Much to the girls delight, Komang the nanny returned for a few hours again this morning, so I could venture out and find a Mechanic to fix the broken wing mirror on my hired car! Doah! (refer to yesterdays Blog).

Yes the looks, laughter and stares from the locals when I speed down Monkey Forest Road, with my wing mirror flapping in the wind against the side of the car! Makes their day, to see the Orang Asing with a smashed wing mirror - “Welcome to Bali Ibu Erica” they giggle under their breath as oblivious Erica heads for her morning caffeine fix - wing mirror flapping to the beat of her new Bali Buddha CD.

Erica’s taking on Ubud, one wing mirror at a time.

I sat in what will be my little daily hang-out joint and worked on my Goals Journal, sipping my Coconut Latte made with Buttermilk. Yumbo! Today I met a beautiful Canadian singer (guitar on her back!) and a couple of ’noice’ male travellers - everyone sits and talks to everyone and greets one another as if you know them!? Something I’m still needing to get used too here. Everyone, even the backpackers nowadays, do not travel without a laptop! So the Café is full of 'plugged-in' backpackers, an eclectic mix of locals and expats, engrossed in their computer communications and full of two-cheek kisses! Another thing I’m trying to get used too.

Of course my new BFF turned up and alas, I was thrown on the back of his bike and we headed out to the quieter back streets of Ubud to practice my bike skills. So much to do, look left, right, behind and underneath your seat for bikes approaching! Speed up, brake, STOP, negotiate the gaggle of geese crossing the road, dodge the puppies, the chickens, toddlers and toothless elders who think they are invincible against women like me on a motorbike! Dodging pot holes I could park my bike in, dodging gravel on the sharpest of corners, tooting to let oncoming traffic know your there, bikes overtaking on the left, on the right. Watch for those in front carrying large long bamboo poles on their bikes, don’t mind the rain, here comes a bus jamming the road. Sit idle for a bit, but protect your toes at all times. Oh, be careful of the tourists who bring their 3-wheeler prams and WALK on the road against the traffic with a new-born bub! (walking against the traffic is in no way saving their A*** in the backstreets of Bali, that is for sure! The only difference "luv" is you'll get hit head on, not from behind!

The rule of thumb, is to not stop and turn, 90 degree corners are not heard of, you just blend onto the oncoming traffic, either cross just in front of them in time or let them pass then pass in behind them. The road is yours - the middle of the road is yours. It’s any ones for the taking. Get in fast, get your position, hog the middle of the road, the safest place to be. Lead the pack, the person up front owns the road and the road rules protect all at the front. Watch for trucks and tourist buses (which should be banned on the narrow Ubud streets!!). Watch the wing mirrors, watch for fellow expats pulling out without indicating from their car parks. One way streets, are not that…. It means as a bike you can go both ways!? The rules are unspoken, possibly unpublished in any way shape of form in Bali to date. Yet the roads are fluid like in their operations.

Families of 4 balance brilliantly, the ladies often side saddle, with bundles of baskets on heir heads even! Some mothers can been seen breast feeding a new born - whilst balancing corners. Entire families travel on one bike. Most of them with no helmets. Kids are ASLEEP on the steering wheel, balanced between dads or mums legs, some are still standing on the foot rest and manage to get some shut eye! Incredible. I’m positive somewhere in Bali, someone has given birth on a bike! It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest.

Note to self: Don’t run a red light, never get on your bike and take off without a 360 check of those around you. Anyone can come from anywhere at anytime. Keep your feet to yourself, or you may find a bus or truck driving over it! Take off quick, know how to STOP in a second using 70% rear brake and 30% front brake. Never be the first to enter the traffic lights after a RED light, stay tight to the car in front for any protection from someone more than likely running their red light. Remember you still own the road on your Red light.

However - amongst this organised chaos you NEVER see an accident, you never see someone hurt. Well they didn’t until Erica came to live in Bali. Watch this space. I’m sure one can wreak havoc the beautiful state of Bali’s “organised chaos” ... one wing mirror at a time.

Tomorrow I’ll venture onto the woodcarving streets of Mas, a little quieter, but still enough for me to handle flying solo. (don’t take the word Flying so literal!) I’ll have another couple of private lessons in Ubud’s busy streets during the Market chaos whilst dodging naughty monkeys stealing handbags and mobile phones from irate Japanese tourists! That will be the true test to see if Ubud fully embraces me, as the latest addition to it’s community.

We are supposed to go to Salsa lessons at another venue tonight, but the girls and I are exhausted, hence our Blog has not been posted for a few days now. Brookie is completely ready for a hot bath and bed after her two hour dance lessons! I cant wait to see the “show” her and her teacher are putting on for a local festival coming up …evidently they will be all decked out as “Cats” …. ? Can’t wait.

If you notice there is no Blog updated by tomorrow night, send an SOS out for me! (Jalan Monkey Forest Road, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia)

xx