Day Sixty Eight Home

Home!

Journey long!  No upgrade despite a bit of begging! Got into Heathrow about 5am to enormous queues at border control with one member of staff on! Had a rant about that! Took ages to get through!  Onto next security bit and got shouted at for not being business or first class travellers and being in the wrong queue! Had a rant about that!  Up the stairs to the next security bit and one of the staff bellowed at some foreign travellers in front of us and when they didn't understand, she bawled at them even louder!  We were so embarrassed I found myself apologising for being British to some Italians behind us. Had a big rant about that! Then was so annoyed about it, had a minor rant about it on Twitter! Got a tweet back from airport asking for more details. Wished I'd asked the woman's name and named and shamed her!

Anyway, dream holiday over! Back for four hours and don't feel like we've been away! It's raining, it's cold, the washing machine is on ....

Thanks for reading and sharing our holiday. Now got 2,700 photos to try and organise. You're all invited to the slide show!  Haha. Now to plan the next holiday! 

Day Sixty Seven Hong Kong

Last day!

Thank you, Hong Kong, for listening to our pleas to stop raining!  Still quite cold and grey but much nicer walking about where you can see where you're going. 

Took the hotel shuttle bus into the town and headed for the Star Ferry. 3.40 HKD to cross to Hong Kong island. 

First stop was the HK Observation Wheel. Only £10 to go on it compared to Melbourne's £35! No queues and got the pod to ourselves. Not bright and sunny but impressive to see all the skyscrapers from a high! 

Spun round three times trying to master the art of the selfie!

Next stop was the Hop on Hop off bus. Did a half tour and jumped off at the  stop that takes you to the funicular tram, which takes you to The Peak!  Waited in a queue for about an hour and a half to get on it. At the top was, guess what, more shopping! Not eaten all day so did a pit stop. 

Views here would have been amazing on a sunny day but good enough. 

Queued again to get back down and then another wait for the tourist bus and completed the tour. Not seen as much of HK as we would have liked but have definitely had a good flavour of it. 

Back to the hotel and now waiting for taxi pick up. Flight leaves at 11.45 pm, is 13 and a half hours and gets into Heathrow at 5am!  Back to the Deen at about 9 am if all goes to plan!  Fingers crossed! Night night. 

Day Sixty Six Hong Kong

Hong Kong, how could you do this to us?  

Cold, wet and windy!  A good way to acclimatise for going back home, I suppose, but we would rather have had a few more days of sunshine! 

Nice hotel, had an excellent breakfast, sitting right next to the window at the harbour edge with the rain beating down on the sea and the waves bashing against the walls!  Very picturesque but not what we ordered! 

Got the hotel shuttle bus into Downtown. Went into the malls to shelter. A consumer's dream!  Anything you could possibly want/need is here - even things you didn't know you wanted or needed! 

Not much relief from the weather though. 

Busy busy busy trying to avoid the umbrellas etc  

Contemplated taking the ferry over to the island but decided to leave it till tomorrow. Took Shuttle bus back to the hotel and investigated it a bit more. It's got a roof top pool on 21st floor!  Too cold for a dip. There's work going on up there. 

View of the 21st floor. 

Check out tomorrow at 12 noon and pick up for airport at 8.30pm. Let's hope the rain stops (forecast not good!).  Until then, from a soggy Hong Kong, goodnight! 

Day Sixty Five Bali to Hong Kong

Short and sweet tonight! 

Left Bali as Netherlands Idol took over the resort. Lots of prima donnas singing in every nook and cranny! 

Travelled by Cathay Pacific. 4 and a half hour flight which left about an hour late. Much more roomy than BA, reasonable food and inflight movies! 

Landed in HK about 10.30pm, got collected and taken to hotel. Massive hotel - charged £12 for wifi for 24 hours so a BAD start!  Haha. Both tired and a bit bewildered by the size of the place. 

Tomorrow we'll have got our mojo back. Night, all! 

Day Sixty Four Sanur

Had a driver booked today to go to the rice terraces that our first driver should have taken us to two days ago. 

Stopped off to see a Balanese dance show. Fortunately we were given a summary of the show as we went in. As it was we didn't have much of a clue what was happening. 

Lots of intricate movements with people changing into animals and spirits. Lots of rude things happening to a monkey man and lots of men sticking poles into themselves!

Not sure what it was all about!

Continued on our journey up past Ubud, took about an hour and a half to get there in crazy traffic again. Got to the rice terraces. Wow! Totally amazing. Did a trek round them which was extremely hot with lots of ups and downs on mud steps or bamboo bridges. 

Lots of stops where there were people looking for donations for passing. 

A young guy who fancied himself as a bit of a David Bailey who kept trying to get the perfect photo of us!  Made us pose using his props

And the stop to rehydrate with coconut water 

Bamboo bridge crossings - very creaky and scary crossing. 

Amazing!  Really glad we went back to see the terraces. 

Journey home long - 2 accidents on the road (the first we've seen) which is surprising considering the mayhem on the roads. Got back to resort in time for last bit of sunbathing and, of course, the cocktails. 

Just put TV on and seen all the Belgium bomb stuff. Unreal! Bali seems so far away from all that. Their Hinduism seems so tolerant and understanding of everyone. However, we did experience major security when we went to the west two days ago (where the Bali bombings were in 2002). Cars searched, mirrors under the cars to check for bombs, bodies scanned and bags searched. Scary! 

Off to Hong Kong tomorrow folks. It's beginning to feel like we will soon be home. Happy 30th Grant! X 

Day Sixty Three Sanur

9 weeks ago today we left home! Back in 5 days! Gulp!

Lazy day so you're getting a tour of Segara Village Resort!

The reception desk - resort being modernised so things are a bit 'temporary'!

Our room on upstairs floor!

Our swimming pool - no children allowed. Haha. 

The main swimming pool - very little shade but the sun beds are actually in the water! 

Hindu temple in the middle of the resort

Lots of statues of the spirits dotted around the place

View from breakfast! 

One of the many fountains about the place. 

Spot the Maggie!

Jacuzzi pool! 

Hope that gives you a flavour of the place! As you can see it is hot, hot, hot!

Off for shower no 4 of the day! Night night! 

Day Sixty Two Sanur

Another hot, hot day here. Spent the morning at base camp under shade. Managed to get some proper swimming in as the pool was empty! Had an invite from Howard's sister, Jill, to meet over on west coast for dinner (good spot to see the sunset). 

Arranged a driver through the hotel for 3.30pm pickup. Although it's only 12 miles away the traffic is dire and there are traffic jams everywhere. Arrived at Potato Head Beach Club at about 4.15 so traffic wasn't bad today, driver reckoned! 

All the walls of the place were made of small window shutters - very different and very cool!

Met Jill, Phil and their friends. Had lovely food and drinks. Extra spicy Bloody Mary, eggplant three ways and red snapper! 

Went to see the sunset about 6.30pm (same as Aberdeen time, apparently) but it was quite cloudy so not spectacular. 

Fully fed and watered we got our driver back to Sanur. Traffic much busier on way back! Terrifying! Scooters everywhere but not seen any bumps yet! 

Booked driver for Tuesday to go for another jaunt. Tomorrow is a rest day! Days here are running 

out ....

Goodnight! 

Day Sixty One Sanur

Up early to meet our driver for the day. First stop was to a big temple - There's 3 Hindu temples in every village, so it was one of them. (Forgot to take a photo of its name!). Everyone has to wear a sarong to enter. 

Style icons wherever we go! 

We learnt lots about Indonesian Hinduism.  One flippant fact. It's better to be 80% good and 20% bad in life because when you are reincarnated you might come back as Messi but if you are 100% good you get kept up with the gods and might never see Messi again! 

Next stops silverware factory and wood carving factory. Both interesting but hard sell. Fourth stop the coffee Luwak. Saw and smelt the manufacturing process but didn't sample the wares. 

Got a sample of other goodies but everything is laced with condensed milk and SO sweet. Escaped from this by buying a packet of ginger tea!  

Longer drive up to the volcano, Mt Batur. Had a drink stop here and sat looking at it, hoping for signs of eruptions. No luck!  All quiet!

Back in the car to head for the rice terraces. The tour guide, Phileas Abu  Fogg, announced he was a bit of an explorer and directed the driver onto a road that no tourists have been on before - ie a road barely wide enough for a cart. Some sign of rice terraces but no stopping places. Eventually found a stopping spot 

But nothing special to photo except this poor bewildered old man who came out from the fields and had obviously never seen a white man before never mind a camera. 

Guide did try to explain who we were etc 

Home time!  Big traffic jams which took ages to move in. Driver and guide getting quite agitated - it turned out some football game was starting that they wanted to be home for! So much for being at our disposal all day/night etc. 

Not to worry - did make it back in time for cocktails? Cheers! 

Day Sixty Sanur

Ok, peeps, short and simple! 

  

      Morning! 

    Afternoon!

       5pm cocktail time!

       Evening! 

That's it for today!  Off to the interior and beyond tomorrow!

Night night. X 

Day Fifty Nine Sanur

Sorry folks, this might get repetitive, here in paradise. 

Our body clocks are still on New Zealand time so up bright and early again. Discovered at breakfast that we now have 2 butlers and a young girl to attend to our needs! All very attentive but quite embarrassing having every mouthful you eat watched!

Went for a walk along the beach front this morning because we thought it might be cooler and quieter without all the taxis honking at us. Neither turned out to be the case. Frikkin boiling and very humid. Followed for ages by street hawkers trying to get us to look in their shops. The resorts are very quiet so not much trade goes on. Made lots of promises about coming back tomorrow. 

Got caught up in another religious celebration. Traffic was stopped to let the procession through 

Stood and watched for a while as they burnt massive bamboo structures then realised it was being fuelled by a big gas canister. Made a quick exit!

Spent the afternoon down by the beach reading under the shade where there was a nice breeze. The sea is really warm but no waves to play in! 

At night we met up with Howard's sister, Jill and husband,Phil, who are staying about 30 mins away. They are over here for a wedding. Had a very delicious meal. Good to have a catch up with them - although it might have been easier to meet in Aberdeen or Edinburgh!  Forgot to take my camera so no photographic evidence!

Tomorrow is another day. Planning a trip to the interior!  Sleep tight!