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TWO WINGS AND A PRAYER
Our flight to Bali turned out to be a bit of a nightmare in more ways than one. The flight was delayed by over two hours and when we finally boarded the plane we had to endure the most cramped seats I've ever seen. We literally had less than 6 inches between each row of seat - something that can only be legal in Indonesia. Slightly more disconcerting were the prayer cards we found in the seat pockets displaying incantations for every faith, asking their respective God to protect the flight, the captain and the crew!!! Call me old fashioned but I'd take a descent safety record over a few prayers any day of the week. Our hotel in Bali is very nice - a real treat but it has a lovely pool and lacks the complimentary cockroaches supplied with the grubby budget bungalows. As it's still the rainy season here it's quite quiet. In fact we've almost had the entire hotel to ourselves. We haven't done a great deal since we've been here except swim and watch cable TV. As the TV only has one English language channel we've become quite familiar with Indonesian soaps and talent shows - both of which are hysterical. The soaps seem to be obsessed with theatrical make-up effects so it's almost a certainty that some one in each episode will end up badly burned or contracting some hideous skin disease. The talent shows are equally amusing. Hosted by a group of Indonesian misfits, the shows are 5% performance and 95% critique by a panel of people who all laugh like Sid James - bizarre! It's been nice to chill out for a few weeks and not do too much. The humidity here pretty much zaps the life out of you about 60 seconds after you leave your room anyway. The humidity has also left Sarah sporting a permanent fro - funky! Kuta itself is one big surfer ghetto. There are dozens of alleyways opposite the beach which are packed with bars, restaurants and stalls selling everything from clothes to pirated DVDs. It all makes it a bit too tacky for our taste. However, once you venture out of Kuta it's easier to see the appeal of Bali. We took a trip to a lovely place called Udud the other day. It is a small town surrounded by lush green rice fields and palm trees. It has a lovely atmosphere and they have a monkey sanctuary housed in a forest. We had a great time feeding bananas to the inhabitants. We've really enjoyed our time in Indonesia and we'll definitely miss the Indonesian people.
Next stop Perth…
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