Salamat to a Saturday in Ubud!The Yeats Girls started their day bright a early and off we went to run errands, like finding the Post Office to get some funds - whilst in a rabbit warren of Ubudian SINGLE lined one way streets - yep it's Saturday morning folks, where everyone is carting bricks into the alley way to re-build their front fences … alongside a few rubbish trucks, a Hummer or two (Note: the Hummer is wider than the Ubud Streets themselves - so you can imagine how wide the Ego is that accompanies the owner!) …. Add to the mix …1400 stray dogs, 8000 naked toddlers, 5000 very smiley locals carrying massive head baskets full of offerings to the local temple (note to all: Erica HAS NOT HAD HER MORNING BREW.. YET!). ….
Do you get a feeling more is brewing than the coffee?
I arrive at the local Post Office to get my cash ……. with a true Bali smile I am greeted to "Sorry Boss, we Closed now, we see you Tuesday" ……….. well this didn't go down too well as you can imagine. 2-3 days without CASH. Yep folks, good ol' Visa …that trusty little financial house that you can rely on when your in a 'muddle' in some foreign country, as all the adverts market to us working class plebs…. Well let me tell you, they'll only let you purchase goods, not withdraw in excess of $1000 CASH in the month. (and of course Erica's spent more than that the first week!) . So in a CASH ONLY remote jungle village in Bali, Erica is now flying solo, with NO CASH facility for 2-3 whole days. (Oh dear you all say, the pool beckons her once more.)
So, now in 37 degrees, "Cashless" Erica finds her way back to the car (in a flood of tears!) ..to be handed a 2000Rph (20c) parking ticket …. Note to self: don't park anywhere in Bali if you don't have 20c to pay the parking man! Yep, Erica amidst her tears, offered an $5 note (she found in Brooks wallet!) at the parking man and then …proceeded to do a runner when the Polici turned up …. He was not impressed, even though the $5 was 120x what the parking cost!
So now I'm on the Ubuds Most Wanted List for Parking Evasion.
Just to top this off, the petrol tank is now EMPTY and has been flashing at me for about 20 minutes (my car is no BMW who talks to me when its low on food consumption!) ….and Erica's now lost in the flow of the Ubud one way streets and "those irritating tourists are in MY way" …. ahem, I'm a local now! The fuel gauge is not looking orgasmic right now. Imagine ........One Way Streets, Broken Down Car, Peak Hour Ubud Traffic …. Coffee Free Erica and TWO kids Grid locking Ubud! (with no CASH to pay the Polisi!)So today, one may say, was a challenging day indeed.
My two baby girls were AMAZING and just went with the flow ….. And I found another $30 stashed in my Passport to change at the Money Changer for some fuel to last a few days. (Yes Buddha was answering my Prayers today). However I shall avoid the Post Office Polisi on Tuesday as to avoid Kerobokan Prison ... I love Chappell (bless her!) ... but not that much to join her!So VISA, you can do "you know what" with your Visa card!
One didn't come to start a new life in Bali thinking it was all perfect. Bali is not "easy" to set up a new life, it takes time, it takes PATIENCE and nothing works to logic like that of the Western world. Some of us have help to settle, some of us don't, we all come for different reasons, mine .. I think, is to learn that of Patience and independence. Today was the best test of Patience and "Rolling in the Deep". I survived, with all the strength I had in me - Just!
Tonight I lay in a hot bath watching 'So You Think You Can Dance' on TV whilst watching my two beautiful girls who are so in tune with my "energetic day" …. "throwing shapes to the music and giggling galore" around our Villa reminding me how to laugh from my belly - despite today's stressors. How blessed am I?What a day for The Yeats Girls. Life can't all be a bed of roses can it? Today I laid amongst a couple of thorns - tomorrow I'm sure I'll wake in a bed of Roses.
Tomorrow we have an exciting day at our beautiful friends Resort Villa in Payangan, 30 minutes north of Ubud - where I have stayed, and re-couped (when losing my dad and my brother) the last two visits in Bali. Rick and Lita's twins Mia and Mya turn 2. Myself and the girls are excited to return to Orchid Villa and be nourished by their amazing souls!
Erica's quote for the day….. and today is significant to why we came to Bali:
"It takes courage to push yourself to places that you have never been before … to test your limits .. to break through barriers …. and the day comes when the risk …to remain tight inside your Bud is more painful than the risk it takes to BLOSSOM"
Today my Bud challenged by Blossom. I hope yours did too?
Xxx Love and Light