Bali , part 1

Sitting in my cold and drafty Tokyo apartment with a box of tissues close by, I stare at the pictures of the glorious sunsets we saw every night as we sipped our cocktails by the ocean. What a wonderful vacation it was. Beautiful place, great food and people and the perfect combination of beach and culture.

We arrived about 10:30 pm and after going through immigration (not the nightmare as had been reported), we met the driver from the hotel and were quickly whisked into an air conditioned van, with cold towels and water instantly provided. The fifteen minute drive to the hotel gave us our first glimpse of Bali - not at all the pretty sunsets and rolling rice fields. Bumpy roads crowded with motorcycles, some with 2 and 3 passengers; child beggars on streets approaching the stopped cars; small worn down buildings lining the roads -a bit sobering at 11pm. Arriving at our hotel, the car was stopped and searched for bombs; an event that would become a daily occurrence.


At the hotel, while our luggage was loaded on to a cart, we were escorted through the open air lobby to a comfortable seating area to check in - none of this stand-behind-a-counter business here in Bali. After wiping off with a cold cloth (this too would become routine) and sipping at some cool tea, we were taken to our room. And what a room it was! On the second floor of the 4 story building looking out over one of the pools, the luscious gardens and yes, the ocean, this was one of the most comfortable rooms I'd ever been in. It was very quiet, but not so much that you couldn't hear the rolling surf or the birds and with the comfy black chairs, the balcony would prove to be the perfect place to listen.


Sunday was a day to relax and explore the hotel. After breakfast in the lounge, we headed out to the pool; actually a series of pools - some wading, some with fountains and finally the main one with the requisite bars stools in the water. Ariana found one with fountains she liked, so we plunked ourselves down:


and jumped in:

Another family joined us. The mother was covered from head to toe as is the traditional Muslim way, while the kids had on regular bathing suits. Certainly that mom didn't get her shoulders sun burnt like I did, being swathed like she was in colorful fabric.

After we had enough of the pool, we headed for the beach. It was quiet with only a few others walking along. In fact, most of the people we passed were local children or enterprising Balinese who offered us massages right on the beach. We passed a group of restaurants, really just shacks with tables in front of them, which we later discovered had the freshest, most delicious fish. We also discovered that was the location of one of the Bali bombings, the reason for all of the security and car searches.


Lunch, a mani and pedi followed. Yes, I know, it's a tough life. But, after the year I had, it was certainly well deserved. We stopped at the beach side bar for a cocktail, something that would become a nightly routine. Besides the amazing sunsets, the clean air and being able to watch the surf from a stress sapping Balinese beach chair, how can you resist a place that even makes milk look good???