19-NOV - Tue - The twins bid Bali farewell

And here we are, the end of our adventure. The last day, the last hours in Ubud. Tomorrow morning, 5.30am wake-up call, for 9am lift-off to Perth. These two travelling lads have a suitcase full of memories, laughter, joy, excitement, thrill, hair-raising encounters, smiles, feel-good moments and a bag full of frustration, anger, despair, hair-pulling occasions and much more, from spending nearly three months in Bali. The call from home has arrived and it’s time to pack our bags! We have been laughing and joking most days; we have been observing, watching, seeing and absorbing extraordinary scenery; we have walked, scooted and driven where we never thought we would; we have dined and wined in most memorable places and tasted the most delicious dishes. Our last two weeks up here in Ubud have been filled with scenery: Ubud is views! One can come up here for the yoga sessions and the aroma therapies, but if you do not wish to become part of your inner self, or you already found it, the views are it! The temples in central Ubud are splendid, being the home town of the Balinese Royal Family, and there are plenty to see (temples that is). The cultural program with all its traditional dances is constant and omnipresent, one only has to step foot outside the hotel complex to be offered every possible dance from the infinite Balinese dance kaleidoscope! We chose to see two of them and were richly rewarded with the most exquisite performances. There are no taxi drivers honking each tourist walking down the street, but instead a cacophony of micro-conversations, presented to each passing tourist: “Taxi? Taxi? Cheap for you boss!”; “Taxi boss?”; “Maybe tomorrow?”; “Morning discount boss!”; “Transport boss?”; on and on, every 10 metres. In contrast to Kuta and Legian, here a polite “No” is acknowledged with a smile or a polite “Thank you, maybe tomorrow boss”, but it does get onto your nerves, after 14 days of it… On the other hand, being asked if we were twins from every third taxi driver and from nearly every hotel staff member on this island and in this hotel in particular (of which there seems to be hundreds of), was different. Guess our identical hair styles, our near-to identical sun-glasses, our slender but toned bodies, our model looks and being of the same age could indeed fool anyone. So from our first logical and honest reaction of “No” three months ago, we re-considered after realising what would they think, knowing we are sharing 1 room and 1 bed!? So we thought maybe to say brothers? But again, that would have been questioned, as we do not share the same surname; so we had to settle for cousins. From then onwards, when-ever asked, we politely smiled to the Balinese, indicating we were in fact cousins, sharing a great holiday, sharing one room, one bed and many romantic dinners, gazing into each other’s eyes! How very wrong in most countries, not so in others! But up here in Ubud, we thought what-the-heck: “Yes, twins we are”! Seems to be a great thing, to see twins up here, as the reactions are one of ecstatic happiness… are they going to offer us to their goods on one of their special bi-annual celebrations? We will never know, as this set of twins is flying home tomorrow morning! Thank you Bali and all your people, for giving us the experience of a lifetime! The End (of this trip) - Keep following our not so regular blog: "FromPerth2TheWorld"

18-NOV - Mon - It is done! We flew under the radar…

We left Ubud for a quick dip down to the ocean to check on our bungalow and are happy to report it is nearly complete. One or two little tweaks and putting up the pictures, which will be done when we come back in December, when we are due for the final check and official inauguration. We are ecstatic, it looks stunning; we can’t wait to start dedicating our efforts in promoting it and getting clients to enjoy our little paradise in Bali. The trip itself down to Seminyak… well, that is another story all together, and here it goes! Driving a car in another country, especially a developing country, with laws and rules that can be bent at will, depending how much moola one offers, is always going to be a “different” driving experience… These two travelling lads had various tasks at hand: transporting a 20kg stone carved Garuda (sacred flying eagle) from the mountains to the bungalow; visiting the web designer to finalise a few things; stop at the bungalow to check on its progress and deliver the Garuda onto the balcony; visit Air Asia to increase our luggage weight to 40kg each, as one can’t stop at the purchase of a single stone carving, one must have some for Australia too. Option 1: Rent a scooter and try to do it all on the tiny motorbike. We decided against it due to the distance, Seminyak is 1 ½ hr drive away which on a scooter is a bit too much; also there was the minor detail of transporting the 20kg stone carving on it. Option 2: Rent a taxi or driver for the day. We thought about it but decided to keep it as our back-up plan. The cost of having someone for the whole day proved a bit too steep, also having someone waiting for us all day would have put too much pressure on our thinking process and would have stressed our gentle nerves. Option 3: Hire a car and drive ourselves. Cheaper, more flexibility, more adventure! Option 3 it had to be! When scooting around Bali, we quickly learnt that one should try to avoid being stopped by the local law enforcers, as they will always find a way to fine you, especially if foreigner. Managing the heavy traffic on a scooter is much easier, as one can zigzag through the cars and onto footpaths. So we were prepared, driving a car here was going to be even more challenging! So we made a plan: The Swiss lad would be the co-pilot, reading the GPS and giving clear directions, looking out for any traffic on the left flank of the space shuttle and any law enforcement officers. The Italo-Aussie lad would be at the commands of the vehicle, keeping a look-out for all traffic front and back. Once this was decided, we set out the “Rules of Engagement”: keep calm at all times; happily compliment anyone cutting in front of us at the last minute; nodding approvingly at other road users merging into our lane suddenly and without using indicators; drive slowly; and most of all, fly under the radar! We were ready: we boarded; we locked ourselves into the car; and we drove off in our microscopic, boxy, 1-litre engine, electric blue, Suzuki Karimun. The tiny and windy roads of Ubud, down to Seminyak, via beautiful villages and stunning rice paddies, take on a complete new spectrum, when driving in stealth mode! Once we reached the outskirts of Denpasar, our side windows went up and sun glasses on, to reduce the “identificationability” of this vehicle’s drivers from the outside, and we went into “stealth mode max”! Following large trucks or vans, to hide behind them; making sure not to be the first at traffic lights, by slowing down and let ourselves be overtaken by swarms of scooters, hiding within them; staying in the centre lane, to make a possible stopping by the “enemy” even more difficult, as they would have to cross a whole lane to single us out. We had a couple of alert calls and warnings going off, with enemy in close proximity, but our great expertise in driving undetected, made the trip a success! A nerve-wrecking success! Driving a car here, is definitely not a priority.

16-NOV - Sat - The countdown has begun…

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, lift-off... Seems so strange, the thought we will be leaving for home, at the same time it will be great to be back home, no more living out of suitcases, having to brush our teeth with bottled water, spraying ourselves with insect repellent, checking what food we eat. For as much as we love this adventure, we do love our creature comforts of back home :)

13-NOV & 14-NOV - Wed & Thu - It is time!

All holidays reach that stage where you suddenly long for your own bed, you suddenly want your home comforts, your familiar belongings and these two lads have reached it. This feeling appears out of no-where, but you just know: It’s time! It’s time to get ready to go home, you’re filled to capacity with all the sights, the smells, the experiences and it’s time. We don’t feel sad about it; on the contrary, after this most fantastic adventure we need to get back home. We are excited about seeing family and friends, sharing all the details and pictures taken; we are excited about things we need to do before Christmas; we are excited about finding ourselves a job! For once the feeling of the holidays finishing is a great one, as our old jobs are not waiting for us and we are free to pursue our own path. This experience in Bali may be coming to an end, but golly gosh, the real adventure of a life time, where these two travelling lads and loving partners are commencing a brand new life together, is only just getting kick-started! We always said it was time to find a better equilibrium between work and life, and that is exactly our objective. These last days we have been working on our CV, and spreading the word of our availability. It is exciting looking for new jobs, wondering at what we’ll end up doing, and knowing we are (or should be) wise, skilled and hard-working generation X employees. Watch out Perth, these two fully recharged 39-year old men are coming to town and know what they want!

12-NOV - Tue - Our 18th monthiversary – Fatal attraction

As we woke up on our 18th monthiversary, it was flirting over a cup of coffee, making love against a wall, on the table, any surface possible. How could this only be a casual encounter when obviously the attraction for each other was so intense and special? A relationship between two individuals making such a powerful connection is the logical conclusion, but what if it was just meant to be a casual fling? Should one go nuts at the prospect of having to live life apart, knife in hand? This the summary of "Fatal Attraction", what a movie to watch on our morning, whilst being lazy in bed!? No wonder these two 1974 lads were never allowed to watch it when it originally came out! Funnily enough neither of us ever saw it, so perfect opportunity to catch up on it! Our monthiversary was set to be a fun filled day, deciding to rent a scooter for the day and go exploring, enjoying the cool breeze, smells and views, as they envelope us, rather than being cocooned in the comfort of a car. As usual we took a wrong turn somewhere and got rewarded with spectacular views over rice paddies, with the tropical forest as background. We finally found our way to the Alila Ubud, the spectacular hotel set at the edge of the valley, in the midst of the forest, a place of absolute peace and tranquillity where we stayed on our first trip to Ubud, on our Christmas 2012 trip. We just had to come back for an afternoon coffee and chat with the wonderful staff, still remembering these two guys. How could one not remember us!? We slowly made our way back and finished the evening having dinner like a three-layer cake, starting at the top. Warung Schnitzel (don’t laugh, it exists) is a three story building, we started by having a glass of wine and some snacks on the top level, till a large group of Americans (damn you “Eat, Pray, Love”) left us no choice but to descend one level, looking for a quieter table. We enjoyed another glass of wine over our most delicious dinner. The rain once again set in and the only obvious choice was to descend once again, into the comfy lounge at the ground floor, with great view over the street. We enjoyed the rain droplets with a third glass of wine and baked chocolate mousse, drizzled with coconut milk and fresh, local, organic strawberries!

11-NOV - Mon - Rain drops falling from the sky…

We were sitting at our preferred Italian restaurant “Il Giardino”, the place empty as the day tourists from Kuta had already left, comfortably seated under the thatched roofed garden, enjoying the peace and quiet, feeling so relaxed, we were watching the rain drops falling into the lily pond, circles being drawn on the smooth watery surface with each drop, the big colourful koi swimming gracefully just beneath the surface, what better way to spend an evening, as the waiter lights a candle, pours a beautiful glass of Italian red wine and one looks into the eyes of his partner? As we are enjoying our plate of pasta the rain starts pounding, we are still the only guests in the place, the waiters chatting to each other at the far end of the restaurant. Is there anything more cozy than being under cover, warm enough whilst dressed in shorts and singlet, as the rain splashes down all around you? Memories of summer nights in Europe as a child! The rain came to an end perfectly timed as we decided to make our way back to our little four walls, skipping from puddle to puddle. Just as we thought our beautiful evening was over, we turned the corner into the main street to witness the most magnificent procession we have ever seen in Bali. The footpath was lined with boys all dressed in white, ceremonial white head scarf and ceremonial white sarong, the night filled with the sound of the big bronze gongs, flutes and tambourines all playing together. Further down the street more Balinese in white, holding the most stunning ceremonial umbrellas in deep red, white and gold, with all the tassels and bells. The music intensified as out of the Royal Palace, further down the street, came a wave of people, again mostly in white, and with them flag after flag carried by more young men, as they were flanking some of the elders (we assume some royal family members, as the Balinese in the crowd around us nodded respectfully as they passed) all dressed in the most magnificent lace. As this already stunning procession made its way down the street, out of the temple came a new procession, even more glorious, with breathtaking religious ornaments carried on shoulders. The two streams of people joining together gracefully to make one, the air filled with thick incense, burning out of big bronze containers carried on the head of stunningly dressed women. We admired the people, the costumes, the dresses, the gold and jewels encrusted representations of all the Balinese gods, good and evil, some so important to have their own umbrella accompanying them to shelter them. We saw a magnificent Garuda, with peacock feathers for its tail, the evil spirit Rangda, and of course our most preferred and most spectacular Barong, god of good. It was a procession like no other, a most amazing Balinese event, it took us completely unprepared and the moment made even the more special as we had no cameras to immortalise it, only our memory to safe-keep this experience, making sure to absorbe every umbrella, every flag, every religious artefact, every smile, every sound!

10-NOV - Sun - Discovering the surroundings of Ubud

Magnificent Barong dance first thing in the morning, by a local dance group with international stardom, at a village stage, flanked by a most magnificent village temple. The Barong being the mystical lion/tiger in Balinese culture, looking and moving like the Chinese dragons one sees at Chinese New Year, but less dragon-like, with a more friendly face, looking magnificent as he moves gracefully on stage, dancing to music. The dance being good versus evil, performed with little narration, to the sounds of musicians playing the traditional musical instruments. Great start to the morning! Next, stop at a spectacular lookout over lush green rice terraces, undulating along the valley flanks and cascading down its steep slopes. One marvels at the hard work of tending these small rice paddies, the only way to reach them is hiking up and down the steep hills! What looks most astonishingly beautiful to us must be back-breaking hard labour to the local rice farmers! Following this marvellous sight, a unique opportunity to be part of a Hindu ritual of cleansing your soul, at the natural springs of the Tampak Siring temple. Wearing our sarong, in sign of respect, we followed the locals by entering the chilly pool of spring water and joined the queue in front of the various spring outlets. It is belief that a God stroke his rod into the earth and that release this fresh water. It is custom to wash your face three times, and let the water splash your head, finishing off the cleansing ritual by drinking the fresh water. We respectfully washed our face and got splashed, but avoided drinking the “fresh water” as our Western stomachs might not welcome it with open arms, holy as it may be. A very special experience, to see the huge crowds in the water, with flowers and other offerings at the ready, children, young and old alike. We dried up and it was time for a coffee break! Our guide/driver Ketut took us to a small organic coffee grower, where we got shown the various types of coffee plants, its roasting process and finally the tasting! What amazing coffee they make: mocha, cappuccino, coconut infused coffee, ginger coffee and many more! Delicious! The day ended with a visit to the Rocky Temple, carved into the hard rock in the 11th century and finally the Elephant Cave, a great disappointment, not even worth mentioning in these lines. We retired in our bungalow satisfied with our day of discovery of the surroundings of Ubud.

09-NOV - Sat - "Let's get physical..."

After having a day of absolute bliss, we thought we needed to counter that with some physical activity. We took on the challenge by Lonely Planet and took the “ridge walk”. We put on our running shoes, shorts, singlets, caps, sun lotion, drank a glass of water and set off from Ubud’s Royal Palace towards the river. We crossed the tiny bridge and passed the most magnificent river temple, currently under restoration, with a brand new tower shining in the sunlight, black thatched roof, red and gold everywhere. We climbed up and up and up, till we reached the top of the ridge between the two rivers, with grass falling sharply away to our left and our right, the ridge just wide enough for a little paved path. The view spectacular! Palm trees everywhere on the slope, across the valley, old and modern villas on the opposite side. As we walked in the heat, drenched in our sweat, we could only admire the beauty and tranquillity surrounding us, nothing but the noise of water falls, birds and the wind through the foliage. We passed a little village, stopped for a drink and pressed on, only to come to an elevated platform of rice paddies, one after the other, cascading down the slopes of the valley ridge we were on. The cameras were going crazy, clicking away at every step. Invariably it is the law of hiking, when doing a closed loop: if you’re climbing up, you will be rewarded with a descent, but if you’re enjoying a steep descent, you’ll be paying with a worse climb up! And so we enjoyed the descents and cursed the climbs! What a walk! 3 hrs later we were back at Ubud’s Royal Palace, in the centre of town, looking like two backpackers that just walked the Himalayas in their shorts and tracking shoes, sweat pouring out of every inch in our skin. We kicked off all we had and jumped straight into our pool and made sure to order complimentary afternoon tea, to be delivered at the water’s edge! Ah, luxury! But we wanted more! Re-energized and refreshed, we made our way to dinner and straight to the front row seats of a Kecak and Fire Dance! What a spectacle! The choir of men singing and humming in rhythm, the most intricate costumes and dance movements, the fights, the love story to be finished off with a real fire dance, where the dancer goes into a trance and kicks and walks on the ambers of coconut shells! (Mind the burning shells as they come flying towards you, maybe an elevated back row seat is more suitable for the faint hearted)

08-NOV - Fri - Paradise found!

Pure bliss! Ubud is Paradise, Nirvana, Heaven all in one! Just the tranquillity versus all other previous destinations is enough to take these two travelling lads into a state of extatic calm. Add a private balcony overlooking our private tropical garden, with crystal clear private salt water pool and a super comfortable king size bed, hidden behind a white mosquito net, and one does have to ask himself why get up in the morning? Why get up when we can order breakfast delivered to our balcony at a time of our chosing? We have slept like little babies freshly delivered to this tranquil tropical paradise! When we finally managed to get out of bed at 3 in the afternoon, the only activity we could think of is to seek a massage! Following that we dined how only these two lads dine, to the amazement of waiters: order a bottle of wine of your chosing; and one starter; share this one dish whilst chatting away; when finished, the next person orders a starter; share this one dish whilst chatting away over more vino; when finished order again; and so on, till one does not feel hungry anymore and you enjoyed a whole selection of tastes, during a most magnificent evening in company of your lover! Bliss!

06-NOV & 07-NOV - Wed & Thu - 24hrs in Singapore

Wow! What a difference a quick trip away does! We were really at breaking point in Bali, exhausted from running around and arranging the purchase of furniture, decorations and all the rest for our bungalow. What usually takes a 30-minute round trip to the local store, in Bali can take all day, as one travels from shop to shop, only to get a little fragment of information at a time, with regards to finding the right store. We arrived in Singapore with a slight delay, checked in at our hotel and went straight out, for drinks at the New Asia Bar on level 71 of Swissotel Stamford with the most spectacular view! We just had to celebrate our being in Singapore with a glass of Moet-Chandon. The Italo-Aussie lad had the whole 24hrs in Singapore planned, so after our celebratory drinks we took a quick walk to the Raffles Hotel to admire its 1920s splendour and straight onto a rickshaw to go and see the Merlion. We felt sorry for the old Singaporean having to push us two around, but also felt good that we’re only 68kg, making it somewhat easier for the old man and keeping him fit, right!? Following the viewing of the water feline statue, we proceeded to a bit of window shopping on Orchard Road, what an endless supply of luxury items on this extravagant, abundant and never ending shopping mecca! Our feet were tired, our eyes sore and our brains overloaded: It was time for a bite to eat! What other place but Clark Quay to fill our stomachs? And what better way to finish off the evening, than with a visit to the Marina Bay Sands? Off to bed and straight to the airport the next morning, for our return to crazy in its own way: Bali!!! We had a fantastic time in Singapore, a well-deserved break from honking taxis, chaotic traffic, unruly scooters and dusty air! Thank you Singapore! Back to Bali but this time up into the peaceful jungle and tranquillity of Ubud!

05-NOV - Tue - End of chapter 3 – Our Balinese seaside adventure – The highlights

Our seaside stay in the areas of Seminyak, Legian and Kerobokan has come to an end. What are our highlights? Where to begin and where to stop? In summary we can say Bali is an amazing experience, where the real Bali can still be encounter, despite it disappearing quickly. We have seen rice paddies just by taking a different turn, meters from the main road, and we have seen rice paddies that were dried up and being filled in, ready for the next resort, shop or other construction. This trip is the memory of a lifetime! Because of our hiring of a scooter and just going places and stopping where-ever we felt like stopping; because of our trying to keep up with the locals, zooming through traffic, learning the local crazy road rules; because of having the guts to just venture into areas off the beaten track and being rewarded with breathtaking sights of family compounds, temples or finding eateries we never expected; because of our stopping at the local market and just venturing into the stalls, well aware that few would speak English but still walking off with a bag full of food and a smile on everyone’s faces; because of the unexpected and very pleasant visit by la mamma, allowing us to share with her all that we discovered; because of the crazy diversion to Lombok and the contrast we experienced; especially because we had the courage to take the bull by the horns and took on the opportunity to invest in a new business venture, with the added experience of doing business in a developing country; and finally because we have spent 24/7 together, not killed each other and now know each other like the back of our palms, laughing at the multiple times we come up with the exact same thought at the exact same time. Apart from this, culturally our highlights have been visiting the cliff temples of Tanah Lot and Ulu Watu, regrettably flooded by tourists but never-the-less breathtakingly beautiful and well worth a visit. Also, seeing the most miniscule to the most intricate and fabulous family temples, as one zooms the side alley ways, never stops to make us marvel. They are intricate and beautiful stone temples, cut out of black volcanic rock, some with the most ornate thatched rooves topped by little golden crowns, decorated with the most pretty yellow, white and chequered black and white umbrellas, and full of offerings with incense burning, just magical! We were also lucky enough of being here for Galungan and Kuningan, two very important days on the religious calendar of the Balinese, when all Gods descend on Earth. The streets decorated with the most amazing bamboo poles, curving onto the centre of the streets, with the most intricate ornaments and flags hanging from it. Sudden processions of Balinese all dressed in white, carrying offerings and assembling in front of the village or suburban temple, blocking off entire streets, sitting on the pavement whilst the priests are inside, music and chanting to be heard. An amazing spectacle for us, an obvious important occasion for the Balinese. Culinary highlights have most definitely been visits to local warungs with their traditional Balinese dishes, Warung Cobek and Nook, both with views over rice paddies being the top of the list. For a vegetarian experience and nice trip away from the hustle and bustle, a visit to Green Ginger in Canggu is well worth the trip or Thai Corner for a cheap meal. If one seeks more refined dining, Gado Gado overlooking the ocean and the beach of Seminyak is still a great destination, together with Ginger Moon on Jalan Laksmana or the Moroccan inspired Khaima next door. Of course there are many more to explore, and keep exploring we will. For a day in the sun, one cannot pass the experience at a beach club or day bed on the black sand. Seminyak beach being the best, as it is less crowded than its Legian and Kuta counterparts. Cocoon Beach Club, Potatoe Head Beach Club and Mozaic with their minimum spends have become too expensive for a daily re-occurrence. Ku De Ta and W Hotel reign supreme for a day in luxury under the sun. When it comes to shopping, Bali is full of little boutiques that wait to be discovered, with locally made, quality fashion and one will never grow tired of strolling the streets. The best areas would have to be Jalan Raya Seminyak/Jalan Legian, Jalan Laksmana and to some extent Jalan Petitenget. Of course a visit to Discovery Shopping Mall and Beachwalk, both in Kuta (yes, you heard right!!!) are a welcomed distraction and perfect destination to avoid the midday sun. Bali is and remains a destination for every taste, from the budget destination to the pure bliss of five-star pampering, one can find it all! It is completely up to you what you want to make out of your Balinese experience!

04-NOV - Mon - The extension

When we originally planned our 2-month trip to Bali, it was going to be relaxation, absorbing local culture, and just getting a good break from many years of intense managerial work. As days transformed into weeks, and weeks into a relaxed routine where we are not sure what day of the week it is and Perth drifted far away over the horizon, we realised there is nothing stopping us from staying a little bit longer… so here we are, last 48hrs in Seminyak/Kerobokan, as we booked a quick trip to Singapore, with one overnight stay and the best flight back onto this amazing island, for a new visa and another 14 days, but this time up in the mountains, in Ubud. In hindsight it was the best move we could do, as it turns out we are now business owners and need the extra time here to finalise everything. Indeed it has also been a very wise move booking the mountains, as after 2 months down here by the ocean, beaches, clubs, shops and chaos, we need to detox and relax in a calmer setting and Ubud is going to be exactly that. We are looking forward to the village atmosphere, the little cafés, the quirky shops, the yoga people, and the “alternative” feel. We’ll try and fit into the groove… There will also be a lot of exploring, we are looking forward to travelling the windy roads, overlooking lush forests, green rice paddies, temples and what-ever else there is to discover! Here is to holidays that never end! Here is to adventures that need to be extended! It is rare in our hard working lives to have the opportunity of exploring another country for this amount of time, so if you can, maximise it! These two travelling lads are filling their memory book for the future, we are achieving what we set out at the start (see our first blog): “[…] It all started with us wanting to spend more time together, have adventures together, create strong and unique experiences and memories together […]” and we are doing exactly that! We are building a foundation of shared adventures, experiences, disasters, frustrations! We are sharing our life and having a ball!

03-NOV - Sun - The party

And so it arrived, the day of the black-tie party! First of all one has to physic himself up to wearing a suit with jacket and bow tie in a tropical climate. The only thinkable option is to get oneself ready by taking a cold shower with the intention of trying to bring one’s core body temperature down, set the air-conditioner on “arctic” and add one item of clothing at a time, with intervals. Easier said than done… The Swiss lad still ended up having sweat trickling down his back; glasses slowly meandering southwards on the nose’s slippery, sweaty surface; sweat beads forming on the upper lip; such a fantastic sensation to be having a private, intimate internal shower whilst fully clothed and in pleasant conversation with the other party guests! We arrived fashionably late, to make our grand entrance at the Carrington’s mansion, rainbow flags illuminated by spot lights, courtiers opening limousine doors (and our little taxi’s), music playing as we walked the red carpet to the main foyer and there he was, Mr Birthday Boy himself! We were given a glass of champagne and whisked ourselves up to congratulate him, cheering him and have our picture taken for what is going to be front page news in all of Bali! The night was a hoot! We mingled with the other party guests, were constantly introduced as “the boys just bought bungalow 109” or “I’m your new neighbour” and similar, quite funny, quite glamorous! For once we soaked in all the attention! We even got a mention by Mr Birthday Boy, during his speech… We are climbing the expat ladder fast! We settled in a corner with perfect 180 degree view over the party, with another couple of similarly aged guys and themselves owners of a property up here, to have a great old time, talking about our past experiences in setting up this venture. Moreover Bali being Bali, gays being gays, it was inevitable at a VIP party like this, not to bump into some old friends from the motherland, it is a small world after all! Should have known we would bump into Bali Bob, turns out he’s an old friend of Mr Birthday Boy and a regular guest at the hotel complex! We drank, we laughed, we danced, we gossiped, we bitched, we complained, we sang. We enjoyed performances by male gogo-dancers, and a most amazing and stunning male belly dancer! We had a special one-off performance by Whitney Houston - she’s back! - making her grand entrance to the stage, followed by a less grand performance by Dame Shirley Bassey and the night declined from there, with more and more random and obscure music. At some time in the early hours of the new morning, we bid our farewells and descended into a vodka and Bintang soaked sleep!

02-NOV - Sat - Doing business in Bali…

… requires a lot of patience and a different mind-set, from what these two veterans from the customer service industry are used to. Our bungalow is now fully furnished, art work purchased and all nick-knacks too. But the road to it has been a testing one and adding another chapter to our “book of memories”. When visiting department stores (hardware and others) there is no lack of staff, actually there is an abundance of staff. Here you find aisles of similar products and employees attending each aisle, but they only service a particular brand and despite them standing in front of the product you need, if it is not their brand, you are out of luck, as a smile is all the answers you will get. Finding someone that has the answers can be a challenge, we found it is better to take a crash-course in product identification codes and find your own. Leaving phone numbers for the manufacturers to call you back is always a fun experience too, with delivery deadlines somewhat flexible. On one occasion we were advised Wednesday that delivery would be that Friday, confirmed! On Thursday we received a phone call advising us regrettably delivery would be Monday, which was absolutely fine with us. It was agreed we would arrive Monday to collect and pay for the goods. Surprisingly we received a phone call on Friday morning, advising us it was all ready for collection! Ok… guess deadlines are flexible! We had a similar experience with the furniture manufacturer, who was making it all based on a picture we took of a bed we saw somewhere else, therefore having us a bit on edge as to whether it would actually look as we would like it to look. Hence we made sure to “remind” the manufacturer to call us when we could come and see a piece or two, to make sure it is progressing in the expected direction. When we hadn’t heard for a couple of days, we made sure to “pop-in” on Tuesday, seeing if the product would be as expected and ready by Friday? Well, we were advised production had not yet started, making us only more nervous! We left it till Thursday morning, sending an email to ask if it would be ok to come past and see the furniture. We did not get an answer till late that evening, having close to no finger nails left, advising us to come past Friday to view the pieces. Hurray! We arranged a few other shop visits that Friday morning, and finally made our way to the factory Friday afternoon. On our arrival, eager to see our furniture, we were told: “Oh, delivered to hotel 2 hours ago!”… WHAAATTT!? The Swiss lad nearly lost it, being a control freak and wanting to be at the hotel to receive and supervise the transport into the upstairs, FRESHLY PAINTED, bungalow… We zoomed back to find our furniture all carefully delivered, not a scratch in sight! Ordering curtains, inclusive of installation, via translation by the food stall seller positioned in front of the shop, was a fun experience too. We managed to arrange a visit at the bungalow to take all the measurements, and indeed, it all happened as planned. A couple of days later, the food stall seller called us, advising it was all ready for installation. We waited at said time and indeed, the curtain man and the food stall seller arrived. Cutting a long story short, a cringing Swiss lad having to stand back as the holes were being drilled to what looked like drilling for gold, and screw’s tightening technique being somewhat unusual, the curtains are up and look fantastic! The lesson learnt is things may not happen the way we are used to, they might not arrive when we expect them, they may not be installed the way we would, but the end result is right! There are many roads to Rome, who are we to dictate it has to be one over another?