08:44S 115:13E Bali Blog
Babe!
Paul & Trish Ducker
Tue 29 Oct 2013 08:13
So not sure what we were expecting Bali wise – other yachts that were already there were stating that the pontoons on the marina we were stopping in were all in a bad state of repair and potentially sinking! So eventually got there and headed for our designated birth on the inside of the main pontoon (in fact there is only really a single pontoon) for which we really wanted to reverse in – tricky manoeuvre anyway, but in a tight reversing space and with a significant tide carrying us off the pontoon finger and about 10 other Oysters watching we just knew it would be a comedy sketch birthing…….. and it was – after the third attempt we finally nailed it, well sort-of and with a lot of help from the marina staff / other Oysters – wow was I glad for a cool beer after that.
So 1 beer later and was already being told we need to get our clearance and customs papers sorted, so off I go to try to find the place, which was a little walk away – only managed to find the place cuz another Oyster skipper was leaving. So in I goes with my usual happy smiling face into an old marble and carved wooden admin office – just like out of the 50’s (apparently?), made myself known and was pointed to a chair in the hallway outside his office, sat down, sweating like a melting snowman, 10 minutes later guy was still typing away on his PC, 15 minutes later the same, 20 minutes later and I was just about to get up and check he hadn’t forgotten that I was there when he called me in – fuck me – 5 guys in the office the main guy had been playing games on his PC and was still playing when I went in, 2 others were having a game of chess the forth was eating his lunch / afternoon snack and the other was reclined on his chair, feet up on the desk reading a paper – cushy number or what – how I didn’t stop myself from saying that it ‘looked like a busy day’ I don’t know. So eventually the guy logs my papers into the computer, stamps the passports and clearance papers and I’m on my way back to the marina – another couple of well-deserved beers (oops forgot Trish & Kady were still on the boat then saw them walking up to the marina office – time to finish the beer and explain how slow the clearance took) – and then another beer!!
So all settled in decided to go for dinner on the beach with a load of other Oyster folk, which was good fun. Back to the marina and faced with no internet and a scabby marina we decided to hire a villa for a couple of days, so next morning hired a taxi for ¾ of the day which we spent leisurely going around hotels and villa complexes – and found an amazing place, 3 bed villa in own grounds with swimming pool, outside showers, a fish pond on the entrance, massive open air lounge/dining room - absolutely top quality – after recovering from my heart attack at the price was out manoeuvred by Trish and Kady to book for the following day – so after a nice lunch we spent the afternoon shopping – very cultural!! What a load of rubbish Paul was more up for it than both of us put together haha
Following day into the villa – had also arranged for Geoff and Sue to have evening meal with us at the restaurant in the resort. Most of day spent trying to catch-up on emails and work related stuff interspersed with dips in the pool – my type of office……well until laptop screwed up trying to connect to new works server grrr.
Trish had been suffering from a continual dry cough since she re-joined the yacht in Cairns, so she decided time to get to the hospital – fear was that it could be due to all the latent fibre glass dust from the works in Mackay. Had an x-ray and found a shadow on her lungs and gave her 6 different sorts of pills to try to manage (3 weeks on and fortunately all appears to be sorted).
Following day after a morning of working again decided to go explore Bali, for which again hire a cab to take us up to and around Ubud and the monkey forest in the centre of Bali, which supposed to be very traditional and near the rice terraces. Really wasn’t expecting a 2 hour journey, however got to see a load of the country – more Buddha temples than you can shake a stick at!! Finally got to the Monkey forest, which was really good, er with lots of monkeys er, and a number of temples, looking like there’d been there forever. Then the temple singing starts – so different to the Muslim chants in the rest of Indonesia, almost melodic by comparison. I pushed Kady into sitting with a monkey, which then promptly decided to squeeze her nose and lips, which started bleeding – oops. Guess what bump into a load of other oyster bods all doing the same thing no escape hehe
Return journey back the villa was even more ‘fun’ – back route past loads of rice fields, vegetable fields etc, lots more temples of course and then stop – massive road block, motorcycles wizzing past just adding to the overall jam. 30 minutes later and a walk up the road we could see that the ‘road’ into town was gridlocked, fortunately we could go an alternate route, so after a bit of weaving and horn papping we managed to turn off at the junction – still a massive way to go through and dark by the time we got back. 3 hours stuck in the back of the blooming taxi
That night out with Oyster lot as had arrange a group do at a beach front restaurant which also had music and a swimming pool - good food (esp Ox check parcels in ox tail broth – yummy). So after a few bottle of wine decided to go clubbing – ended up at this place which was spread over 4 floors, with different music / vibe on each floor. Eventually found an area with more chilled music and an older crowd (did I really say that - I meant over 25). So here was I strolling around and next minute Trish is being hit on by a woman!? Apparently her friend went home but she wanted to stay and dance – um could this be a threesome I wondered haha. So I left then to it, sat next to this girl who had been making eye’s at me (or maybe I was just seeing double) $100 for me she says! Another place another piece of the survey completed! Unfortunately our lovely stay in our beautiful villa came to an end, left with mixed feelings I would have been happy to stay (my kind of home)
So that’s about if for Bali – we quite enjoyed it really, a right mix of stuff / happy smiley people / temples and history / nice restaurants etc. The other change was that Kady, who was going home from Bali decided to stay on-board for the next ‘7-day’ to Cocos Keeling – now she really is getting brave!!
Photo’s:
a) Forest of spider boats
b) Pair of monkeys
c) Paul & Trish monkeying around
d) Lovely sculptures
e) The fantastic villa
