Having already posted my pre-amble ditty, I'll follow up with the journey from Brisbane.....
Saturday morning, 7th August. Alarm goes off at 5.30am... early to rise girls...never been a problem. I can also get out of bed quite easily too. Having been up quite late the night before making sure last minute cleaning washing, folding etc had all been done, I was concerned I would wake up totally cream crackered. Hell no! I'm off to Bali in less than 7 hours, and the adrenaline surge is more than helping me forget how tired I really am. Both Mrs Wharfie and I are very busy making sure all is nice in our apartment for when we return, that we have packed all what we need, and I pop out to a local bakery to get a couple of bacon and egg bagels and coffee. While I am out, I think I manage to tell at least 50 people that I am flying out to Bali for a week, it's about now I've forgotten about work, and the excitement of Mr Jetstar comes to the fore
It's soon 9.30am, all ready to go, and our taxi arrives around ten minutes early.Just enough time to get padlocks on suitcases, I suddenly realise I have forgotten to pack my Hermes after shave. I can't go without this, it's the Wharfie trademark...the smell, the ambience, the aura...the man.So I sweep majestically up the stairs, raid the bathroom cupboard, and Hermes on board...it's time to go. From our place to Brisbane domestic is less than 15 minutes, since Airport drive has been upgraded , it's a breeze. Our flight is leaving at just after midday, and we are checked in, through security and sitting having a drink with an hour and a half to kill
Our flight departs on time, and off we go to Darwin. We have booked our usual row 12, so as to get extra leg room on the flight. I do tend to get a bit stiff after a while ...(calm down now)... we share the delights of Jetstar coffee, Pringles and some stale fruit toast I had forgotten was in my carry on baggage. I move in and out of some sort of comatose state, (although some people may tell you that this is nothing out of the ordinary. I'm bored senseless, why does it always seem so far ! Happily, the time disappears, we land in Darwin, and I do the usual job of calling the courtesy phone to get picked up and taken to the Darwin International resort. Here, I enjoy a nice cold stubbie, Mrs W has her tipple of Frangelico and lime and we share some Calamari and wedges. I also see the first hour or so of the Bledisloe Cup, the result, as always, a foregone conclusion
Back to the airport, through the international screening , and order a bit of duty free for pick up on the way back. Again, the flight was on time, and Captain Jet tells us we will be disembarking around 8.55pm. Wayan, our housekeeper , driver and concierge extraordinaire ,(from my previous visit to Umalas), has sent me a text whilst in Darwin telling me he will pick us up at 9pm. This is very kind of him, particularly as we are not staying at his Villas this time around! On this leg of the flight, we again have the fire exit row, except this time I'm sitting next to Mr Weak Bladder, behind me is Mr Sniff-all-the-time and Mrs Barking Cough. In front , and diagonally opposite, to me is Mr and Mrs Weak Parent, with their two kids , Devil Incarnated and Jemima Fidget . Across the aisle is Mr and Mrs Overweight, who quickly raid their cabin bags for food. Now get this ... after much rummaging, Mr Overweight produces ... a block of Bega cheese, a whole pack of Salada crackers , a glass jar of shrimp or salmon paste, a plastic knife and a big smile. How the hell did he get all this on the plane? Scoff scoff, munch munch, Mr Overweightt's black T-shirt is now covered in cheese because of how close he has had to hold it to himself to be able to slice the block. The lady sitting next to these two is less than pleased, and dismissive glances are thrown around all over the place. To placate the atmosphere, Mr Overweight gives a Salada , cheese and crumbs to said lady...she duly accepts.. so now we have a trio of munch munch munch, slobber slobber slobber. Mr Sniff-a-lot is getting really annoying , Mrs Barking Cough is spreading germs plane wide , and the two kids in front are almost as annoying as the two parents who seem powerless to halt the titade of cheek, noise and downright disobedience from the he and she Devil. Sniff sniff sniff, cough cough cough, chomp chomp chomp...get me out of here !!!
I'm amazed that cabin crew say absolutely nothing to Mr and Mrs Overweight as they pull to a halt with their vending trolley. I purchase a chicken casserole, a coffee, a tea and one of those awful pot noodle things, this is akin to eating soggy cardboard and meal worms. Sorry, I was that hungry, and never thought to smuggle half a weeks shopping on board to shove in my guts...so, made the best out of a bad situation , and, boy, Mr Weak Bladder and Mr Sniff a -lot sure have made it a bad situation
To make things worse, I'm now feeling less than brilliant myself, one of these situations where I'm thinking hurl or sit still....hurl or sit still. I sat still... unlike Mr Weak Bladder , who goes off to empty out his fourth VB so far.Bloody ridiculous, and I think about asking him if he has a colander in his nether regions.
I've never been so glad to hear ' Ladies and Gentlmen, welcome to Denpasar'... relief, and Mr and Mrs Overweight quickly devour the remnants of cheese block and Saladas. We have landed ten minutes early... at 8.50pm... Mrs W puts on her running shoes ready for the dash to VOA. Now, I start the timing as I have heard so many horror stories about queues for immigration over the past weeks, and how the pendulum has swung towards lengthy delays. My guts are churning, and I need the loo real quick.I'm a tad concerned that I'm going to have an ‘accident'... fortunately, there are six counters open for VOA, I go to number two ( how apt), and furnish the nice lady with my fifty USD. Off we go to immigration, and through in a flash... from getting off the plane, to getting my bags off the carousel, and then through the scanner... 17 minutes.... yes 17 minutes. We remark, that this is our quickest exit ever, and , where are these queues. I tell Mrs W that lots of people now go for the express clearance and we wondered why....VIVE LA CHOICE !!! Luck of the Irish again... 7 times and never waited long at all... there's something wrong somewhere..or is there?
I have now refreshed myself at the airport, and my previous little offering will have explained why. I have my mobile on, I have a text from Wayan to say he's really sorry that someone from his Villa needs taking out to dinner. and he won't be able to pick us up... I tell him that this no problem and we will simply catch a cab. We walk outside of the terminal, past domestic and out into the mayhem. I flag down the first Bluebird I see, he takes us , with a bit of a wait here and there, straight to O-ce- in in Jalan 66. From plane landing... I am checking in at the hotel within an hour... luck of the Irish again?
We grab our bags from the cab, we enter the reception, the staff espy my stature and realise I am back amongst their fraternity. I whip it out quickly...( my Wotif booking receipt)... and the clerk stumbles through telling us that they have no Studio Apartments left and that they will have to give us a free upgrade to a two bedroom suite....(non ocean view)... I heartily accept their gesture, and we are shown to this massive room on the second level.... I had the best nights' sleep ever, and we wonder what other luck can befall us on this trip that has only just begun.
More tomorrow..love Wharfie...xxx