Thursday dawns to the sounds of beachworks again at 3am. We are off WWR today and so we didn't really want to be awake this early given that Wayan is not collecting us until 6.45. Crap. I start laughing - and not just laughing quietly but I start laughing hysterically. Hubby is up and asking me what's wrong, what's wrong - with a worried look on his face... 'I don't know' I gulp, 'I just can't stop laughing'. It is hysteria at its best. Tears are tumbling out my eyes and my snickering is getting louder and more hysterical. 'You've lost it' he says to me. I almost pee my pants and head to the toilet where I am able to bring my hysteria under control. That done I head back out with a chuckle here and there and make a cup of coffee - no way will I be getting anymore sleep. Hubby meanwhile has assumed pillow over head position and doona over pillow over head to ensure that no light or noise will penetrate his cocoon. I read my book whilst enjoying my cuppa.
Before you know it its 6.30 and I am nudging hubby awake - we have breakfast to partake in before WWR. I shower (pointless I know considering we are going WWR) and complete my toileting, my rash is still angry looking and I decide against sunscreen and we head for breakfast. The place is again teeming with Asians - we settle for an outside table - the only westerners amongst a sea of asian faces and I head for my toast and coffee. Hubby heads off for the omelette station and is determined that he will have his omelette. He arrives back to the table a good 15 minutes later and well after I had finished my breakfast. Hurry up I tell him, Wayan will be here soon. So he did get his omelette after much effort but had to scoff it down as we only had a few minutes to spare. I head off to covet some croissants and danishes for Wayan - he loves the little croissants. Task done I wrap them up in serviettes and casually stroll out of the restaurant with my bounty in hand. We head to the room, last minute toileting and off to the lobby to meet Wayan. After his greeting and general enquiry, he asks us 'did you get me croissant?'. With a grin I hand over the bounty and a beaming smile is radiated in our general direction before he drives off and tucks in to his breakfast. His phone rings and a little girls voice is berating him loudly - this voice is clearly not happy. He hangs up and says 'That's Putri, she was asleep when I left and she wants to come WWR with us'. No problem we say and so we head off to Denpasar to pick up Putri.
We arrive at Wayans family compound (not his home but the family compound of his father, mother etc etc). Wayan comes from a large family and so the compound is large in itself. As it was Galangun day the day before the whole family was still around. The day after Galangun is just as important to them and is a day to spend with the family, go on a picnic or take a drive etc etc. So we were out of the car and into his family compound and meeting the whole family. What an experience. I felt like we were intruding but Wayan assured me that they were all looking forward to meeting us. Hugs and a kiss to Ida his wife and cuddles with Putri & Thea who were kitted out in the new K-mart/Target clothes we had bought them...bless. They have an enormous temple in their compound and we were privileged enough to be invited to join them. Wayan explained the history of the temple, what each cloth represents and what each different area of the temple is about. We had met a couple of his brothers before and were surprised to hear that the brother who won Bali Idol three years ago was now a priest. Sure enough there he was in his whites, chanting and singing away in the temple. Amazing. Putri is getting annoyed now, she wants to go and she wants to go now! She is only 6½ years old but clearly has dad wrapped around her little finger, so its goodbyes all around, hugs, thanks and blessings for us and we are away, leaving a crying Thea behind - she is only 2½.
I am nervous...why am I nervous? Because I have never been white water rafting before. Neither has hubby but he is a man, and so he will be fine. Putri has been before, so if she can do it so can I. I am still nervous though. We eventually arrive at Ayung River Rafting company. Now I know that people have their preferences with whichever rafting group they go with, but I will swear 100% to anyone - give these guys a go. It cost hubby & I 1,222,000rp for our experience, Wayan and Putri were free as Wayan brings a lot of his clients here. Ayung River Rafting were the first WWR company established on this stretch and therefore have the distinct advantage of having the longest stretch of river to offer - 9kms - or 2 hours if you want a time frame. There were other groups arriving as we were waiting for our turn to be called, kitted up and duly sent on our way. I went to the toilet twice in the space of 20 minutes - I call it nerves!! We are called and off to be kitted up. 3 attempts later and a life-jacket is found to cover my rather generous bust area - how embarrassing! I am ready - I am dressed in my new white boardies and my new white stussy singlet (fake) and I look hot and I feel good! Helmet comes - crap - I hate hats, I hate helmets and I won't ride a bike purely because you have to wear a safety helmet. Why? Because my hair hates any kind of head-gear. I have long curly hair and the look I am left with after wearing any kind of device over my head is not a good one. Hubby even agrees and if he agrees then we know it's serious! Hubby can sense my dilemma and quietly advises that I will not be able to partake in any kind of rafting experience unless I wear the helmet. I am not happy now. I even had to take my hair clip out because it was impinging the helmet. I admit defeat and am strapped into my helmet - I look like a clown - the curly bits of my hair are fanning out from my helmet with a wiry clown head look. Hubby smirks, mutters to Wayan who promptly turns and snaps a picture off before I could even blink. W**ker. They laugh.
Our guide is advising us its time to go. He is a lovely man and my first question was 'how long have you worked here.' He must have been prepped by Wayan and advises that he used to work here many years ago and this is his first day back. My heart has risen into my throat and I have a petrified look on my face. 'Excuse me?' I croak. 'I just start today' he says 'I work here many years ago'. Okay well I am looking for signs of a joke here - is he joking? I look at hubby, he shrugs, clearly not perturbed and look at Wayan who says don't worry, he used to be the best. Used to be the best is not going to cut it with me and I halt the downward process and advise I don't want to go rafting. Wayan is laughing and tells me its ok, its ok - he works here for 12 years now. I have fallen prey to Wayan's wit once again! The guide asks me if Putri is my daughter and I advise him no that he is Wayans daughter. It is not the first time the question has been posed and if you saw Putri you would know why...she has hair exactly the same as me. We are still descending and its getting harder. My legs now seem to have developed somewhat of a tremor...not sure what's going on here. We are nearing the bottom and I point out to hubby the shake that is occurring in my legs. It has turned from tremor to shake in the last few meters. Hubby advises me that it's because I am unfit and not used to descending that many stairs. Thanks babe - you are not exactly an elite athlete yourself, I mutter to myself. 'What?' he says. 'Nothing' I say turning away. My legs are still tremulous as we hop into the boat. Hubby and I are at the front, Wayan and Putri in the middle and our guide at the back. He is explaining all the different signals we need to remember for our 9km stretch. How the hell am I going to remember all of this? I am scared now, more than scared and my fear is mounting more and more as I take a look to the left and see the first group ahead of us take off down the river. 'Scared?' the guide asks me. 'Yes' I say with conviction. 'Don't worry, nothing to be scared off...if you fall out just float on your back and keep your legs and arms down and we will come and get you'. Wonderful I am thinking. 'Be careful though of crocodile' he says. What???? I experience whiplash with the force of my head turning back to the guide. Putri whimpers to Bapa (Wayan). Wayan assures her there are no crocodiles. He then assures me there are no crocodiles and with a snort of laughter from hubby and the guide we push off.
We paddle paddle paddle and then STOP - this is when we pull our paddles in as the guide negotiates a small rapid....this is fun. I am loving it. The fear has ebbed away and I am happy. The scenery was magnificent and it was just a very nice experience. We passed numerous other company's starting points and waves and threats of we will beat you were bantered back and forth. We hit the first rest point - a communal rest point for all companies and boats and we are out of the boat and wading in the river. It was a very hot morning and so the river was refreshing. I thought I would be a lot wetter than I was already, but I wasn't as we were doing quite well with the rapids. Yes I was getting sprayed and it seemed that all the rapid falls were favouring my side, but so far so good. I am splashing about with my clown hair in my helmet and hubby is off the rock he was sitting on and over to me in a shot. 'Your shorts are see through' he quietly advises. Crap - I look down and sure enough my shorts are transparent - so transparent you can see the beginnings of my tan and the very clear outline of my white g-string. 'Why didn't you wear bathers?' he asks me. 'I didn't think it would matter as we have a change of clothes anyway' I say. He rolls his eyes and favours me with a ‘when will you ever learn' look.
We are called back to the boat and we are off again. Next stop was to be waterfall and bintang stop. It was a fairly decent stretch we were negotiating. Hubby and Wayan had stopped paddling - what the hell? Jeez guys what the hell is going on? Why am I doing all the paddling? I pose the question and Wayan advises that his shoulder is starting to hurt (he had a very nasty motorbike accident a couple of months prior and he had dislocated his shoulder from it), and Hubby advises his back was hurting - hubby had a nasty car accident a year ago and is still going to physio for his injuries. Great - I think - it's just me and the guide as we can hardly expect 6 year old Putri to paddle. We negotiate some rather fast running rapids and a few more dips to my side and we finally end up at the waterfall for our bintang. I am rapt as I haven't fallen out the boat yet. Well I don't think the others deserve their bintang, but I know I sure do and boy do I enjoy it. We are splashing around see-through shorts and all and Wayan tells us to take our jackets and hats off and stand under the waterfall - no probs! That done he hands the cameras to the guide and joins us with Putri for more photos. I am feeling good now because my hair is soaked and so I know I wont look too much of a crusty now with the helmet on. Hubby is tugging me aside again - now what? 'Your top is see through.' Well it figures - after all I am wearing white. I can't be bothered with worrying about it and tell him so. He then advises me I may as well be naked for all the good the clothes I am wearing are doing and heads back to Wayan. I can't do anything right...that's how it feels...I am feeling sorry for myself now. I look down and sure enough you can see the dusky pink of my nipples standing to attention sticking out through the R & Y of the Rusty symbol adorning my generous chest. Oh well, the boatful of Russian guys that had just pulled up don't seem to mind the view. I am subjected to a fair bit of ogling and admiration from these nice young men and hubby is clearly tossing between being proud and pi**ed off. I think proud eventually wins as he grabs my hand, pulls me to him and leads me back to the boat whilst trying to show my left hand is adorned with a wedding ring. Me thinks it's nice to be wanted!!
We are off again and with no more stops required - it is back to the task in hand of pure rafting. Hubby partakes of a bit more paddling and then does a faux pas! He pushed his paddle against the rock that was looming to the side of him to avoid hitting it. Now those who have been rafting before will know this is a no-no. Let the guide deal with it. So he has his paddle against the wall of rock and the other end of the paddle (the handle) is pushing against my arm, deeper and deeper and deeper and I am by now howling with pain. Trouble is because it was so tight with the rock and my arm, he couldn't pull it away. He eventually pulled away and I let rip with a string of verbals that were certainly not suitable for a 6 year old to hear (thank God she didn't understand). I verbally bashed him for a good 2 minutes, I was not going to let this go. I was in pain, my arm was already swelling and I had no doubt that I would have a hell of a bruise. We continued on, tears in my eyes and not a word spoken by anyone. This probably went on for a good 15 minutes until Wayan pointed out the Royal Pita Maha hotel from above. What a hotel. What I would give to stay there! Talk about lifestyles of the rich and famous. We see some dots at the top that could possible be people and wave frantically at them, yep its people cos they are waving back. I am still not happy but I have calmed down. My lump on my arm is taking on the shape of a small egg and a nice hue of red and purple is beginning to blend into my rash! We negotiate our rapids, paddle furiously (well me and the guide did) and we are on the home stretch.... it is just that last big rapid to negotiate. It was the rapid that broke me - I am bounced out of the boat before we had even hit the bottom! I struggle to the surface scared and unsure but am pleased to note that we are at the end of our experience. They hall me unceremoniously back into the boat and we paddle over to the finishing point. My shorts are giving me a wedgie, my arm is killing me, and I have a gentle throb in my ear, but hell we are finished! Can't get better than that!
We disrobe from our life jackets and helmets and we are off - upwards that it. Now I have heard all about the stairs that one has to endure after their white water rafting experience but I guess you sort of think ‘it can't be that bad!'. Wrong! Its worse! Boy oh boy is it worse! They are a killer - yes there really are at least 200 of them and yes they are big steps so it really is a work out and yes they are on such a steep incline that you are scared to turn around. All of this is true - they are horrible. I get a third of the way up and I am panting - literally panting. 'Take it easy' Wayan says. Its ok for him - he hasn't an ounce of fat on his body and it clear that he is very fit. He steams ahead with Putri. Being overtaken by a 6 year old is damaging to the self-esteem so I determinedly continue. Hubby is taking up my rear and every now and then plants his hand firmly on my bottom to give me a gentle push! God knows what it looked like from behind! I hit 2/3 of the way up and I am rooted. I cannot breathe, I cannot speak and I am like a dog with its tongue out panting, panting and more panting. This could be what its like to be in labor, I ponder. Wayan and Putri are out of visual range, the guide is long gone ahead and its just hubby and I. Hubby is telling me its ok and to take my time, but I know clearly that he is finding it just as much of a struggle as I am. We finish the last stretch, we are both hurting and Wayan has already been to the car and back (he had paid someone to bring his car to the finishing point) and has our change of clothes in his hands. We grab our towels and hit the showers. I am possibly the only English speaking person in our shower block and I am surrounded by tall, slim Russian and German women who have no qualms about stripping down and showering naked in front of others. Then again why would you be uncomfortable when you had bodies like theirs and perky breasts. I am somewhat uncomfortable about bearing my size 12 body and my DD breasts but convince myself that no-one will be looking. The shower area is communal and the water is cold and there is a definite feeling of not wanting to linger too long. I am done - good stuff. I am even happier because I didn't forget my knickers.
Lunch is provided as part of the whole rafting experience and so it was with gusto we sit down to a buffet lunch which consisted of soup, bread, salad, mi goreng, nasi goreng, chicken, spring rolls and prawn crackers. There was probably more but I was only settling for a bit of mi goreng, spring rolls and some prawn crackers. Yum! We had definitely worked up to this lunch and we all chowed down with gusto. What a great feed. Probably even more so because of the work out you did to get to it!!
After lunch Wayan receives a phone call and he is animated in his conversation. He gets off the phone and advises us that our waitlist has come through! YAY!! I told him I was praying that it would yesterday whilst swimming in the pool. We need to go to Garuda to pay for our change and also so they can change the tickets. No probs! So we are off - back to the hotel first to grab the tickets and money and then on to the airport. Putri is worn out and falls asleep not more than 10 minutes down the road. We eventually get to the Kartika and I jump out the car to get the stuff from our room, but my legs buckle. I crumple to the floor. I am back on my feet before hubby has chance to get out the car door and I am off hobbling across the lobby. Hubby and Wayan are laughing - I can hear them. B*stards. Back in the car and I knew they would have to say something, which they did and I duly laughed it off. The swelling egg on my arm seems to have peeked and I gently remind hubby of his misdemeanour. I will not let this go...yet!!
I stay in the car with a sleeping Putri whilst Wayan and Robert do the ticket change and we are back in the car and back to the Kartika. Putri is awake now and clearly wants Mama. We arrive back at about 5pm. Its been a long day! We bid our farewells and head off for a nice hot shower (as opposed to the cold one we had) and to adorn my body with my smelly lotions. Before we get to our room we bypass Reception and complain about the noise of the beach works. As we both suspected there is nothing they can do as it's a government project. They offer to move us to a ground floor ocean front - the one closest to the pool end but we decline, we know for a fact that it doesn't have a view and we don't want to be subjected to a flow of traffic past our room.
We peer out the balcony but there doesn't appear to be a dinner event happening in front of our room tonight - great!! We head out for dinner at around 7.30 and end up at Nero's. We chow down on some pasta and head back to the hotel. Its about 10.30. I clock mentally where I ache - arm-check! legs-check! ear-check! ah well at least we had a good time. Lights out and we are both asleep before we could count to ten.
More to come....