Our driver isn't there to meet us at the airport_ we think it's because we emerge almost 1/2 an hour after the last passengers (don't ask). a kind driver lends us a phone as the wartel won't work. it turns out our driver has forgotten us. the connection is terrible and i say i will arrange another driver as he is based in gianyar and we are exhausted. Handing back the phone, the bloke won't accept payment for the call. Re-grouping, we decide it is simplest to just use a bluebird from the official counter to get to Munduk. After a bit of haggling we're off. First stop is to get a sim card. first bloke wants 300,000 for a simpati card and 55,000 of credits! Bye- bye. Around the corner I pay 15, 000rp and another 50,000 for credits. As we head off the traffic is thick and i'm surprised to hear my 3 loved ones asking for the windows at the back to be opened. It's only the next day that i find out they were being overwhelmed by the car's own fumes!
This is so not how we expected the holiday to begin, but so far we have gone with the flow admirably. But i'm starting to wonder: what if there's something wrong with my accommodation booking, never having booked over the net before.
Not to worry:
A couple of hours later we're at the Puri Alam Bali in Munduk, in the same room as last year, looking out at the most sensational views of ricefields, mountains, clove and coffee trees, and on the next ridge, the 500 year old banyan tree.
Bliss.