Japan – Australia – New Zealand!!

We finally managed some local transport!! At 8.00 in the morning we stepped/waded about the local boat bound for Nusa Lembongan (Nusa means Island). After sitting on the boat for about 40 minutes, obviously the tourists were rushed onto the boats to make sure they don’t hold up the locals, we were underway. I must say, I was a little disappointed,  our boats was remarkably under crowded! However we did see a couple of ridiculously over crowded boats and my disappointment vanished  as I realised I would rather be safe than experience and almost sinking boat with no life jackets!

We arrive in Junghbatu – where all the passenger boats land. We went to check into the hotel we had booked – Bunga Bungalow, only to be left thinking, do we really have to stay here for another four nights? We decided to get a motorbike and go and do some exploring. After the obligatory bargaining we headed off to the other side of the island. By complete chance we stumbled on Sunset Villa’s, a small, new group of bunglows set on a remote(ish) part of the island near a cliff edge. We stopped off for a drink due to the draining heat and ended up talking to one of the owners, Made. It ended up with us having a look at the room, for exactly the same price we were paying in Junghbatu we would get an absolutely massive room with a really cool outside bathroom!! So cool. Needless to say that it didn’t take us too long to think that one over!!!! So after a couple of trips back to Junghbatu to pick up baggage we were settled into our palatial room, smiling and happy.

We spent the following four days exploring Lembongan, a combination of swimming, sitting on beaches and well….that was about it On our second day we decided to go an explore the second island that is linked to Lembongan via a rickety wooden bridge. We drove north as far as the road would take us (only a few kilometres – not a very big island) and stumbled upon a group of seaweed farmers drying out their morning harvest. While I cowered in that shade, trying to cool down, Rache went in search of some photo subjects. One person that she took pictures of turned out to the head teacher of the local junior high school and spoke very good English. It turned out that Kyomang lived on the biggest of the three island’s Penida but taught on Lembongan. Kyomang very kindly offered to take us to the major temple on Penida even though there was a ceremony taking place at the time.

So, we chartered a private boat for all of £6.00 or something and off we headed. Before going to the temples we headed to Kyomangs house where he very kindly lent Rache and I a sarrong so that we would be appropriately dressed for the temple. He then said that I should follow him on a motorbike that he had lent from his neighbour. The only problem with this was that the bike was a manual and since I had only driven an automatic up until then made it a little interesting!! The temple was absolutely amazing!! So colourful and full of people, it was almost as if the temple was alive. Such a different experience that seeing an empty temple.

After Ubud, we enlisted the help of our friendly guide Imade… After some unsuccessful inquiries into getting to Lovina and back with public transport, we ended up settling for yet another guided tour. Although at first we were rather annoyed by the constant offer of private transport and false information about the local transport we also realised that we didn’t really have enough time to try and make our own way.

Anyway we got underway and I must say, a tad more comfortable than getting either the Parama bus of a Bemo…. We wound our way through the centre of Bali headed for the mountains and a rather steep pass that would allow us through to the North of Bali. As well as the breath taking scenery of hills and endless rice paddies we asked Imade if we could stop for lunch at a real Balanses food establishment. We stopped at a small road-side food seller and for some of the spiciest food ever!! Very nice but amazingly spicy.

We then proceeded up into the mountains stopping at a few temples and sights, one of which was a large temple based around a massive lake set in the basins of one of the mountains. Upon getting to Lovina we had a look at a few hotels/losmen and decided on a small family run place, only four rooms, that had a good pool and we were assured that we wouldn’t be unhappy with the food.

After a nice relaxing day in the pool/sea we freshened up and went for dinner. Some tables had been set up on the beach in front of the hotel and we were shown to one of the tables right on the front. It was lovely watching the sun set and the sea food main was delicious!! All in all a very nice night.

The following day, before heading back down the Sanur we stopped off at some thermal bath, in the pouring rain!! After a little persuasion Rache and I took a dip. Although the heat left a little to be desired, especially after Japan!, there was a very cool pool that had three streams of water falling from quite a hight that when you stood under them gave a sort of massage effect.

Later than afternoon we ended up back in Sanur, which was a little shock after Ubud and Lovina, but we just told ourselves, it’s only one more night, then we head to Nusa Lembongan!

The morning after arriving in Bali we were picked by our colourful guide imade to set off on the first part of our trip – the journey to Ubud. The journey was definitely an eye opener… In some ways it was what I expected, the roads were fairly chaotic witch lots of over weird and wonderful overtaking manouvers. But what I hadn’t expected was that all the villages (between Sanur and Ubud) ran pretty much concurrently, i.e. no gap for country side in between at all)

En-route to Ubud Imade had arranged for us to make a few stops, one at a Barrong, Tiger, dance, one at a stone carvers and one at a silver shop. All in all it was very enjoyable trip. When we got to Ubud Imade recommended another hotel to stay in as opposed to the one we had booked. We were unsure, but after comparing our original with Imade’s reccomendation (Tamana Indrakila) there was no question. Not only was imade’s the cheaper option but also the better. It was better equiped and the view was amazing. When we walked out onto the balcony we were greeted with expansive rice paddys as far as the eye could see.

While in a Ubud we did a little shopping, well walking around, just wanting to look but getting harrassed by everyone one for one thing or another – “You want transport, no, maybe tomorrow?”, “Why not come in my shop and have a looking”, “You want to buy something?”. It took a little getting used to needless to say! The second and third day were spent driving around on a hired motor bike, by far the best way to get around!! We saw some lovely site’s that just wouldn’t have been possible if we were just on foot or getting taxied around. The best part was probably on the last day of the hire, after looking around some temples and the like we decided to go for a drive and see what we found. We had decided to take a road that supposedly joined two main(ish) roads. Somewhere along the way we must have gone wrong as we eneded up on a completeley different road but that was great as we got to ride through the most amazing country side, through small windy back roads and we didn’t see another tourist the whole time. Not only that but pretty much every village we drove through locals would keep shouting hello as we passed, especially the young children, very cute!!

Well we’re here! Been here for a few days now, adn slowly getting used to the Balinese way!:)

We arrived late Friday, for us it was 4am New Zealand time, which meant we had been travelling for 24hrs! As you can imagine we were shattered! Our hotel guy picked us up, and all the way to Sanur was asking us stuff about where we were going next, how much we were paying for our next hotel, and how he knows where is ”chup.” We had planned to go to Ubud the next day, but not figured out how, and he offered to take us. He asked us how much we wanted to pay, but we didn’t have a clue! So asked him how much, being to tired to really think about it! We tried to haggle (been told that you start by offering about a third then work your way up) but he was having none of if. We just couldn’t be bothered to argue so just accepted. Rubbish I know!:)

When we got to our hotel there was lovelymusic blasting from the beach next door- was some club night or something. Normally wouldn’t be bothered, but all we wanted to do was sleep, and was so annoyed about the music. ( I know I sound like an old woman!). Eventually we got some sleep.

Next morning we were picked up and off we went to Ubud. On the way we watched some Balinese dancing, the girls costumes were beautiful, was hard to follow the story though. We passed through some villages and were typically shown a few shops! The guy, Imani, made me laugh, he constantly said how he knows the “”chup”" hotels to stay in, and had we booked everything as he knows good places etc etc. We had booked a palce for Ubud, and he rang them to check, and told us they didn’t have a booking for us. He said he know a nicer cheaper hotel, and he will take us to both to see which one we liked best. In the end the one he suggested was much nicer, and slightly cheaper, so we decided to stay there. He gave us his business card, as said to ring him as he knows a good place for us to stay when we go to the island- he was quite a character!:)