"To be Wi-Fied, or not to be Wi-Fied" - that is the question!

"To be, or not to be", might have been the question in the past, "to be Wi-Fied, or not to be Wi-Fied" is definitely the question of today! This blog would not be possible if it were not for free to air internet connection. Paying for it!? Are you mad!? We are budget travellers and could most certainly not afford to visit an internet cafe'... "Internet cafe"... Probably as much a dinosaur as smoking on commercial airlines, except if you live in Perth, were the term "free Wi-Fi" does not seem to have reached its shores yet, but that is another story? Frustration? Regrettably earlier this week, on our way to the beach, we saw a leaning telecom pole at the corner of our street, and on our return to our headquarters discovered the disaster: bye bye internet! Not to worry, on all our previous trips to Bali we were astonished at the ease of finding free Wi-Fi everywhere, from the swanky and fancy hotel, to the most decrepit cafe', even to our beach bar/cafe' on the sand! Wonderful for the budget traveller! Hence we adapted in the last couple of days, as we are waiting for the connection to be re-established on "Bali time", and have visited beach clubs or our most favourite cafe' on Jalan Double-Six, sipping a cup of most delicious Bali coffee, whilst using their free internet. Yesterday the routine was going to be the same, i.e. a cup of cofee, catching up on news and goss from home, updating our blog and off to the beach. But: Shock! Horror! Someone else was sitting at OUR spot!! Impossible!? Should we ask them to leave!? No, surely we will find another suitable location. Alas we defected on our friends. Off we went, hunting for another cafe' with the right combination of atmosphere, good coffee and of course the hottely desired free Wi-Fi! We found one, sat down to order two drinks and asked the usual question: "Could we have your Wi-Fi password?" It was a disaster! The internet connection slower than the drying up from the Biblical flood! The coffee was awful too! Yes, we paid the ultimate price! We ran back to the "old faithful", founding our spot waiting for us to be claimed, and so we did! Peace at last! This made us aware of how much these fantastic modern technologies have also become a dreaded nuisance! Really? Running around town so we can hook onto the internet?! Whilst in tropical paradise? We think as long as the right balance is struck between gluing ourselves on a three to ten inch monitor and real life, it is ok. For these two lads a bit of internet browsing, whilst next to eachother, is also allowing us to have our OWN time for a bit, before we giggle and chat again, whilst gazing into eachother's eyes! Having said that, we always have great fun observing and commenting on all these couples, friends and families, at a dinner table, or on a daybed perfectly located to be looking out onto the ocean: Do they talk? Do they admire the view? Oh no! All glued onto their screens! Madness! We had a row of daybeds in front of us, at this most wonderful beach club The Mozaic, and every single couple was on a device! So, once you finish reading this sentence, find your loved one, take their hand, look them in the eye, and talk!