From Melbourne to Bali

What can we say about Bali... We really enjoyed Bali. We had not travelled to Asia yet. This was definitely a great introduction. For those of you who have been, this should make sense. It is a place that we would characterize as "organized chaos, transcended by tranquility"!

For example, driving is crazy. There appears to be no rules, except, whoever goes or gets there first has the right of way. We thought driving in Italy was crazy! Picture yourself at a stop light, surrounded by as many cars, vans, scooters and trucks that can be jammed in all at once. The only thing stopping them from going to 15 lanes of traffic is a cliff or ditch. The light turns green and off they all go. Just like Formula 1 racing, all vying to be at the front of the pack. The really odd thing is that we didn't encounter ANY road range or accidents. NONE.

The Balinese are very humble, kind and gentle people. They treated Mackenzie and Breeana like little princesses. Everywhere we went, whether it be shops, restaurants, boutiques or whether is was while we were sightseeing, the Balinese would always touch them and want to hold them. Mackenzie and Breeana were a little puzzled in the beginning but after a few days they were waving and smiling at everyone and actually enjoying the attention.

The weather was very hot and humid. Everyone had told us that it would be hot, but we hadn't figured that it would be that hot and humid. It was just like that crazy hot summer day we had in Ottawa almost 3 years ago when the temperature hit 45C. It was just like that everyday. Thank God for the pool and air conditioning!

The resort where we stayed was great. The accommodations were small 2 storey villas that could accommodate 2 families. Nice and quiet. So we thought...

It was our first night in Bali, and all through the villa, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, EXCEPT for the rain drops dripping on Michael's head at 4:30 am! That's right, the roof was leaking. It wasn't funny at 4:30 am but we can laugh about it now... A good thing came out of this: we got upgraded to a larger villa.

On our second night, Breeana decided that she wasn't going to sleep. So on our second night in Bali, and all through the villa, not a creature was sleeping, not even a mouse. We were frantic and worried that Breeana was keeping the entire complex awake. Michael had the genius idea to drop her in the pram and walk the entire resort, which he did. Mackenzie, mom and the neighbours finally got some sleep. That morning, we felt so bad that we went to see our neighbours upstairs to apologize. Turns out that they couldn't hear a thing. We were lucky in our misfortune again, we met a wonderful family from Melbourne - The Gardiners: Jason, Rachel, Jessica and Abbey. We would hooked up with them daily by the pool to plan our itinerary, trade shopping strategies, or simply soak in the pool. They were awesome. They contributed to making our holiday that much more memorable. Breeana and Mackenzie loved playing with Abbey and Jessica. Hopefully our girls will turn our a lovely as Abbey and Jessica.

We would usually do a day of travelling and sightseeing and a day by the pool. Mackenzie and Breeana totally grasped the concept of lounging around the pool. They both enjoyed the water and didn't mind being in it all day. Bonus for Mom and Dad.

Some of our sightseeing excursions took us to Mount Batur, to Lake Batur, several villages including Kintamani, Ubud, Sanur, Sebat, Tegallalang, Pujung, Taro and Batuan. We saw rice fields, hundreds of temples, lush green landscapes, bamboo forests, markets, and a volcano. We also visited typical Balinese homes, saw how they hand-make silver jewelery, wood carvings, furniture, pottery, paintings, etc. We didn't realize how labour intensive rice cultivation is or how talented craftsmen the Balinese are. Everything is done by hand.

One of our favourite excursions was to Taro, where we went to the elephant safari park to ride the elephants. We had a great time! Mackenzie and Breeana were very curious. Both looked at the elephants in amazement, as did Mom and Dad. After viewing several elephants and taking photos we mounted our elephants for our hour long tour through the forest. It was magical. Michael and Mackenzie didn't appreciate their elephant deciding to go off into the forest for a snack but their guide (matou) was able to reign the elephant back in line. It's one thing to have your horse head off but very different when it's your elephant. The tour concluded with a bath and a drink in the LARGE waiting pool. The water goes up to your legs as the elephant submerses itself to cool off and get a drink. Something we will remember for a long time.

We can't talk about Bali without talking about the shopping and the bartering. The first couple of days that we were there we had to stand back and observe. There is so much stuff to choose from. From Louis Vuitton to hand made crafts in the market. It's just like Disney. Something for everyone. The fun part is that you had to barter (just like in Mexico) for your price. Lucky for us, Jason was an experienced negotiator. He took no prisoners and taught Michael how to go in for the kill! So we got sunglasses for 5$, DVDs for 1$, clothing for 3$. It was Christmas all over again.

Unfortunately for us, we had to be very selective in what we bought since it will have to travel all the way back to Canada. So we limited ourselves to purchasing, togs (swimming stuff), jewelery, sunglasses, clothes, pottery, DVDs, paintings and cushions covers. We could have bought so much more, including furniture! Darn luggage allowance. Does anyone want to share a container with us to ship stuff back???

We can't beleive that we almost forgot to write about the spa treatments or the food. Kathy got a full body 1hour massage everyday for the costly price of 10$ and a pedicure/manicure every other day for 6$. She is still experiencing spa withdrawal!

We ate like kings, indulging on great sea food and satay meals. They included dinner on the beach a couple of times watching the sunset and some meals tucked away at an oasis.

It seems really odd to talk about a holiday since we are in New Zealand but it was sure nice to get away for the daily routine and have someone else cook, clean and do our laundry for us.

Bali, we will come and visit again!