![\"Our](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/1-1.jpg\" "\\"Our")
Our house approaching<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Our](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/1-1a.jpg\" "\\"Our")
Our house and lake<\/p><\/div>\n
After about 3 wonderfully short hours we landed.\u00a0 The warm air greeted us welcomingly as we stepped out of the plane doors and up the metal corridor to the terminal and there were several queues to get through for visas, customs and so forth.\u00a0 The booths seemed very understaffed and it took quite some time to get through but never mind, it had been a short flight and for once in our lives we\u2019d had (most of) a night\u2019s sleep before hand.<\/p>\n
Finally we got through everything and headed to the baggage belts \u2013 the last people from our plane because we\u2019d been sitting in the back row by choice.\u00a0 There were 3 staff there with our 2 cases matched, we guess, not only because we were last but because of the matching iridescent pink ribbons on the handles.\u00a0 Two fellows took a case each and a third relieved David of his cabin bag and began walking us towards the exit.\u00a0 \u2018How kind\u2019 we thought.\u00a0 \u2018What a friendly airport\u2019 we thought.\u00a0 Until we walked around a corner and the 3 fellows urged us towards a money changing counter with furtive faces.\u00a0 I see.\u00a0 They obviously get a \u2018cut\u2019 if we change money there but David told them we already had some and they moved a bit further along.\u00a0 At this point the 3 of them made a dive for the left-hand side of the corridor where they couldn\u2019t be seen from the main airport hall and started demanding money!<\/p>\n
Now I can\u2019t pass anything with words on it without reading and I had seen a massive sign, I\u2019m talking 6 feet high, near the baggage carousels saying \u201cNO TIPPING!\u201d so between that and the way they had waited until they were around the corner and even then dived for the wall, shielded by an obligingly tall pot plant\u2026 well, my hackles were up, and that\u2019s never a pretty sight!<\/p>\n
By this time, David was looking confused and had given a 100,000 rupiah note to one fellow who was now demanding that we give one each to his comrades as well.\u00a0 David was reaching for R20,000 notes but this man was pointing between the 20,000 and the 100.000 in David\u2019s wallet and telling us that the 100,000 was worth LESS so we should give them those.\u00a0 This was like a red rag to a bull for my part and I held up one of each note, covering the 3 zeros with my thumb and saying \u201cNo it\u2019s not!\u201d\u00a0 And they insisted that it was not only less but they wanted one each, as if they were doing us some kind of a favour!<\/p>\n
Not even out of the airport doors and we\u2019re being lied to and cheated.\u00a0 I\u2019d read that we should be polite to the natives (not that we wouldn\u2019t have been!) but my head was way past that.\u00a0 Nobody lies and cheats me and gets away with it so I said \u201cRight.\u00a0 If that 100,000 is worth less than this 20,000 then give it back!\u201d\u00a0 The guy looked very unhappy and untrusting (isn\u2019t that the joke of the century?)\u00a0 So after a bit of debate where he looked worried he\u2019d be found out from those around him (airport staff who knew No Tipping meant him) he did give it back which totally stunned me, he\u2019d looked really scared, and I took a 20,000 and gave one very grudgingly to each of the 3 of them.<\/p>\n
During this interchange, the guy holding David\u2019s cabin bag had twisted himself so that the bag on his back was out of sight and I swear he would have stolen it but now they were copping both barrels from Mrs Mouth (yes, that\u2019s me).\u00a0 I made sure David took the backpack from the guy, and our suitcases were on the floor, and then turned on the 3 of them.\u00a0 I won\u2019t say I shouted, but it sure wasn\u2019t an indoor voice, as I said \u201cGo away!\u201d.\u00a0 They looked really confused and I said it about 3 or 4 times \u201cGo away!\u00a0 Just go away!\u201d.\u00a0 Every time I thought of it later in the day it made me laugh!\u00a0 David reassured me that it really wasn\u2019t as much money as I was thinking.\u00a0 In the end we\u2019d given them a total of about $2.50 each instead of the $12 each they\u2019d demanded but no matter the value I was really upset that they would do this the moment we were off the plane and so vulnerable.\u00a0 Bartering prices for goods is one thing but lying, cheating and deliberate deception is quite another and there was a part of me that wanted to find the airport authorities and report this devious trio.\u00a0 I reluctantly decided it was better to behave.<\/p>\n
Outside the airport doors we were instantly gassed by a thousand cigarette smokers as we tried to find our Club Med escort but eventually were helped aboard the little shuttle bus and were given a tub of fresh drinking water each with a straw and off we went.<\/p>\n
Bikes, mopeds, scooters by the zillion.\u00a0 Helmets, no helmets, 3 or 4 people to a bike, 2 people plus a TV in a box to a bike, 1 person plus huge wooden panniers, women in business suits with handbags over their shoulders, parents with children standing on the centre-front running board.\u00a0 The bikes were everywhere, and every time the traffic stopped they came from nowhere and filled every free square centimetre of space between the cars.\u00a0 And then more seemed to filter in by sheer osmosis, fitting who knows where!\u00a0 As we travelled down a single-lane (each way) road we were passing bikes on our left and being passed by bikes on our right and the same was happening in the lane coming towards us.\u00a0 Occasionally there would even be a bike riding towards us on the left side of the road.\u00a0 Yet despite all of this seeming total bedlam there was not a sign anywhere of any anger, frustration or abuse.\u00a0 I guess in its way that was the most amazing thing about it \u2013 the sheer patience and acceptance by everyone!<\/p>\n
![\"Family](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/1-2.jpg\" "\\"Family")
Family of Four on One Bike<\/p><\/div>\n
Suddenly there was a big bump under the bus which made us all jump and David said \u201cWas that a bike?\u201d and we all laughed.\u00a0 But the journey continued so either it wasn\u2019t, or it\u2019s not illegal to run one over LOL<\/p>\n
The view out of the bus windows, once we\u2019d managed to drag our eyes away from the bikes, was so different to anything we\u2019d seen before.\u00a0 Hundreds of small \u2018shops\u2019, which were more like permanent market stalls, lined the roads.\u00a0 Very few had customers and, for the most part, the stall-holders were sitting around in groups talking, relaxing or reading newspapers.\u00a0 In many cases there were long rows of rubble between the stalls and the roads, and there was quite a bit of rubbish amongst the rubble too.\u00a0 However, someone had said to us before we left Perth that Bali was, after all, a third world country, and yet the reality was not so povertous (I know, no such word) as that would suggest.<\/p>\n
In the centre of some of the road intersections were amazing monuments and statues and fairly regularly along the roadsides were the most ornately decorated temples.\u00a0 Beautiful structures with architectural twirls and adornments on every possible surface and corner, many of which looked to be hundreds of years old.\u00a0 I had my camera out but could only snap things hastily that appeared at my side window as there were heads and seat backs preventing me seeing what was coming ahead of time and we soon reached the resort.\u00a0 We had to pass through 2 security check points \u2013 one as we entered Nusa Dua, where guards used mirrors on sticks plus on-road cameras looking up at the chassis which displayed on some TV screens, and another as we got to the gates of Club Med.<\/p>\n
![\"Club](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/1-2a.jpg\" "\\"Club")
Club Med Entry<\/p><\/div>\n
We were helped from the bus and told that our luggage would be sent to our rooms and were then escorted up a pathway between layered ponds with concrete statues adorning them through the open-sided reception to a greeting area.\u00a0 Each person was given a small wooden tray with a glass of water, a glass of iced tea and a refresher towel on while we had a quick introduction from a few staff and had our wrist ribbons tied on to prove that we were paying guests and entitle us to help ourselves at the buffet, bar and other facilities.<\/p>\n
![\"Greeting](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/1-3.jpg\" "\\"Greeting")
Greeting Drink<\/p><\/div>\n
We were then taken along a covered, but open-sided walkway, down some steps, another walkway and more steps to our lovely little ground floor room.\u00a0 Although the building was 4 floors high in the middle, the edges had a single storey room on each end followed by a 2 storey then a 3 storey room before hitting its full height in the middle.\u00a0 Our only neighbours were attached by the right-hand wall of the room.\u00a0 No complaints!!!<\/p>\n
The room was spacious and painted white except for a bright orangey-red feature wall behind the bed head.\u00a0 We had 2 wardrobes, a desk and chair, a fridge, separate bathroom with the loo, basin and shower and then the biggest bed I\u2019ve ever seen.\u00a0 I swear you could have put 5 people in it!<\/p>\n
But, still reeling from the airport porter fiasco and wondering what on earth more was in store for us, I secretly wanted nothing more than to go back home to Perth.\u00a0 Perhaps I was just over-tired.<\/p>\n
However, I kept my qualms to myself and we got settled in as quickly as possible and then went out for a walk around.\u00a0 We found the snacking restaurant because it was now about 2pm and we\u2019d only had a paltry breakfast on the plane during our 9 waking hours.\u00a0 There were some lovely buffet items but a very friendly waiter had also given us a menu with some beautiful choices on it and we both chose a fish dish \u2013 different to one another \u2013 and David had a glass of wine.\u00a0 We also chose a dessert each from the buffet afterwards.\u00a0 The waiter had spoken to us first in French and several of the staff did this during our stay.\u00a0 I guess we looked French to them.\u00a0 Quite a lot of my high school lessons came back to me during our stay so that wasn\u2019t a bad thing.<\/p>\n
Next, it was definitely time for a nap for this little grandma.\u00a0 The travel sickness medications always make me really tired even if it had not been for the early morning so David obligingly sat out on our nice little private verandah and read his book for a while.<\/p>\n
![\"David](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/1-3a.jpg\" "\\"David")
David on the Verandah<\/p><\/div>\n
At 5pm we had to be in the theatre, yet another open-sided building, for a guided tour around the resort.\u00a0 There were only a few of us there and we were greeted by an assorted group of G.O.s \u2013 the term that the staff go by, which means Gracious Organisers.\u00a0 The assortment was to make sure that all guests would have a staff member that spoke their language but as it happens we were all English speaking so it was just one G.O., Zaidul, who showed us around.\u00a0 I instantly fell in love with Zaidul because he was so full of joy and bounce and had a cheeky face.\u00a0 He showed us the direction of the main restaurant, the huge main swimming pool which nobody could miss and main bar, beach, complete with a huge assortment of chairs and a small bar, water sports hut, putt putt, spa, quiet pool, squash courts, tennis, golf, archery.\u00a0 Certainly no shortage of things to do!\u00a0 As we walked alongside the beach he waved seawards and said that on a clear day you could see Mt Agung, the volcano, and then stopped in his tracks because we could actually see it!!!<\/p>\n
This was only the 4th<\/sup> time he\u2019d seen it in the several months that he\u2019d worked at the resort so we were deeply honoured and I took it as a sign that we were to have a happy stay after all.\u00a0 It\u2019s the blue shape in the centre of this photo, it is not a cloud, I promise!<\/p>\n Mount Agung<\/p><\/div>\n The resort was also decorated with many small statues on pillar tops etc such as this one and most roof peaks, including the straw beach umbrellas, were topped by a carved crown shape.<\/p>\n Wall Decoration<\/p><\/div>\n We decided on a well-earned drink to fill in the time until dinner and I tried one of the set cocktails which didn\u2019t do a whole lot for me.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t taste the alcohol for a start and considering I only drink alcohol twice a year when we are on holidays you\u2019d think I\u2019d be pretty sensitive to it.<\/p>\n Dinner was a Chinese banquet and we were absolutely stunned by the size of the buffet hall.\u00a0 There were people milling in all directions and you needed some fast footwork at times to keep out of the way.\u00a0 But the buffets were split up into various parts, mostly according to cuisine.\u00a0 So very roughly speaking there were separate areas, each with a dozen or more foods, dedicated to each of Western, Chinese, Korean, several other Asian cultures, Italian, breads, ice creams, tea\/coffee and juices.\u00a0 Oh, and 2 adjacent sections for the desserts!<\/p>\n Everyone was greeted at the restaurant door by professional and really friendly greeters who escorted you to a table set with cutlery and glasses and then you help yourself to plates at the buffet and take whatever food you want.\u00a0 There were plenty of wait-staff around who removed used plates.\u00a0 Most of these appeared to be Balinese with very little English other than \u2018Finished?\u2019 and \u2018You\u2019re welcome\u2019 but they were friendly and that\u2019s all that matters to us.<\/p>\n The nightly show which started at 9.15 was themed Harry Potter and was very good indeed.\u00a0 There was a lot of miming, which was fair enough, but some really great dancing by the multi-talented G.O.s.\u00a0 Once the show was over we clapped out and went to bed despite it only being 10.15.\u00a0 It had been a veeeery long day!<\/p>\n Please do leave comments in the ‘Leave a Comment’ box below, I love to receive them!\u00a0 Your email address must be given but will not show to the general public.<\/p>\n Next page\/…<\/a><\/p>\n Please feel free to leave a comment in the fields below before leaving this page. Email addresses will not be used in any way, nor displayed for anyone to see.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tuesday 12th July 5am alarm so that I can take my first dose of travel sickness medications whereas we usually get up at more like 10am \u2013 urgh!!! LOL. We had finally packed our cases yesterday afternoon, using our trusted … Continue reading ![\"Mount](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/1-4.jpg\" "\\"Mount")
![\"Wall](\"http:\/\/mayl.id.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/1-4a.jpg\" "\\"Wall")