If I hadn't already invalidated my warranty (apparently) by taking Quentin (my new laptop) out to the park to play music at Nicola's birthday bbq, I've definitely invalidated it now.
Basically, this morning Zoe and I got up at about half eight and sadly had breakfast. Then we mournfully waited for a horse-taxi, flagged one down and depressedly (is that a word?) held on tightly as it jolted us to the harbour, to get our Semaya One boat back to Bali. Now, on the way out I was in the front, with the water smacking the boat then splooshing over it. This time I was at the back. I had a roof over my head, as did we all, but the end was completely open, and although I had a top, front and two sides, the right hand side of me got gradually wetter and wetter. I moved my bag as far left as I could, but it still got a bit wet. However, Quentin still works! That's either a) his particular brand of toughness where occasionally bits of him fall off and I have to gaffa tape him back together, but he continues to function, or b) the combined waterproofness of the rucksack I won at one of my works + The Economist and other bits of paper, blocking the water from getting to him.
So I got wet, and I'm still rubbing dried salt off the right hand side of me - I'm a human salt-lick! Maybe it's doing a lot of good to half of my skin. The two people sitting right at the back, with only top and front - no back or sides - well, they might as well have swum across. They were German, I think, and took it very good naturedly. The staff apologised and the man said, "Don't worry, we'll dry." I alternated between finding it fun in a roller-coaster kind of way (a bit of a rough crossing - well, rougher than the way out) and, increasingly towards the end, burping quietly to myself and telling myself not to worry, that I didn't feel sick. Mind over matter: it just managed to last the 1hr 45 (ish) it took to get across the water.
The Semaya Fast boat people happily changed our shuttle to Kuta to a shuttle to Seminyak (apparently the 'glitzy' part of Bali). We looked in The Book (Lonely Planet), picked a hotel and went to it. That hotel was full, but they happily booked us a taxi, recommended a good place, checked it had space for us, and so now we are here, at the Seminyak Paradiso. It has all the prerequisites: Balinese (I presume) panpipey music playing to me as I sit in the cafe, ornate wooden carved bits, running water, paintings, slightly scary god/idol things. Only downside is the wifi is only available in the cafe/restaurant, not your room, and they seemed to want me to buy a cup of tea to sit here and use it. However I never mind buying tea, plus the man automatically brought me milk. Good work! Or perhaps Top Hole Old Chap, I should say, or something very English like that.
Zoe and I have been for a small explore, and found a food place I think called Lucky Bar. The guy serving us was very friendly, and when he asked us our names and I said Jacqui, he was so pleased, because he is Jackie too - he said his friends sometimes call him Jackie Chan. He suggested - and we agreed - that we should take a picture! He was a great guy. We were talking to him about how we don't want to leave, about our madcap schemes to stay and work in Bali (Zoe keeps threatening to run away when we get to the airport - I might have to give some kind of letter to her parents - 'Zoe has run away to Bali, sorry!') and he was saying that it'd be easy for us to get work in a top hotel because we spoke English, and that would be in high demand. I said I was a teacher, and he thought that could work too! Jackie emphasised that in Bali money wasn't important - as long as you had enough - and that that was the secret to happiness. A fairly obvious truth to me and I'm sure to many people, but it's good to re-hear it from time to time. I'm hoping we could come back there tomorrow maybe, just to say hi to him. The food was delicious too and (unusually for Indonesia) was exactly what we ordered. (Yesterday I ordered a chocolate mousse, and what appeared was able to support the weight of a scoop of strawberry icecream and a cherry. It was nice. Very rich. Probably ganache - definitely not a light, fluffy mousse. Zoe said: "Welcome to Indonesia." Lol.) Oh, and this place gave me TWININGS Earl Grey tea. Yes! (Excited Jax photo.)
Anyway, I'm going to go remove the rest of the salt from the right side of my body.
Basically, this morning Zoe and I got up at about half eight and sadly had breakfast. Then we mournfully waited for a horse-taxi, flagged one down and depressedly (is that a word?) held on tightly as it jolted us to the harbour, to get our Semaya One boat back to Bali. Now, on the way out I was in the front, with the water smacking the boat then splooshing over it. This time I was at the back. I had a roof over my head, as did we all, but the end was completely open, and although I had a top, front and two sides, the right hand side of me got gradually wetter and wetter. I moved my bag as far left as I could, but it still got a bit wet. However, Quentin still works! That's either a) his particular brand of toughness where occasionally bits of him fall off and I have to gaffa tape him back together, but he continues to function, or b) the combined waterproofness of the rucksack I won at one of my works + The Economist and other bits of paper, blocking the water from getting to him.
So I got wet, and I'm still rubbing dried salt off the right hand side of me - I'm a human salt-lick! Maybe it's doing a lot of good to half of my skin. The two people sitting right at the back, with only top and front - no back or sides - well, they might as well have swum across. They were German, I think, and took it very good naturedly. The staff apologised and the man said, "Don't worry, we'll dry." I alternated between finding it fun in a roller-coaster kind of way (a bit of a rough crossing - well, rougher than the way out) and, increasingly towards the end, burping quietly to myself and telling myself not to worry, that I didn't feel sick. Mind over matter: it just managed to last the 1hr 45 (ish) it took to get across the water.
The Semaya Fast boat people happily changed our shuttle to Kuta to a shuttle to Seminyak (apparently the 'glitzy' part of Bali). We looked in The Book (Lonely Planet), picked a hotel and went to it. That hotel was full, but they happily booked us a taxi, recommended a good place, checked it had space for us, and so now we are here, at the Seminyak Paradiso. It has all the prerequisites: Balinese (I presume) panpipey music playing to me as I sit in the cafe, ornate wooden carved bits, running water, paintings, slightly scary god/idol things. Only downside is the wifi is only available in the cafe/restaurant, not your room, and they seemed to want me to buy a cup of tea to sit here and use it. However I never mind buying tea, plus the man automatically brought me milk. Good work! Or perhaps Top Hole Old Chap, I should say, or something very English like that.
Zoe and I have been for a small explore, and found a food place I think called Lucky Bar. The guy serving us was very friendly, and when he asked us our names and I said Jacqui, he was so pleased, because he is Jackie too - he said his friends sometimes call him Jackie Chan. He suggested - and we agreed - that we should take a picture! He was a great guy. We were talking to him about how we don't want to leave, about our madcap schemes to stay and work in Bali (Zoe keeps threatening to run away when we get to the airport - I might have to give some kind of letter to her parents - 'Zoe has run away to Bali, sorry!') and he was saying that it'd be easy for us to get work in a top hotel because we spoke English, and that would be in high demand. I said I was a teacher, and he thought that could work too! Jackie emphasised that in Bali money wasn't important - as long as you had enough - and that that was the secret to happiness. A fairly obvious truth to me and I'm sure to many people, but it's good to re-hear it from time to time. I'm hoping we could come back there tomorrow maybe, just to say hi to him. The food was delicious too and (unusually for Indonesia) was exactly what we ordered. (Yesterday I ordered a chocolate mousse, and what appeared was able to support the weight of a scoop of strawberry icecream and a cherry. It was nice. Very rich. Probably ganache - definitely not a light, fluffy mousse. Zoe said: "Welcome to Indonesia." Lol.) Oh, and this place gave me TWININGS Earl Grey tea. Yes! (Excited Jax photo.)
Anyway, I'm going to go remove the rest of the salt from the right side of my body.