Quite a busy 3 weeks has sadly come to an end.
We have had almost daily visits to young Harry to select our DVD's, at Shreks beach stall, meeting many Aussies & forum members there.
Thinking back, there are so many things I have missed telling you, so here is a quick summary (oops spelling ????).
Flying to Bali with Quantas, we were up graded to Business class, there were over 100 vacant seats on the plane.
Food, I thought was very ordinary, but the large seats & extra room was fantastic.
Quick trip through customs, even though a little rogue tried to screw money out of me. He didn't get it.
We got our specs. @ Optic Tungall, at Centro, recommended on this forum. Fantastic price & service.
We also saw Dr.Rudi (the dentist) @ Bali Galeria. Best dentist we have ever been to. Very modern surgery, better than any I have seen here in Aus. Less than half the price than you pay here. Again, recommended on this forum.
We have been to quite a few ceremonies, plus the battle of the sarong, been to Ubud for the day, then up to the north of the Island. We have taken our Bali family to the zoo & been to Dreamland. We distributed 2 lge. suitcases of cloths to market girls & small villages.
Walkled through rice paddies with the farmers, been to a party in my honour & another anniversary party of a new found friend.
We have lunched in small villages. Joined village drinking parties. We have really gone back to basics & joined in with village life. This is the true Bali, if you are lucky enough to see the culture side of Bali.
This year we have leased land in Bali & hope to start our dream Villa within 12 months.
We did all the touristy things on our first trip.
Then we wanted to see & live the cultural side.
We have been fortunate enough to have been accepted into a number of Balinese families.
This is what draws us back to Bali every year.
It is the smiles, the love & the very simple way of life that is just so Balinese.
On our last day we do the round trip, to say our good byes to, our friends & pests at the Sindhu Market, the staff Bonsai Resteraunt,
Jack & Staff Coridor Resteraunt, where we take many friends for dinner. A big hug for Harry @ Shreks DVD stall, from the Mrs. of course. (love that kid).
We say goodbye to our Balinese Daughter Kuala, her husband Arya & the kids & our home @ Rita's Homestay. Big hugs & tears.
Shrek, his wife Nyoman & 2 girls drive us to the airport.
We say our heart felt goodbyes, a tear is shed & not just by the girls.
How sad we are to be leaving all this behind until June 2007.
Into the airport we go.
Through the new security checks we go.
Everything is as per usual, until we get to the Quantas check-in point.
Have you any cigarette lighters we are asked.
Stupid, Mrs. automatically answers yes, we always buy lighters in Bali.
We are asked which bag? "All over the place" she replies.
"I can't remember which bag!!!". While rummaging through the bags,"Does it matter?" she askes.
Well, the security guard says, you are only allowed one lighter each. Oh shti she thinks, we have bought many lighters, what do I declare??
Unfortunately she found the most expensive ones first.
These ones were bought for her Gem. Club for silver smithing.
Little blow tourches they were,(but classed as lighters).
Seeing as we could only have one each, we decided to keep a mini blow tourch.
All the other lighters go in the bin.
Mrs. is sooo Pee"d.
Quantas should have informed us she rants.
We would not have bought them had we known, she raves.
I'd rather give the money away to our families rather than throw it in the bin.
That's fine says the security guard.
Through we go, not a problem.
Until we get to the Quantas transit lounge, further security checks,
not a problem we thought. Body search coming, that's fine, we have nothing to hide.
We have a frisk down, ( buggar, it was male to male,& female to female. I would much prefer the other way round).
They check our hand luggage. They found the only "lighters" we could keep on the first security check.
Only to be told, that they were too big & we could not take them on the plane.
I have been known to call the Mrs "the Rottweiler".
This was one of those occassions.
If there was a hole in the ground I would have crawled into it.
I had to stop her ranting. Reminding her that they were the authorities, if you don't shut up, you will get a body cavity search.
Never seen the "Rottweiler" calm down so quickly.
She calms down, minus the lighters, in the smoking lounge.
Thank God for the smoko.
Thanks to all, for your comments on this years Overdue JBR's.
Sorry for the spelling.
Hope you enjoyed the Photo's.on www.fotothing.com/balicharles/
Tune in at the end of June 07 for our next JBR. We'll be back!!!!
We read the forum every night, so we are around.
Regards Balicharles & the Mrs. (Rottweiler) LOL...