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.