Faaaabulous Daaaaahling....

This is a big one so you may want to get a cup of tea and pull up a chair.

We arrived at the hotel and were given a tropical welcome drink as we checked in. 10 minutes later me and Sam sat in the infinity pool looking out to the ocean, and watching Will surf it all seemed worth it... the travelling, the crap places we have stayed, the night in Nicaragua spent with the scorpions...and now here we were as close to paradise as we had ever been. We were actually in the pool passing time until our room was ready and it wasn’t long until they called us.

We followed the porter through windy lanes, passing natural swimming pools, beautiful statues etc and all the while I thought, they are taking us to some shabby room at the back of the hotel but never mind... and then the porter took us up a couple of steps to a pair of double doors. As we walked in there were two largish beds with mosquito nets draped over them. Further investigation showed a TV, dressing table with hairdryer and a glass sliding door. Through this we found a huge, gigantic bathroom with a fabulous power shower, a jaccuzi bath and all the fun accessories. There was also a rickety spiral staircase, ‘Is this ours?’ Iasked the porter. He nodded and so me and Sam plodded up the stairs to a very small terrace – ‘what’s behind the door?’ I asked Sam. Gingerly we slid back the door and this revealed a massive terrace with a table and chairs a chez longue (is that how you spell it?) and a sink, complimentary water and tea and coffee...seriously we thought we had died and gone to heaven. There was one small problem you may have noticed, we only had two beds.

I walked back to reception and asked the man behind the desk about it...’Ah you have to pay an extra $30 per night for another bed.’

‘No I think you’re mistaken, I have the confirmation here and it clearly states three people.’ I waved the computer at him.

‘No you have to pay $30 for an extra bed.’ I could see he was not going to budge,

‘Ok’ I sighed ‘Well, we will just push the beds together then and all sleep together.’

‘Ok’ .

I wandered back to the room and we shoved the beds together. We had got a great deal on the hotel so I wasn’t too worried if we had to share the bed and once they were pushed together there was quite a lot of space. Then a though struck me and I checked the breakfast vouchers...Shit, they had only given us vouchers for 2 people. I stomped back to reception waving my vouchers and my confirmation. What happened next is too tedious to go into, but ended up with me rowing with two people on the desk, the head of the restaurant and the booking officer and speaking to the Balinese and the UK office of Agoda who we had made the booking with.

‘We have never had this problem before’ said the restaurant head.

‘Seriously, you have never had a booking where people have had a confirmation for three people including breakfast and then they arrive to find they have to pay an extra $30 per day even though their confirmation says nothing about it?’

‘Oh yes, all the time but usually people just pay the money.’

The thing is we don’t have the money,’ I said, ‘this is a real treat for us. We have been travelling for nearly a year and could only afford this because of the deal.’ I realised that I was talking to a Balinese guy who probably lived in a small room with his entire family and thought I was a right spoiled brat...but I only felt a little bit guilty. Anyway it ended up with us having to pay for 2 out of 7 breakfasts for Sam, so an extra $30 and we didn’t have to pay anything extra for the room as we would all share the beds.

So having sorted that I went and enjoyed the hotel and my day consisted of

1) Lying in the infinity pool with Sam

2) Reading my book on a sun longer overlooking the ocean

3) Eating in a little Warung on the side of the cliff

4) Having an amazing shower in the gigantic bathroom

5) Drinking a cocktail watching the sunset with Will (only spoilt by Will saying he wished his mates were here)!!!!!

6) Eating Pizza in a little cafe listening to Bob Marley

7) Sat in bed updating the blog whilst Will and Sam argue about whether Will should be wearing pants

So that’s all for now, a bit long winded I know, but a tale worth telling.