To set the scene - An excerpt from my HNR report that wasn't finished due to the major mishap which I have included below.
Eddie kus our wonderful, fatastic driver rang the housekeeper at Villa Beranda to get directions and to tell her we were on our way. Eddie was told to drive through Lovina towards Seririt and to turn right at Jl Lotus just after the gas station. The five of us Eddie included kept watch.
After a false alarm when we all spied the gas bottle change over station and wondered if this is what Wewin had meant, we finally found Jl Lotus. We drive down the long narrow laneway towards the beach and we see the red roof of the Villa just over to the right. Thank you Google Earth!
The wonderful staff were waiting to meet us, Wewin the housekeeper (who is due to have her second child in one month), Putu her assistant for the day, Putu the gardener / maintenance person (who is simply the nicest young man with the most amazing smile. (This Putu has the cleanest motorbike in Bali which we believe he is restoring with tender loving care). We were told that Putu security would be here at 6pm each day. Putu security would interchange with Komang security when Putu had ceremony. The driver who was recommended by the Villa is also named Putu. (Putu the driver will transport us to lovina and back for dinner many times, to Menjangan Island and on many other trips over the next two and a half weeks). We were surrounded by Putu's.
We quickly unpacked, Joe and Flo decided to sit on the kitchen dresser close to where Wewin was cooking dinner. I can't blame them, that is the best seat in the Villa when Wewin is cooking, the smells waft out over the pool, the bale, the upstairs beranda and the ricefields. We will have many a lovely meal here cooked by Wewin. We will give her money and she will shop at the local markets and Hardy's. Wewin's lumpiah is famous and rightfully so.
The Villa is set in lovely gardens a short walk from the black sand beach. The Villa is a little remote, there are a lot of beautiful villas along the beach in the front row, we are in the second row but don't mind at all, we have complete privacy once through our gate.
You can walk to the main road and catch a bemo to Lovina and back, the bemos operate until 6pm each day. We were told to pay 5000rp each to the bemo driver, we chose to pay more. A lot of restaurants in Lovina offer pick up and drop off.
We will co exist with a lot of wildlife while we are here. We have even been told quite seriously by Putu the driver that there are crocodiles here. N, will say many times over "this would not be for everyone". I think at first she wasn't sure that it was for her. I am sure it grew on her as the days went by.
We have a lovely refreshing pool and a second story open air veranda that has many lovely comfy couches, a pool table and a mini bar. There is a large Bale downstairs and four pool loungers, what more could we ask for.
Next:Great food, not so great food, snorkelling Menjangan, and those damn mishaps.
And now the major mishap...
After a wonderful storm that rolled in from both directions, over the hills and from the sea. One of the staff forgot to remove one of the hooks that are screwed into the ground to hold the huge cane blinds. These blinds covered the downstairs area of the Villa. There are also blinds that cover the upstairs area.
The Villa is built up off the ground. I caught my toes on the hook and caterpulted forward over the edge of the concrete house deck. As I fell all I could see was concrete, concrete steps, concrete walls surrounding the steps and a huge flat concrete slab that formed the first stepping stone at the bottom of the steps.
I remember thinking I can't fall I have to jump and that is what I did, arms flailing to gain distance.
45 years or so ago I won the long jump and high jump championships at school sports. I think this training came back from out of no where to save me. As I landed I pushed off again,first with my left hand and then my right leg. My head missed the concrete and slammed into thick grass and earth, my teeth chattered, I thought I may have broken my neck. Without thinking I sat up quickly and tested it.
H reached my side and I said to him, it's okay my necks not broken, then he says I started joking with him, I don't remember much of this. (He later told me he was afraid of what he would find at the bottom of the steps after watching helplessly from a distance as I disappeared over the edge). I tried to stand and pain shot through my right leg.
The end result, a badly sprained calf muscle and an extremely painful hand and lots of huge bruises. the hand has just been x-rayed at home and I have a fracture that looks to be healing well. I may need a bone scan to see if there are any other broken bones that the x-ray isn't showing.
I rested up at the Villa for the next few days using ice and potions from the Apotek. I think I healed extremely well for my age. Was it the local and chinese potions, maybe!
Lovina was one of the most memorable trips I have ever made in Bali. I love Lovina, the Villa and the staff. As I sit here in Melbourne my heart is back there.
The fall was an avoidable accident, but just that, an accident. The staff were horrified that I had been hurt, I am sure those hooks will never miss beeing removed again.
Next... Wonderful Lovina warts and all