© PJ Croft 2016

While I was in Bali I mentioned a movie I watched, Melancholia, directed by Lars von Trier. I ditched the disc, but by good luck SBS showed it on Sunday night, very late, so I’ve got a second chance.

And it’s worth a second look. I’ll watch it again. It’s hard to forget. It’s largely the music, of course, Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner. Music to stir the soul. With a sound track like that, I’d watch Tom and Jerry on screen.

By coincidence, the female star is Kirsten Dunst who starred in Fargo, that ultra violent guns and killings series, also on SBS. It features visitations by a flying saucer! That should give you some idea of how seriously to take it (Fargo, I mean). Bloody Americans – idiots.

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On the plane back to Perth I started to watch The Second Best Marigold Hotel, the sequel to the Best Marigold …  I remember watching the first one and thinking: a vehicle for pensioned off old British movie stars in a sanitised view of India. It was OK, but not worth a second viewing.

Well, I couldn’t finish this new one on the plane but I found it better than the first, so I’ve bought the sequel (The Second Best … ). Bloody good. I like it much better than the first. It’s still the same old British actors in the same sanitised India, but somehow it works. It makes me want to jump on a plane and visit this incredibly colourful place that speaks English and drives on the left and is full of beautiful women. Hmmm.

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But I fear my travelling days are over. I was out and about today and now I’m exhausted. My feet are hurting like hell, both from diabetic nerve pain and from pronation problems. My right hip has me crying out in agony when I get up at night. Pain all over. Bugger.

While I was writing this, I got a pain in the outer side of my left foot that was so severe I was gripping the desk and groaning in agony. It lasted about ten seconds but oooowww. This is diabetic nerve pain. Random.

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Again today, I was very annoyed by the attitude of service people. I called in to my medical centre to check something, and I was the only customer at the counter. The two women just carried on their conversation, turned away, not looking at me, for a full minute before they deigned to turn and acknowledge me. Bloody hell! I can’t kick up a fuss, this is my regular place, but I was annoyed.

Phwoooaaaar. The London Underground, No Pants Subway Day, yesterday 10 January.

Will we ever see similar on the Perth rail system? Why not?

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The killer chairs:

Those are blood stains. These chairs have been responsible for two incidents of toe injuries. They are being recalled. These chairs are what’s provided at the pub/restaurant in Wanneroo that we, the NSHS old guys, go to every few months for our ‘Wally Lunch’. They are awful! Incredibly uncomfortable. Why were they substituted? I don’t know, but I’m going to refuse to use them next time I’m there.

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Saw the doctor today about my leg and it’s looking nearly OK. They dressed it again and I see her again next Friday for another check. No more antibiotic needed.

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I was in Target today and I needed help. An assistant was at one end of a long counter and I was at the other. I waved and said I needed help. She wanted me to come to her! She wanted me to wheel my trolley down this counter to her location. I shook my head and said “Can you come up here, please?” Oh…  She did, but what the hell … ?

What a difference in Bali, or Indonesia in general, or any Asian country. Speaking to my Aussie/Bali resident mate, he says when he needs work done up there, he can get willing workmen who will do a good job with no complaints. If the job is done wrongly, they’ll pull it up and do it again with no resentment.

Compare that with the surly, “Nah, don’t do that stuff, mate” attitude I’ve written about here recently. Overcharging me in the bargain. Making me feel he’s the boss and I’m a fool. Sick of it!

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Indonesian Navy training ship Batavia, Sydney 2000 Olympics © PJ Croft 2016

So many thoughts, mostly bad. Fed up.

© PJ Croft 2016

© PJ Croft 2016

Shanghai © PJ Croft 2016

Endeavour, Rottnest Island, Indian Ocean 1986 © PJ Croft 2016

Note: there are five pictures here, and four of them were on film. Which was the digital?

My point being, good scans from film, huh? I scanned thousands of frames in the period 2000 to 2012 and got pretty damn good at it. Then I gave away my Nikon LS4000ED scanner. Gave it to a friend. Must have been mad.

My book is for sale. Enquiries welcome.

Back in Perth. Gloom. Long, long day yesterday. Didn’t get home until about 12.30am and bed at 2.30am. Woken frequently by leg and foot cramps. Still tired now. Luckily I can just go back to bed. 🙂

The Garuda flight was crowded and cramped. I was placed next to a grossly fat woman and behind one of the fattest guys I’ve ever seen. He would have been 6 feet tall and I’d estimate 200Kg. Next to him was his grossly fat mother (I heard him calling her Mum). I felt the fat woman’s thighs seeping under the armrest and pressing on my leg all the time. She had a coiled serpent and dagger tattoo on her arm.

Ugh! UUUGGGHH! Ugly, UGLY Australian people on that plane. Why do people think it’s acceptable to travel in Bintang singlets too large for them so that we see all their body hair and armpits, and wearing cowboy hats?

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Perth airport arrivals seems to have been brought up to a better standard at last (aerobridge), but … ! It’s a long walk to immigration and there’s a travellator, hurrah! But it was running in the wrong direction! What a joke.

This is a metaphor for the endless stuffups at Perth Airport, that never ending construction site, trying to fix things that should never have been done in the first place. The roads are still chaotic and totally confusing in the dark. I pity any tourists who try to drive away from the airport.

As well, the luggage carousel took nearly ten minutes to start moving. They apologised and said it was because the luggage had to be insect sprayed.

Then we joined one of the longest queues I’ve ever seen. Most of it is a hidden surprise as you come around the glass screen to find two or three more rows of this queue stretching before you. Luckily a Customs (sorry, Border Force soldier) was looking at our declarations and he just waved me through the green exit and I was away.

The wonderful Barry was there to pick me up at 11.30pm, and we were off. Jeez, I was tired. On the way to my place his alternator and battery warning lights came on. Uh oh. This is a Honda Accord. Unusual for a Honda to go faulty. Luckily we got to my place OK and the car started afterwards.

I made a stuffup with the house alarm and I couldn’t remember the code for a bit, so the alarm was blaring away for about three minutes. Sorry folks.

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My next post won’t be so positive. I have even less reason to stay in this hole than I had in 2010.

Kintamani, Lake Batur 22 Dec 2015 (C) PJ Croft 2016

Last day. Damn, I don’ wanna go home.

I suddenly got a bee in my bonnet to buy a small Swiss Army style pocket knife. I had mine confiscated last trip because I forgot it was in my hand luggage.

But I tried Hardy’s and other shops along the street with no luck, not even recognition of what I was talking about. I even took a taxi to Lotte Mart, again with no luck. They don’t seem to have the range of electronics and small stuff that I remember from five years ago.

I got another taxi and asked him to take me to the Galeria, but realised I don’t have time and told him to turn around. I thought, “I know, I’ll buy one at the airport.” But no, my bags are checked by then, and I can’t take a knife on board. Too bad, another time.

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The taxi driver was from Lombok. Lots of horse transport over there, he says. Four hours on the ferry from Padang Bai. Fare, about Rp.45,000 or $4.50. Might try it one day.

I learnt from him that knife is pisau, and the Balinese way of saying baik baik, (good good) is bece bece.

He said his taxi is owned by an Australian woman who lives in Kuta (I feel sorry for her) and is a model. She goes to Seminyak most days for photo shoots. Good boss, he says. Cantik sekali!

Of course, he says Bali guys all think Aussie girls are cantik, seksi! Hot! Whereas I think the same about Bali girls (women, actually). We all want what’s over the fence.

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I’ve asked if I can stay in the room a bit later and they’ve extended me to 1pm checkout. Airport transport? No sir, taxi is cheaper. Not good.

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The Boardwalk shopping complex, Kuta. Crowded!  Expensive!

Family fishing, Sanur (C) PJ Croft 2016

Kintamani, see below

11:30am Better start packing. Damn. Don’t want to do this.

Sanur beach.

Second last day. The good news is, I seem to be feeling more energy. The redness on my legs is much reduced. I think the IV antibiotic is doing the right thing.

A week ago I was feeling I’d been here a bit too long, but now, feeling better, I’m a bit sorry to be going home tomorrow. I feel as if I’ll be home a week and planning the next trip. Which I will.

This morning I’ve been to see the guy I started to deal with in December 2010/January 2011, and his wife. I found them both to be in OK health, although there’s a bad shadow looming over John, unfortunately. He’s lost a lot of weight and he never had much to lose in the first place. But he’s still doing his deals and keeping busy, so that’ll keep him going. His wife seems to have got through her troubles.

John’s full of good advice and I listen willingly. I feel as if I need to change my life, and he has ideas on how to do it. I listen.

Already, I can feel myself planning my next trip. Hah! A week ago, I was saying I think this will be my last trip.

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Request for more photos:

Kintamani (C) PJ CRoft 2016

Kintamani (C) PJ Croft 2016

Kuta (C) PJ Croft 2016 (small effect applied)

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5.15pm: back from BIMC Hospital for last (fourth) IV antibiotic. No problems, wounds are still there but much improved. No need for another IV here but maybe needed at home. Bloody ‘ell, this’ll teach me to be more careful. What an idiot I was – if I’d only kept up with the Dermeze I could have saved myself all this trouble and expense. Another Rp.1,115,000 ($120) today. Thank goodness for credit cards. Plus the cost of the taxis back and forth, of course, $8 – $10 each way.

The drivers all say business is very bad – not many tourists. Volcano, terro…ism fears, general financial downturn in Europe and Australia. Very light traffic on Jalan Bypass today, whereas yesterday was pretty chocka.

I arrived right on 4pm and was called in within 5 mins, which was good. I waited an hour yesterday. All done and out by 4.50pm.

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More pics:

Ubud (C) PJ Croft 2016

Ghostly prahus. Sanur. (C) PJ Croft 2016

Civet cats (C) PJ Croft 2016

You’ve heard of Coffee Luwak. Well, these are the civet cats that eat the beans, then shit them out for us to consume. Nice, huh? If you look closely, there are actually two of these cats in the shot. Look for the third eye.

Kintamani, 5.25am (C) PJ Croft 2016

Those are the lights of Trunyan in the distance, on the edge of Lake Batur. I haven’t been there and I’d like to go one day. Next time.

The white SUV was double parked next to the row of motorbikes in the main street of Ubud. It was blocking traffic terribly. You can see the blue bus trying to get past, going right up onto the footpath. The SUV was there for at least three hours, locked, with the keys in the ignition. They were trying to break in using the wire down the window for an hour or so, until a new guy finally got in.

This cop was one of three, all standing around, talking on their phones and walkie talkies. This guy was gettin’ a bit irate. Once they got the car open, they started her up and drove away quick smart.

Kintamani  6.15am 22 dec 2015 (C) PJ Croft 2015, 2016

Kintamani 5.38am (C) PJ Croft 2016

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My last night here and dammit, I wish I had longer now. I’m disappointed that my friends from the crispy duck restaurant haven’t contacted me after my visit on Monday. They’ve missed out on my gifts. Oh well.

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Ah, a day off. Broken sleep last night so I’m ready for another nap.

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I’ve been contacted on Facebook by a woman wanting to be friends, who sure looks as if she’s in WA but writes terrible English. She says she lives in Butler too.

I apologised for being suspicious and asked her to name a local place in Butler. She got it right, so a little chat ensued. But she immediately told me she’s got a boyfriend and she’s “going to him on Friday”. Well, woopy do. I have trouble relating to someone who is so careless with how she writes. I’ll probably pass on this one.

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I’ve joined a Facebook group called Dogspotting, where people, dog lovers, post photos of dogs doing lovable or stupid/funny things. Unfortunately my dog pics are at home, but I’ve got a few I can post.

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Left – December 2010                           Right – January 2016

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I’m beginning to wonder about this hotel. There’s a copy of the Koran, or Qu’ran, in the wardrobe and they only serve ‘beef bacon’ in the restaurant. There’s a pointer to Mecca on the ceiling, not unusual in itself, and the room staff are all males. But they  sure serve alcohol in the bar. Mystery.

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6:15pm: Back at the hotel after visit number 3 to the BIMC. My friendly taxi didn’t arrive again, so I had to get another one which made me 25 mins late arriving (4.25pm). Then an hour’s wait! Boring, but they were busy. Quite a few young guys with bandaged legs – motorbike injuries?

The wounds look better to me, less red, and I think my legs are generally less red as well. But the doctor (a different one each time, unfortunately) says it’s still ‘a little wet’, meaning still leaking fluid, not healed yet. So I have to go back tomorrow, and possibly Thursday, the day I leave.

At least the price is slowly reducing: only Rp.1,112,000 ($111.75) today. So far this has cost me $494 ! All because I got lax and didn’t pay attention to the skin care. That’ll teach me. I suppose it could have been much worse, a full infection.

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I must compliment this hotel – they are very responsive and can’t seem to do enough for me. My wish is their command. I would definitely stay here again. That’s high praise from me.

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The little birds are settling for the evening in the hanging vines outside my balcony, chirping away. It’s very nice. It’ll stop soon, complete quiet when it gets dark.

(C) PJ Croft 2016

Another hari bagus day – sparkling, sunny and not too hot. No doubt about it, Sanur is the place to be for me.

I’ve just been to see my friends at the crispy duck restaurant. The big guy wasn’t there and they couldn’t find him, but I saw the lovely assistant and she drove me back to the hotel. Unfortunately, she says business is very slow for the past two years. Changes to ownership regs for foreigners, plus terrorist fears and the volcanoes have made a big dent in tourism, and people wanting to buy here. It means it’s less crowded for us, but it makes it hard for the Balinese economy and the locals who depend on the tourism.

Normal Karma has been resumed. (C) PJ Croft 2016

A good thing is that I spoke on the phone to the guy I bought the villa from in 2010/11 and he’s here, and still in good health. I’d lost contact with him and feared he might not be, um, still with us, but no, he sounds good. I go to see them Wednesday morning.

Nap time, then back to the BIMC for my next intravenous alcohol infusion 😉

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6:30pm:  Just back from my second visit to the BIMC. Bloody taxi driver didn’t arrive at 3.45pm as arranged. OK, I got another taxi but he saw some mates on the road near the Sheration compound and wanted to stop to talk to them! “Just 5 minutes, OK? I give you discount.” He was only away about three minutes, but I was a bit annoyed as I was already late. We arrived at 4.15pm for a 4pm appointment. It didn’t matter, I still had to wait anyway, but I like to be punctual. Still, this is Bali … relaaaax.

It was 4.45pm by the time I got in and it all went smoothly. She changed the dressings, no problems found. Then the next antibiotic injection, into a vein in my right hand this time. Interesting – they use a very fine steel needle rather than the thick plastic cannula they use at home, which always hurts. I hardly feel these needles. Must comment on that when I get home.

Boy, she wrote a book for her report, three A4 pages, and then it was all done at 5.15pm.

I made a blunder with the taxi. He asked if he could wait for me. As usual, I said OK, but I don’t know how long I’ll be. “No problem.” But I was not thinking and didn’t pay him at that point. Idiot. So when I came out, the meter had been running on wait rate and the RP.71,000 ($7) had blown out to RP.154,000 ($15.40). Damn, I should have paid him off and got a different taxi home. As it was, the total to get home in heavy traffic came to Rp.220,000 ($22). Next time … which will be tomorrow!

I haven’t even mentioned the cost of the antibiotic treatment: another Rp.1,500,000 ($151) today. Yowch. And there’s another one to come. She seemed to think that would be sufficient, and I took the chance to say, “It’s quite expensive.” She agreed, but that’s how it is.

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Oasis Lagoon Hotel lobby

I was greeted in the lobby by a woman who seemed to be the hotel liaison/customer service person. We had a good chat and I said I’m quite happy about this hotel. It’s the only one I would come back to next trip. That’s if there is a next trip. I’m finding travel hard going now. I get tired quickly and I can’t walk very fast or far. Yet I know, when I get home, I’ll be itching to come again.

I mentioned to her that the balconies are very strange: each room has one, but they are filled by a large wooden platform about 300mm high. That’s at the limit of me to step up – I haven’t tried. It doesn’t invite stepping up. The wanita said they’re meant to be for us to sit on, with a small, low table, Japanese style. All very well, but I can’t do that. Also, the railings are all made of wood and look a bit flimsy to my eye. I’m three floors up. All in all, I’m not keen to step outside.

Nonetheless, with the sliding doors open, it’s magic at dawn and dusk. There’s a large population of small birds here and they sing their dawn and dusk choruses as they nest in the hanging creepers. Add the roosters in the morning … I love it.

I mentioned to her that I really appreciate a comfortable armchair and I’m using two thicknesses of cushion on the one in the room, but I could do with a back cushion. No problem, she had one sent up, and it’s good. So, with a Guinness in hand, I’m content.

I’ll go to the same restaurant across the street that I used last night, I think. I found their food very good, better than the hotel’s. A piece of grilled chicken was moist and fleshy, not like the dry, stringy bit I got here on Saturday night. I also had satay lilit, fish satay. Mmmmm, bagus.

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At the Balinese dance. She’ll go far.  (C) PJ Croft 2016

Damn, another sleepless night. I don’t understand why some nights I sleep well, and other nights it’s terrible. I got a reasonable amount of exercise yesterday. I was tired. I guess it’s probably because of my 1pm nap. Yet I don’t want to stop the naps. Sigh.

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This is a very nice hotel. So far, this is a place I’d come back to, the only one apart from the one in Ubud. The bathroom here is very nice. The shower recess is enclosed by absolutely clear frameless plate glass about 5mm thick. It looks very classy. As long as you keep the glass clean, but when they clean every day, it’s easy.

Oasis Lagoon pool.

Here’s part of the pool. It extends to another section the same size, past that curtain of greenery on the right. I overlook the pool from my room and I can open my doors to the balcony and sit out there. It’s magic.

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If only I could go into the pool. I checked my left leg this morning (ie took the plasters off) and there are still two open and raw spots. Can’t risk infection. I’ve got a waterproof dressing but getting it to seal completely is not easy. Can’t risk going into the water. Anyway, I used iodine dressing under the top plaster. Bit messy for the pool. [See below]

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Nagasaki moon. (C) PJ Croft 2014, 2016

I’ve got the hang of using Vimeo to insert video in this blog. Now try and stop me. I think I’ll pay the US$59.95 for the Pro version which will speed the uploading. Soon.

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5.30pm: I finally had to go to the BIMC, the Bali International Medical Centre, to get help with my leg. It wasn’t an emergency, it was just that I couldn’t cope with it by myself. I needed help with cleaning and dressings. It was gettin’ too messy and I can’t reach around to the back of my leg.

I was happy enough with the examination and treatment, although it’s not over yet. It was a female Chinese looking doctor and a Balinese male nurse. She did an ultrasound and was happy with it. But she’s put me on intravenous antibiotic, plus an oral one as well. I have to go back each day this week for the next infusion of the IV antibiotic until I leave on Thursday. That’s OK, I’m not exactly pushed for time.

But the cost was a bit more than I was expecting. Today’s cost was A$220 including the cost of the medications. I don’t know what each subsequent visit is going to cost – not as much as that, I hope. I have travel insurance but I’ll bet they won’t pay out on this – pre-existing condition, I’d say. I’ll have to think about how I could swing it. It’s no small sum.

Definitely no going into the pool, I’m afraid. Still, I can shower and lounge, can’t I?

I caught a taxi there and the guy waited for me, more than 90 mins at least. He seems a good guy and speaks good English, so I’ve asked him to come on each day this week for the kembali visits. As well, I’m getting him to take me to visit my Balinese friend with the crispy duck restaurant and his lovely assistant. It’ll be a surprise, I haven’t told them I’m here. Maybe they won’t be there? We’ll see. I plan to ask about progress on his school, and maybe assist.

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I’ll pick up on Spectre, the Bond movie, tonight. I had to go to bed half way through last night. The quality of the DVD is great. This is not a ‘recorded off the cinema screen’ copy, or a Chinese counterfeit with subtitles.

It’s action packed, of course; what more can I say? It’s typical James Bond. Not bad, that’s all.

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Oasis Lagoon restaurant. That’s Jl. Danau Tamblingan at left.

Lembongan from Sanur (C) PJ Croft 2016

Her name’s Dewi, I think. Her name badge is hard to read. But she’s got a gold wedding band on her left finger. Sigh.

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Feeling a bit fragile. Tummy is upset from the antibiotic and the Byetta. Damn good sleep last night, though up three times for urgent pees.

I check out of here in half an hour and head over to Sanur, to my last hotel of the trip. I must admit I’m sick of moving hotels, but I have yet to find a place where I would be happy to stay more than a few days. I think I might have to move up-market further still next trip (if there is one).

One of the things I’m going to say to this hotel is that the floor of the dining area is filthy! It hasn’t been cleaned in the week I’ve been here and there are food marks everywhere, dirt, foot marks and so on. It’s marble tiles but full of cracks to hold dirt. A health surveyor would not be happy.

As well, the purified water in the room is supplied in glass bottles with a crown seal cap. But when you look closely, there’s a ring of dirt around the top of the glass (under the seal) and in one bottle, I could even see contamination on the inside of the glass. Naturally I put that one aside.

I suppose I haven’t got sick, so it must be OK. I wonder why noro-virus is so often found on cruise ships, but not in hotels?

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I’ve worked out how to post actual video into these blog posts, but it sure takes a long time. I posted one last night but it must have taken nearly 1½ hours to prepare and upload. Here it is again:

I have to resize the clip and choose a section that I want. That takes 15 mins or so. Then begins a slow process of uploading that resized clip to Vimeo. On a slow internet connection like this, that took about half an hour for a 30 second clip.

Then you have to wait for Vimeo to process the video. That takes about half an hour as well. You can avoid the queue by paying for the premium service, US$60 a year. I might do that.

Then when it’s processed, you have a URL that you can copy into the blog, and there it is. Tedious, but it’s good to see it work. Repeat for every video clip you want to show! Another one:

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2.30pm: well, ironically, I may just have found the hotel that’s the best of the trip. It’s the Oasis Lagoon Hotel, Jl. Tamblingan, Sanur, right next door to Hardy’s supermarket.

I know this place well and there’s a DVD shop, a Periplus bookshop, a small food area, a good grog shop in the supermarket, a chemist just nearby and ATMs just outside. Not to mention the supermarket itself, selling everything from fresh fish to DVD players and petrol power generators.

I’m on the third floor but there are lifts (two!) and I have a small balcony overlooking the pool. The aircon is too cold now that I’ve had my midday nap. The bathroom is excellent, well designed and big enough. They tell me there’s a shuttle bus to the beach, or you can attempt the 7 minute walk.

My only complaint is that again, the internet is not secure and the speed is only 0,5Mb/s, about 1/3 what I get at home. But it seems responsive.

Now for some lunch and exploration. This seems too good to be true. There’s gotta be a gotcha …

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 6.00pm: What a difference between Sanur and Kuta. I much prefer this area. I’ve sampled Kuta and found it not to my liking. Traffic choked and too hard to get around.

I’ve been to Hardy’s and stocked up on beer and munchies. Also five DVDs, including the two most hyped recent releases, Spectre (Bond 007 latest) and The Revenant (Leo di Caprio, stupid name). At $1 each, I’ll take the risks. I looked at books and magazines but kerrikey, they’re as expensive, more so, than at home. Wheels magazine, this month’s edition, $18 versus $9.95 at home. Too hot for me. I can wait a week. I brought half a dozen magazines with me (The Economist, packed with information, and Australian Aviation) and I’ve only read two so far.

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