Well, we've just got back on Saturday from 9 days in Bali. This has to have been the quickest and busiest time we have had in Bali. It was still a great time though. Myself (43), my daughter (20) and friend (20 first timer)went to Bali leaving Friday from Perth on Garuda staying at the Puri Raja in Legian. This hotel was really nice, first time I had stayed there, and must say the staff were absolutely lovely and the rooms, very nice and clean..
On arrival, we were met by a friend and taken to our hotel, via printer that we go to for business cards and a friend wanted a stamp made, after which as my daughter had been to Europe and had travellers cheques called into Central bank to change them so that she didn't have to take our her passport later in the trip,the trip to the hotel was a little difficult as with the road works going on near the Puri Raja, the way we went we couldn't drive up to the hotel, and the staff had to walk over to the car to collect our luggage, and we just walked up to the receptions. No problem really. Then met my sister and her husband who were staying there after settling in for satay at the pool bar and welcome drink. Our dinner this night was at Gosha, my favourite mie goreng shared with my daughter, friend had nasi goreng and spring rolls. We all enjoyed our meal and was good to catch up with some of the staff there.
Saturday
Woke quite early this morning, left the kids to sleep in and went for a walk on the beach with my sister before having breakfast over looking the beach. What a great view, and lovely breakfast, I quite enjoyed that it's not a buffet and they bring out what you want, when you order.
We had arranged before leaving to visit 2 schools where we sponsor children through rotary. So we left at 8.30 making our way to Sobangan SD3, where I met my sponsor child Yuniari (7), this was my 3rd visit to visit her, and it was great to see her a little more comfortable with us, and certainly lots of smiles on her dial. We took up some exercise books for all the children at the school, so they each received 1 exercise book each and a gift for Yuniari which we gave to her later at her home. My sister also had sponsored a little boy at the same school so we met him again. From there we went to Sembung SD3 we had sponsored the son of Made from the Bali Rani. I must say, in my opinion that I didn't find Sembung SD3 as welcoming as I did Sobangan SD3, whether this was because we had visited Sobangan before and it was our first visit to Sembung, or because we had Hendra's father(our sponsor child from Sembung SD3) with us as a guide he has showed us around the school, but the staff at Sembung SD3 didn't really attempt to speak to us, though maybe it was because it was getting close to there school day being finished. anyway We left some exercise books for the students at this school as well, though they didn't distrubute them while we were there. Sembung SD3 had 174 students they told us, (just as well we brought heaps of exercise books when they were cheap at Woolworths!!!) We also took up a suitcase of 2nd hand reading books etc, mainly very easy ones that we left at Sembung SD3, as on my previous visit the President of Rotary Denpasar (sorry forgot his name) said that Sobangan SD3 gets a lot of visits and therefore receives a lot of donations, and if we were to returnto visit again, if we left them with him he could distrubute to schools that needed them. Agung (from Rotary) said to take them to Sembung SD3, which we did, I'm sure they appreciated them, well I hope they did anyway.
We were going to visit the homes of our sponsor children, so the 2 children from Sobangan came with us to Sembung school, then visited the home of Hendra (Sembung) then back to Sobangan where we visited my sisters childs home, right next to the school, and onto Yuniari's home. I took up a game of trouble which I gave to Hendra as he is 8 years old and has a younger brother 4 -5 years old and I though this might be suitable for them to play, I also took a game of Guess Who up for Yuniari as she is 7 and has an older brother. It was fun trying to explain how to play the games to them. particularly the guess who, as with translation even when they came to the correct person, they had to remove the person and who the other person, as they couldn't read the names!! but I'm sure if they play it more, it may come.
We thought we were all done, then the Library teacher from Sobangan wanted us to visit his home, as he lives just over the road from the school, so off we went and were introduced to his family as well. It seemed forever before left the schools, but what a rewarding experience it is, I love that fact that we can visit and have some interaction with them. I look forward to when I can communicate verbally a little more with Yuniari, at the moment it's just lots of smiles and other people speaking to her for me.
From the schools we made a quick trip up to Crackers Bar & Grill, we were hoping to have a little snack at the bar, but they were not up and running yet, so just had a drink, visit the loos, and look around the markets. Then took the 1st timer to see the Lake, before heading back to Legian, with a quick visit to Alpha to stock up on some supplies.
If I remember correctly I think we might have ordered in Pizza Hut for tea this night as we were that stuffed and couldn't be bothered walking even the short distance to close restaurants to get something to eat. So it was Pizza Hut and drinks at the front of our room, playing cards till we fell asleep exhausted.
Sorry I have dribbled on a bit, hope i haven't bored you all, but will continue later with our other expiernces, the bike tour of Ubud one of the better ones I have done..