 'attention, attention' tannoy lady was announcing things every 20 seconds. We managed to get our bags back, put them on a trolley and headed for freedom...until a guard announced we couldn't take the trolley outside. At that point my facade dropped and I made him rue the day.

We then headed on back to Seminyak to surprise Ben and Dave with the good news we were there for another night (they were suitably pleased) and had a lovely day on the beach surfing, not buying tat and generally being merry. Lots of email toing and froing later and it became apparent that our orangutan adventure was just not going to happen - booking flights on a deadline in Indonesia is not an easy thing to do!

However when you're on a tropical island option B really isn't too bad. We had a fun last day take 2 with Dave and Ben and decided that we would take scooters to Kuta in the morning. Thinking I was sensible I shot gunned Ben as my driver which in hindsight was an error. We rented our shiny scooters, donned our fetching helmets and the boys did a practice lap. So far, so good. Soph and I then mounted our respective bikes and prepared for our journey. Mine was less than 1 metre before Ben and I were both on the floor. I'm sure Dave and Sophie were hiding their concern behind the tears of laughter. Unharmed (apart from ben's pride) we attempted to take off again, Sophie and Dave happily rolling down the road. But Ben didn't turn and we headed straight towards a shop. At this point the worried scooter man put his food down said we should get a taxi. We promptly abandoned plan scooter to Kuta and got a suggested taxi with Ben muttering 'I was fine on my own' all the while. I think the fully loaded 3+ person scooters who passed us on the journey didn't help him and his man pride. And on the plus side I will never get on a scooter again!

They flew back this afternoon and soph and I are now in a lovely beachside bungalow on the North of Bali which is a far cry from the busy shores of Kuta. Our drive over was very pretty, very hilly and very green and I only slept for a bit of the daylight portion waking up in time to see a very pretty sunset over the volcanic lake (it was windy so I was sleeping to avoid car sickness,yeah?). We are off diving all day tomorrow and keeping our fingers crossed we'll see mantas.

Very sad not to get to see the orangutans, but I think the dragons will make up for it in a couple of weeks

Miss Pelly, You Skin So White!

7 October

After two days of mooching, shopping, sunbathing and surfing we are leaving the holiday strip of Kuta-Seminyak and of to Borneo on our jungle adventure!

Yesterday was almost exclusively spent outside and experiencing almost every hour of daylight meant we were a tad singed by the end of the day. Still, I hear it makes for a cracking base tan. Plus today will mostly be spent in airports which is probably just as well. I'm also hoping it will stop the locals coming up to me to tell me that my skin is 'white like snow'. Someone needs to tell them it is definitely not the way to my heart. 'Felicity' proves a difficult name for the Indonesians so I'm mostly called 'pelly' which I'm hoping won't stick.

The hawkers on the beach begin to grate after a while - I left Soph on the beach for a quick surf and when I came back in she was surrounded my children waving bracelets at her, and one had actually poked her with a sharp stick! We had indulged in some fruit so we clearly looked amenable to spending. Still, the pineapple and coconut were delicious. Tempting as it might be, I would not like sarongs, tat, silver tat, fake watches, sunglasses, dvds, beads or a massage, thank you very much. I'm attempting to learn an Indonesian phrase a day - yesterday's was 'tidak bapak'... no sir!

I don't like to 'travel'

4 October

I had to bid farewell to Gili Trawangan this morning and head back to Bali as SOPHIE IS COMING TODAY! The journey has taken nearly all day and I've been too many different types of transport including a very unseaworthy vessel which nearly turned over (mildly terrifying), mini bus and then hijacked by man on back of a motorbike (sorry mum) who proceeded to take me all around town. With my backpack (backpack) still on. I finally found somewhere to stay tonight and am Currently en route to the airport to meet Sophie. Sitting, standing around and trudging being 'that' person with the front and back backpack (backpack) whilst being almost constantly being sweaty isn't the funnest way to spend a day solo so I'm looking forward to Sophie and food and more than 4 hours sleep and surfing tomorrow! And Su's cottages are just lovely.

Having spoken to sister Sophie who described the gili boat trip as one of her favourite bits, I think I might splash out on a more reputable company for my next crossing!

Diving, Weddings, First Aid and a Runaway Cow. Another Standard Day in the Gilis

2 October

So Dave and Ben left to go and climb 'Rinjo' and I embarked on an underwater adventure making lots of fun new friends along the way (it seemed like longer than 2days!)

Diving has proved to be an awful lot of fun and I'm now officially allowed to go without supervision...which I will probably NEVER do. And it has nothing to do with the fact that diving instructors are a beautiful breed. Seen lots of turtles, rays, octopi and colourful fish galore. If I could show you the corresponding hand signs then I would.

It's been another typical island day - wedding procession, two lots of first aid and a runaway cow that came running in off the 'street' right into the dive center. It also rained. A lot. Which made walking the length of the island to find a stretcher all the more entertaining. Our bovine guest was eventually lasooed and taken out again which was very entertaining.

I am officially in love with it here and could happily stay for a very long time.

Paradise Found

Ubud was lovely, very green and much more 'Bali' than the Kuta region. I feel like 'green' doesn't really cover quite how lush and amazing the rice paddies are, but they were very cool. We went to the (thieving) monkey temple where I didn't get rabies (hooray!), palaces, museums (yes, really) and had yet more amazing food.

I also had my first massage. Now, I've heard that Balinese masseurs can have a few personal space issues so I thought I'd just get back and neck. How invasive could that be, right? Very, as it turns out. I felt like I should ask for her number afterwards.

I am now in the gili islands which are quite possibly my favourite place ever. Postcard perfect little islands with a breeze to keep the pesky mozzies in check and well worth the horrific journey here. The 'bus' journey was hot and bumpy, the port was busy and smelled like incense, petrol and chickens so I was feeling pretty horrendous before getting on the bumpiest boat trip in the world. A nice Dutch chap gave me a plastic bag and Dave and Ben mostly mocked me. So the fact that it was not only very pretty, but also quiet and still made me doubly pleased to arrive. I basically chundered everywahhh and had a life realising moment. Just like Fulham.

I did a bit of snorkeling yesterday off the beach and saw a turtle...so promptly booked myself in for a diving course which starts today!

In other news my flip flops already look like the old ones, my feet will probably be grubby for the next 3 months, my hair is enormous and I HAVEN'T SUNBURNED!!!