Home...

Gosh, well sorry, it really has been ages since the last update and there was a very good reason for this. We were going to fly to Singapore to renew visas and then decided that actually it seemed silly to pay all that money for just a few extra weeks and so we decided to move our return flights and come home a few weeks early...but we didn't tell anyone so that we could suprise our family and friends.

We left Bali and flew to Hong Kong, we were only able to stay 1 night there and then the next morning flew out bright and early to Heathrow. Hong Kong was amazing and super efficient. The hotel was great and Sam loved the fact that there was a remote control panel which did everything, radio, lights, curtaing, heat etc.

We arrived in Heathrow and were picked up by Jess and Al (who were in on the whole thing) and they drove us to Leeds where we suprised my parents. After a couple of days getting over jet lag (and them getting over the shock) we drove to Bristol and dropped Sam with his Dad. We have spent the last few days moving back into the house and settling back in.

We are all very happy to be home. It has been amazing travelling together and we have enjoyed every day (well, pretty much every day) and have amazing memeories which will carry with us always. Probably it will take a while for it all to sink in, particularly for Sam, but I think we have learned alot, about the world, about each other and about ourselves.

Thanks everyone for following theblog and your support along the way. I would definately recommend that this is something that everyone who has ever dreamed of travelling does (especially with a child). It's a truly amazing experience but...it's lovely to be home and if there's one thing travelling the world has taught me it's that I have the best friends and family ... literally in the whole wide world.

Over and out...Ruth Will and Sam xxxx

Sorry it's been so long...

Well it has been a long time since the last update, this is mainly due to Jess and Al being here and then moving back to Legian to meet up with the Vallenders. The past few weeks have felt more like being on holiday than travelling the world. It was brilliant to see Jess and Al and very sad to see them leave. I'm glad they came now and not in the middle of the trip because I think it would have made us pretty upset to have said goodbye to them knowing we wouldn't be seeing them again for months but as it is it's only a few weeks.

Sam had an amazing time playing table tennis with Al and his departure was softened by the arrival of the Vallenders and he has had an amazing time with them, spending a day at the water park, wandering the streets buying gifts and videos, eating loads of bad stuff...the usual 13 year old day to day activities.

We are all starting to wind down now as we think about heading home in a few weeks. Next week we will fly to Singapore and then back into Bali for a couple of weeks as we need to renew the visa. Half of us is really excited about coming back (I think Sam is even looking forward to going back to school!!) and half will be really sad to leave behind our nomadic lifestyle. I could quite happily move on to China or somewhere and spend another couple of months getting to know the country but there you go...instead it's homeward bound and there's lots of exciting things to look forward to when we get back.

It's a quick update today as yesterday I managed to get the dreaded Bali Belly and spent the whole day on the loo (lovely) actually it wasn't too bad as we have heard horror stories of people vomiting and sweating and shaking etc and fortunately I was spared all that. I now have anti-biotics and rehydration sachets which have made me feel much better and now I just feel a bit weak and pathetic...Will try and get back into the updating swing for the last few weeks and will update tomorrow.

Jess and Al

Well we have had a lovely time in Sanur with Jess and Al. It's strange being on holiday with people as we have been away for a year but not 'on holiday'. We have had to re-train our brains to think actually it's ok to spend more than £3.50 on lunch, it won't bankrupt us, but it's a hard habit to break after being so careful with money for so long. So we are allowing ourselves to splash out and last night had dinner and spent £5.00 instead (it nearly killed us!!). I'm kidding, it's been brilliant to lounge around the pool, playing ping pong and chatting about stuff. Jess says it's like we have been in the Big Brother House, as we have no idea what's been going on England and that side of the world generally. On an evening we have been partaking in a few cocktails (and beer for the boys, and milkshakes for Sam) and then we go out for dinner. We are usually in bed by 10pm and feel really guilty about making Jess and Al go to bed so early (until we found out that they want to go to bed that early).

We have had a couple of touristy days. Yesterday we went to the water park and Sam, Will and Al went on all the rides whilst me and Jess found sun loungers and had a lovely massage, bliss. Then we showed them the delights of Kuta and all the crazy people trying to drag you into shops. Jess is tryingto get her head around the bartering system but hates it because she feels like she's robbing people, I keep trying to say that it's what they expect you to do, it's all part of the system, but she still hates it. Anyway, they are both relieved we are staying in sleepy Sanur instead of Krazy Kuta. Today we went to Turtle Island which is a turtle sanctuary. Some bits were a bit suspect, we went to one place where there were big pools of turtles, and you fed them sea weed but the people had you cornered and kind of made you buy souvenirs, it felt really awkward, but we bought something from them anyway, it was a shame because it took away from the experience of seeing the turtles and you didn't learn much about the conservation so I'm not sure just how much good they are actually doing, or weather it's just another way to extract money from tourists (but maybe I have just become a bit cynical.) After this we went to see a temple and that was brilliant because everyone had to wear sarongs...yes, even, Will, Al and Sam and they looked hilarious.

So it's been great having Jess and Al to stay. Next step is to look for some cheap flights to Singapore for our Visa extension, probably around the 15th July. Hopefully we will fly out and then back into Bali the next day.

Pic attached of Sam surfing in Balian.

Sanur

Finally we are in Sanur with Jess, can't believe they are finally here. They had a great flight and weren't too jet lagged when they arrived so we went to a warrung and had squid and cocktails. A drink I have been looking forward to for months.

Sanur itself is like a quiet Legian. Much more touristy than Balian but not as busy as Legian. The hotel is as you would expect. A big complex with two pools and a spa. The rooms are nice and big and quiet on a night time. We don't have breakfast included here but if you walk to the beach, which the hotel backs onto there is a walkway and this is studded with more warrungs. Breakfast in the hotel costs more for one person then for three meals in the local places.

Sam is super excited to see Jess and it was great for us because throughout the trip he has remained fairly quiet about his adventures and so we weren't sure just how much he had absorbed but last night we couldn't shut him up. He told them about the Macchu Picchu, describing the journey in great detail, and the time he caught a fish and cooked it and ate it himself in Dongorra, which is just North of Perth, and the time in Corindi when he learned to skate board and on and on...even the waitresses came to listen... and then he showed everyone the magic trick he learned in Nicaragua and told of the time he showed it to the Japanese surfing team. And me and Will thought, well, maybe he was taking it all in after all.

Today will be spent lounging by the pool reading books, playing table tennis and water polo and perhaps a spot of yoga.

Picture of our beaautiful balcony in the Beach House at Balian.

Leaving Balian

Well, you can all rest easy, we are not about to be arrested and thrown into a Balinese prison. I called the passport office today and hurrah, the passports are in and ready for collection tomorrow... and as if that wasn't enough, we are on our way to Sanur tomorrow to meet up with Jess and Al. Sam as you can imagine is the most excited child in the world. Will is also very excited, but can't stop thinking about what he is going to do when we get back home, build houses, build vans etc etc... The other good news of the day is that we weren't savaged by mozzies last night. Our bed has a temporary kind of mozzie net (with a few holes) but the spare net we brought came in handy as we rigged it above the bed.

The balinese cottage we are in now is gorgeous. It's constructed from bamboo and beautiful Balinese wood with a kind of thatched roof and it overlooks the pool. It also has a little open aired hut to the side, kind of a platform and you can sit cross legged on cushions and play a traditional instrument which looks a bit like a glockenspiel and is called a gamelan. Sam sits there cross legged and plays amazing tunes (well kind of amazing and kind of cross legged). Sadly we had our last yoga lesson with the lovely Maureen today. It has been really nice learning a different style of yoga (she teaches Hatha yoga which is less intense that the yoga we do in Bristol) and has been brilliant for keeping us chilled and opening up our hips!!

So all in all, we will be very sad to leave Balian but are equally looking forward to our new adventures in Sanur and catching up with Jess and Al.

Pic attached of the gorgeous Sammy.

Subconscious working overtime...

I don’t know if it’s because we are on the home straight but I seem to be visited by moments of ridiculous anxiety at the moment. Let me give you an example. When we drove to Balian, Sam kind of hiccupped in the car, ‘was that a hiccup?’ I asked. ‘No, It was just a strange sort of noise,’ he replied. Of course I spent the rest of the journey convinced that he had developed tourets due to the trauma of being taken around the world... obviously he doesn’t heave tourets and hasn’t madeany more strange hiccupping sounds.

Last night I woke up at about 3am and started worrying about the passports (which are still with the agency who are renewing our visa). Our visa was due for renewal yesterday and last nights thoughts went something like this: ‘I bet they’ve lost our visas and passports...that means we are now over our visa period and we have no passports. What if we don’t get our passports back and they have lost them and then they will charge us £100 per day per person for overstaying. Perhaps then we will get put in Balinese prison...then all our friends and family back home will have to go to the media to get us released...no, don’t be silly... but what if they do? I’ll call the British embassy and meet them. They will have a nice cool, air conditioned building and I will drink tea with the official and explain our situation...but he will be corrupt and make us go to prison unless we pay a massive amount of money to them. Then we will miss our flights home and have to pay for new flights but we won’t have any money... and maybe they will give us a temporary passport but they won’t let us use it in Hong Kong and aaaaaarghhhhhh.....

As you can imagine it was a restless nights sleep and with the light of day came Will’s logic which seemed much more reasonable. That we had taken them to a reputable agency and he was sure it would be fine. And, if it wasn’t then we would deal with it at the time. Rather than worrying about it now. So there you are, although I am cool calm, chilled and collected in Bali, there seems to be something bubbling under the surface in my subconscience. Perhaps it was watching Bowling For Colmbine before bed, which was a brilliant and disturbing documentary. Sam was riveted and was surprised by a) the coverage of the plane flying into the twin towers which he hadn’t seen before and b) Just how stupid George W actually is. It was good to watch with Sam as he had some perspective on the documentary having met an American in Guatamala who sleeps with his gun under his pillow and having seen the devestation that the US has inflicted on Central and South America first hand.

Tonight is our last night in the Beach House and we move to another villa by the river for the next two nights. This is also two bedrooms but is built in a more traditional style and the bathroom is partially open air...hmmm open air by the river, I think it could be a mozzie fest...still there are nets over the beds so we should be ok. Only three days now until Jess and Al arrive.

Peaceful

It's difficult to describe how gorgeous Balian is. We have been here for nearly a week now and the days are just flying by. The hotel is run by a lady called Tati (although hotel is the wrong word to describe this place as it's more a series of cottages) she is a gorgeous, welcoming, silver haired Javanese lady who is obviously adored by all the people who work for her. In fact we love it so much here that we are not checking out tomorrow but have booked to stay for an extra week. Perhaps if I describe the walk to the internet cafe it will help you to experience the place.

Leaving the house you walk out onto a windy road which is probably about 2k and winds up to the main road. Along the way you pass banana trees growing on the side of the road with kites attached to them to scare of the birds. Behind the banana trees are terraces of rice fields just like you see in the films and men and women work in the fields wearing the pyramidal straw woven hats. As you walk up the road there are small Balinese houses each with a little offering of flowers and incence burning outside. The Hindu offering to the gods. And the people here are so gentle and each one greets you with a Hello and a wide cheery smile. It highlights even more the contrast between the busy streets of Legian and the peaceful village life enjoyed here. It feels incredibly safe and welcoming and you get the feeling that if you stopped to chat people would invite you in for a drink in their homes. Every so often a motorbike passes driven by an 80 year old and his family or a 14 year old and his brothers and sisters. They don't go fast so even that feels quite safe. And of course all of this is punctuated by tall palm trees and the occassional fat looking cow standing in the field.

Our days are steady. We have breakfast of pancakes and fresh fruit and then Sam does his school work. After this we walk the 2 minutes to the sea and Sam has a surf - the swell is pretty big here and he is doing really well. Then me and Will go to yoga for an hour and a half and Sam watched a DVD in the house. After this we are usually starving and go to 'Toms Garden Cafe' for Balinese food (my favourite is the fish curry). It's a great place to end the trip and I would recommend everyone to come here.

The picture attached is of a monkey sat on the temple wall that we went to in Uluwatu at sunset. Only 7 days til Jess and Al get here....

Beeeeeauiful Balian

We have now found our Balinese spiritual home. Balian is a small village with a long road leading down to the beach. It's the Bali we imagined. As yet unspoilt by Aussie tourists with plaited hair and bintang singlets. Along the road are a couple of places for surfers and surfing families to stay and these places are pretty rustic. We are in a house called The Beach House and it's beautiful. There is a loungw area with a nice little kitchen, a double bedroom with a really comfy bed with extra cushions and fresh flowers...and a single room for Sam with a very Balinese looking bed. It's like a four poster with a mosquito net around it. Then there is a gorgeous bathroom, with a stone walled shower and decorated Balinese doors. The place is a series of small, unique villas, they are run by a couple and the staff are all super friendly and want you to feel like family... it's gorgeous. There is also a flat screen telly and a DVD player, so whilst me and Will go for an hours yoga session with Maureen, Sam watches a DVD in the house. The walk to yoga is also lovely as we walk through the fields and past a few cows to get there.

Balian is like El Zonte (our favourite place in El Salvador) this is because it's so quiet and beautiful. It's like Bali used to be before the tourists came and I'm surprised more don't come here (but very glad they don't.) The beach itself has mellow waves which roll in all day. The beach is black sand and surrounded by cliffs. There are fishermen on the beach and kids playing football barefoot...we tried to get Sam to join in but he is in that embarrassed teenage stage at the moment and won't go over to play.

So we could stay here quite happily until it's time to leave Bali...give us this over the 5 star hotels any day...still we will make the exception for Jess and Al when they get here... although I know they would have loved it here...Sam is till counting the days...only 10 to go.

Bali time...

Ohhhh....now I get the hang of Bali....now I understand. The reason that there isn't much to do in Bali is because there isn't any point in doing anything in Bali. That's not why people come to Bali. Bali is not about tearing around in a car to see the sights. It's about lying on a beach and then strolling along to a local cafe to buy a drink. It's about watching the ocean whilst gentle music plays in the background. It's about self indulgence and massages and reading books and smiling at people. And once you understand that, you understand Bali.

It's a different time zone to anywhere else. It's a place where you have to lose the watch and the urgency and kick back and relax and I can now proudly say that I am on Bali time.

Tomorrow we leave Legian and head to Balian Beach. I feel semi naked as we have handed our passports over to a guy in a visa place in order to get a visa extension. Handing your passports over to a guy who looks about 12 years old and who says 'yes, come back in 10 days and your visa will be here...oh, and your passports' is a little unnerving. Especially because this is Bali time and so 10 days could mean absolutely anything... but as I said, I'm in the Bali frame of mind now and so I'm not too worried, I mean they have to show up at some point....don't they??

So, this is just a short blog because I'm far to relaxed to write much and think I may have over exerted myself with all this typing so I'll just head back to the room for a little lay down and perhaps when I fell up to it a cocktail x

The future

We are now out of 5 star luxury and after a confusing day of driving to places we didn't like much and checking out hotels which were either fully booked or way too expensive we now find ourselves back in Legian in a small hotel called the Sari Beach Hotel. It's about 100m from our last hotel in Legian but is a completely different experience.

The Sari beach is a small hotel amongst big resorts. It has 24 rooms decorated in a Balinese style with small gardens attached to each room and sweet Balinese gates. That's the word to describe this hotel. It's very sweet. It's run by Balinese people and the best thing about it is that it backs directly onto the beach which means you can avoid the chaos of the main roads and the traffic and the people trying to drag you into shops. Obviously that's still there but you only see it when you choose to. So ourdays here involve a breakfast (chocolate pancakes) followed by schooling and then a walk along the beach, possibly a surf, reading/films and then a nice meal in a warrung. I'm not sure it's enoughto keep me occupied for too long but it's ok for now.

That's the thing with Bali. In the other places there were lots of things to see and because we had transport we could explore but here we are a bit stuck in the places we end up and the only option is to wander the streets, but they are so busy and filled with people and cars that it gets a bit overwhelming. We can't really rent a car because it's just not the best way to travel and most people hire bikes bus seriously they look lethal.

Our next stop is a small place called Balian Beach. Again it's a quiet area but I think a little bit more the true Bali and here we should see the rice fields and I understand we can hire bikes to get around whilst we are there. The place is a family run hotel and I have a feeling we are going to like it there. But what we are all really looking forward to is the arrival of Jess and Al. For Sam it's like Christmas and he is counting down the days until they arrive. Trying to make the time seem shorter, 'Well we don't count today and the day they set off so that's only 15 days to go...oh, and we sleep for half of it so that means that we can half the time again....' you get the picture. So we are all looking forward to the 20th.

Between now and then we are going to Balian for a week and then we have to come back to Legian to get our visas renewed for another 30 days. Then we have 6 days and then over to Sanur for two weeks with Jess and Al. Then we are booked back in at the Sari beach as the lovely Vallenders will be here from Australia and then we have to fly out of the country and back in to get a further 2 week visa renewal....and then we will be heading home!!! God the time is just flying by and I think the next few weeks will whizz by. People keep asking if we are looking forward to coming home and I think we are, we are all looking forward to seeing friends and family (and horses) and have lots planned for the future.

Am sat writing this in a cafe with Indonesian music playing in the background. I think it's called the Gamelan. The beach is right in front of me and the usual palm trees, umberellas and blue skies...actually although we are looking forward to coming home it might not be long before the novelty wears off!!!

Pic attached of me and Will in infinity pool, arty pic taken by Sam with fountain of water in foreground!!!

Birthday boy

Yesterday was Will's 30th birthday... For my 30th birthday the best thing in the whole world was being able to ride my horse, after all, who would have believed he would still be around when i turned 30...and looks like he'll still be around for my 35th!!! yay.... anyway... for Will's 30th birthday his dream day would be surfing Uluatu, eating his body weight in food and lounging in an infinity pool overlooking the ocean...oh yeah, and maybe a complimentary foot massage thrown in, and perhaps an Uluwatu T shirt to remember his amazing day... and perhaps a photographer on hand to photograph him pulling into a barrel (see attached photo, one of many!!)... and perhaps this could be topped off with a few Bintangs as the sun goes down.... well guess what, this was how Will spent his 30th birthday, it's a hard life!!

So we have just spent our last evening at Blue point as we head off tomorrow. This really was the most amazing deal, we ended up paying about £15 each per night and of course we had the free room upgrade to the two story villa which should cost £200 per night...unbelievable. It's also brilliant having the Warungs winding down to the sea to take you back into the real Bali every day.

I was chatting to a guy at the pool yesterday who thanked us for staying at Blue Point, I explained that this was a luxury and that we were eating in the Warrungs to save money and he said that was fine because all the money from the Warrungs goes back into the village so everyone benefits if we eat locally which made me feel better. I think they share all the money around the village and are very pro tourism.

Anyway tomorrow we head to Changgu or maybe Balian which are spots up on the East coast. I spent about a million hours (only slight exaggeration) trying to find us an equally brilliant deal and eventually came up with another Villa, 2 story, this time with 2 bedrooms and a view of the ocean...but Will says we should wait until we get there and see what we can find!!! Grrrrrr it's so annoying spending hours on the internet trying to find places to stay only to be shot down at the last minute (deep breaths).

Tomorrow Nyoman, the lovely driver, is picking us up from the hotel to drive us the 2 hours to Changgu. Not sure if I said before but this is how tourists get around in Bali, you pay a driver and he will take you from place to place. Nyoman drove us to Blue Point and we will use him to get around whilst we are in Bali as it's the cheapest option (other than a moped which looks lethal) we will also use Nyoman for our day trips when Jess gets here Yay!! Can't wait for Jess and Al to arrive.

So, will update from new place (wherever that may be (hopefully the place I found)). In the meantime enjoy the picture of Will's 30th birthday wave!!

Ketchuk dance...

Well we are still living in the lap of luxury and our day goes roughly as follows. At about 6:30 Will gets up and goes for a surf, which is a 5 minute walk down the cliff to the sea. He has to paddle out through a cave and then over lots of coral reef until he gets to the wave. I wake up in our gigantic bed about 7:30 and do a bit of yoga and whatever needs doing on the internet (if we can get access). I usually do this on our terrace (see attached pic).

Will gets back at about 9:00 and we get Sam up and go for breakfast in the amazing restaurant which overlooks the sea, the cliffs and the infinity pool. Breakfast is a buffet and consists of: Bacon, noodles, rice, chicken, pankakes, cinnamon toast, freshly made omelette's, chocolate croissants, other pastries, fresh juices and coffee. Me and Sam usually have a selection, and Will ususally has the lot! Then we walk back to the hotel room, through the gardens with gorgeous flowers with amazing colours and past the natural pool (which is just outside our room and noone goes in so is like a private pool!). When we get back Sam does his school work (see picture attached) and Will has a rest/reads etc.

Then we head to the infinity pool where Sam spends the next couple of hours, mainly underwater. We think he is practicing his swimming and holding his breath, but he says that he is checking out the ladies bums!!! After a while Will goes in for a second surf ans about half an hour later Me and Sam wind our way down the cliff path, past the small stalls selling T-Shirts and into a warung which overlooks the ocean. We order a jaffle (which is a toasted sandwich - usually to share and have bacon, honey and peanut butter - I would prefer banana but Sam won't have it and insists on bacon!!) we also have a fanta and a coke and the whole thing comes to 40,000 rp (£3:00). We sit here and play cards and watch Will surf for an hour or so.

Then we head back to the pool for a short while and end the day with wither dinner and a bintang beer or a cocktail. Last night we went to the Uluwatu temple to watch a dance at sunset called the Ketchuk Dance. The temple is also set on the cliff and the dance is a nightly ritual. You are taken through the grounds and have to remove all accessories as the huge monkeys which wander around try and grab them. Then you go into a small circular open air area and sit on seats around the edge. A man comes and lights a huge candelabra and then as the sun goes down, 70 men with red, tropical flowers behind their ears use their voices to create an orchestra. A dance is performed to their voices and masked characters come in and out of the arena. It's more of a play than a dance and at the finale a circle of kindling is placed around one of the characters and set on fire, the wind catches it and for a second you think that perhaps you will go up in flames, but the barefoot dancers kick it away and the story goes on. There's no way that would passs the UK health and safety test. The dance itself was ok...it was a bit odd...it's meant to call up spirits so the 70 guys all look possessed and for a minute I wondered if my Nasi Goreng had been drugged. But it was worth seeing anyway.

Off to breakfast now

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.

Ulu Watu

Today we move from our little hotel in Legian to a swanky new hotel near Ula Watu. (Blue Point Bay Villas - have a look on the internet it looks AMAZING). In some ways it will be sad to leave our little hotel where everyone chats to each other around the pool and the people are super friendly, but in another way it will be good to leave the hustle and bustle of the streets and the hoards of tourists.

Yesterday we got a taxi to Kuta so that Will could buy his reef boots - The taxi took a long time to get there even though it was only a short walk away but the traffic here is horendous so it took forever. The good thing was that we got to chat to the driver, who is probably the first true Balinese person we have properly chatted to. He was telling us that there are thousands of Aussies here and they don't give themselves a good name (think Brits in Spain) the only difference is that the lovely, gentle, Hindu Balinese don't get cross when a drunken Aussie, steps in front of his cab and wees, the Hindus believe that the tourists are their masters and just look on with sad amusement. Kind of like when your Mum says, 'I'm not angry, just disappointed with you.' He also told us that the Aussie women proposition him but he is very happy with his Balanise girlfriend (who basically isn't a slapper!)

When we got to Kuta we walked down a little road called 'Poppys II' where there are lots of second hand surf shops. We were probably there for 10 minutes before Sam decided that he might puke! Poor Sam has been suffering with 'something' for the last couple of days and has spent most of the time in bed watching, you guessed it, 'Harry Potter.' But thank the lord, by yesterday evening he was back in the pool playing with Will and that evening ate a massive steak. I think it was just the heat and perhaps the food that effected him but thank god he hasn't got the dreaded Bali Belly.

We have just finished brekkie and are off soon to get a taxi for the hours drive to Ulu Watu. Pic attached of Sam in his work suite when we built Chris's decking. Will update later from our hopefully luxurious surroundings.

Legian

Bali is a mixture of lots of things, there are beautiful buildings, surrounded by balinese statues and each morning, the people leave offerings of small baskets of flowers and food for the gods, however, these are soon trampled by the hoards of people who walk through the streets looking for a bargain, a fake handbag or a huge, carved willy!!! The people who own the shops are desperate for your business and literally drag you in off the street, we walk along and they shout, 'G'day boy, howya?' it's wierd, they have a kind of fake Aussie accent. This is because there are so many Aussies here, Bali is the Aussie equivalent of Spain and as a result has a similar feel. A strange mixture of cultures. The shop owners leave their shoes outside their shops and the tourists trample through in their flip flops. There is obviously a lot of religious belief amongst the Balinese but again this is diluted by the Bintang Beer swigging tourists. Kuta is busy, super busy, the busiest place we have visited so far. The streets are far too small to hold the amount of tourists which are crammed into them.

But there is also something quite beautiful about Bali. Although the people are pushy, they are also incredibly friendly and can't do enough to help you. They are also very interested in where you are from and your relationship, 'Are you married? Have you only one son?' are questions we have been asked a thousand times, it appears the Balinese like to know exactly where you fit into their social structure. Being married is fine (we say we are) and having only one child puzzles them! The weather is beautiful and once you get away from the bustle of the streets it's magically peaceful.

Today Will went for a surf on Legian beach, which is a long beach which stretches for miles. As you sit there planes come over the water and almost touch the sea as they cruise into the airport. Me and Sam walked into a big resort hotel and sat around the pool, hoping no-one would ask us to leave. I walked to the attendant to get some towels. 'What room?' he asked. 'Ummmm 20,' I said thinking it may have only been a small boutique hotel, 'Ok, 325.' thankfully he didn't understand my accent, gave me the towels and Sam and I spent a nice couple of hours lazing around the pool in one of those swimming pools which overlook the ocean. Lovely. Then we went for lunch and all had Nasi Goring, which is rice with chicken and egg and a couple of drinks for the equivalent of £7. Finally we braved the streets once again as we tracked down a pair of trainers for Sam. He grew out of his a while ago but we have made him wait til Bali as it's so much cheaper here.

The picture above is of us all in our finest clothes, dressed to the nines for our night out at Sydney Opera House!!

Bali

We have arrived in Bali in one piece, The flight was fairly uneventful (except for the lady who threw up loudly infront of us as we started to eat our lunch!). We were treated like royalty on the plane and were given a free fleecy blanket, toothbrush etc and treated to a hot meal when no one else was. The reason is that we are on the round the world ticket and this seems to entitle us to special treatment.

Getting out of the airport was a culture shock, the weather is hot and we found a taxi and loaded all the bags in and asked him to take us to the hotel in Legian which we had pre-booked, it's called the Sinar Bali Hotel and was well rated on trip advisor and the only place I could get for the three of us for less than $50. We drove through the streets which were filled with people on mopeds (hundreds and hundreds of mopeds) and the sides of the streets are filled with little shops selling shoes and souvenirs. Finally we pulled up a little side street and to our hotel.

The hotel is actually about 28 rooms all built around a large pool which has a bar in it. The rooms are a bit basic, small telly, air con and a bathroom, but it's a nice quiet location away from the hustle and bustle of Legian main street and the beach. After we dropped off our bags we went for a walk and got completely lost in the small windy streets, people come out and grab you and try and pull you into the shops to buy things and if they don't have what you want, they take you to their friends shop instead. After a while it's a bit wearing... So after a crazy afternoon adjusting to the new culture we finally found our way back to the hotel and had a quick shower. Now we are sat in the restaurant about to sample the local cuisine and hopefully avoid Bali Belly (keep your fingers crossed).

One fabulous thing about Bali is that it's so cheap. A main meal costs 30,000 RP which is the equivalent of £3!!!! A massive change after the expense of Australia where a main meal would cost £20!!!! So that's brilliant because we should make up the dwindling funds. We are booked into this hotel for the next three days and then we may head up to Semenyak which is a quieter area of Bali, this is super touristy and a bit too hectic for our laid back schedule.

So we are alive and well. We had a fab time with Charlotte and Neil and their lovely family and miss them already. Thanks again for having us guys and hope you can make it to Bali for a few days!!

Off to Indo

Tomorrow morning we are off to Indo - after 16 lovely days in Perth. I have just tried to check in on-line and the website won't let me. I hope that the airline hasn't messed the booking up as the flights are showing as confirmed on our tickets but there was a problem last time...keep your fingers crossed it all goes smoothly.

We are due to fly at 9:30 am which means another early morning. We have also packed our stuff and we are going to cable tie the locks as people can plant stuff on you on the way across to Bali and then there are pretty stiff penalties so we have made sure that the bags are extra secure so no-one slips in any unwanted items.

When we get there we have a hotel booked in Legian for three nights and then we will take it from there and decide what our next move will be. I'm nervous and excited about the next leg of the trip. Back to being in a strange country with a strange language etc. However it will be cool to see the temples, the waves and the friendly people and of course Jess and Al when they get there. Keep your fingers crossed it all goes to plan tomorrow.

Time for fajitas now - our last meal with the lovely Stone family.

Reflecting on Oz

Well I have a moment of peace where everyone is out of the house and we have a good internet connection so thought it was time for a bit of reflection. We are thinking more and more about home for a number of reasons. Firstly Bali is the last leg of the trip and we fly there on Friday so it's at the forefront of our mids. Secondly the tennents are due to move out of the house soon and so we need to sort out the deposit etc for them and thirdly it's fun to discuss what we will do when we get back. It's all very well packing everything up and saying 'see you guys, we're off round the world for a year' and another thinking, Oh good lord, we have to go home and re-build our lives again. But actually we are in a pretty good position as we have my job to return to. Will has work in the pipeline and the house will be empty and ready to move back in to.

Settling Sam into school is an unknown quantity but hopefully withthe right support from us and the school he will fly as he has learned so much this year and will probably enjoy being surrounded by kids again. He's certainly maturing, his legs are getting longer and he has started to act a little bit like Kevin The teenager, I read somewhere that teenagers are very selfish and they can't help it, it's a hormonal thing - well Sam is being uncharacteristically selfish and grumpy. Bless him, it's tough being a teen...although I didn't feel too sorry for him as he whizzed around the beach in Neil's car yesterday and then stayed up with us watching Gavin and Stacey videos last night as he didn't have to get up for school today... Infact after 2 hours of Shakespeare in the garden he's now taking a break and watching MTV, it's a tough life being Sam at the moment.

We have so many plans for when we get back (alot of them expensive) but it's fun to discuss them and we are all really looking forward to getting home and Will can't wait to get back and start digging holes again. So there we go - I'm sure there was loads more I was going to write but have a mind blank now. Pictures will be put online when I get my computer online, currently we are using Charlotte and Neils.

The North

Hey all. We are now back in Perth after a few lovely days up North. The North is arid and far and there is lots and lots of desert and not a great deal else... it's bloody miles away. We ended up in Monkey Mia where we were able to see dolphins (wild ones) which swam in to shore to be hand fed. They have to be careful how much they are fed otherwise the dolphins don't survive because they can't feed themselves and look after their young properly. The dolphins are amazing, they are super friendly and it makes it all the more special that they are wild... the place however is a bit rubbish, I mean the beach is beautiful, but there is a resort near by and so it's really expensive. The camping facilities aren't up to much either and you pay loads for a very small patch of sand.

The van however is amazing and the fridge works, the beds are comfy and the whole thing doesn't smell of sick. At some parts we were a bit worried about running out of fuel because it is so far between places. After Monkey Mia we went south again and stopped in Dongara with Charlotte and family. Dongara is um, well, i'm not sure I'd make the journey just to go there again as there isn't a whole lot happening, but we had a nice time anyway, walking, fishing and drinking wine. Sam LOVES fishing and caught a Bream which he cooked himself on the BBQ with some salt and lemon and we all had a try, it was fresh and delicious.

Today we drove back from Dongara to Perth and stopped off at The Pinnacles which are loads of stones randomly stuck out of the sand, there are hundreds of them and it's a really odd place, a bit like walking on another planet. They think they were formed in the ice age when the sand blew away the rock that wasn't as solid, leaving behind the pinnacles. Or it may be calcified plants which have formed peaks, either way it's a pretty spectacular drive. Then we stopped at Wedge Island, so called because it's an island shaped like a wedge. The beach was gorgeous white sand and Sam drove Neil's 4x4 across the beach. He thought it was the best thing in the world, however I had to get out the back of the car as it was a bit scary having Sam at the wheel, but to be fair he did a good job, didn't roll the car or run anyone over.

On Friday we head to Bali which we are really looking forward to. It will be great to be in a different culture again. However, as home looms closer we also realise that we have a gazillion things to sort out when we get back, top of the list is still the schooling situation, but also moving back into the house and sorting out the furniture etc. We will also have to tighten our belts in Bali as Australia has drained the funds a bit. Anyway fish and chips on the way so must dash... but we are all happy, healthy and having a great time with our brilliant friends here in Perth. My advice to those in Pert with a van, head South. It's much prettier and there is way more to do and see.

Quick update

Super quick update in internet cafe in Kilbari and is crazily expensive... we left Perth yesterday and have driven up to Kilbari which is a million miles away - well not really but feels like it as the drive is through hot desert and the sand is all red, it's the Australi you see in the movies, with red rock and sand storms and small farm houses with rickety old windmills outside and not much else.

Last night we stayed in Dungari (I think) which is where Will's friend has a house. After we got rid of the spiders and the frog in the toilet it was a lovely place to spend the night and tonight we will probably stay in Kilbari. This is a small coastal town with lots of fishing for Sam.

Anyway must dash before Will sees I am updating this and not checking bank balances etc....