Evening clouds over WA

Home again after a reasonably pleasant flight from Bali to Perth today. Brrrrrrr, it’s cold in Perth, compared to Bali. It was 12C when we landed at 6pm and it must be about 6C now at 11pm. I’m still too wired to go to bed yet.

I had booked seat 2C, an aisle seat, but joy, oh joy, I found that no-one filled the two seats beside me, so as soon as the seatbelt sign went off, I slid over and had the row to myself. No-one grabbed the other seats, so I was able to have the middle tray down for my nasi padang lunch. Lovely. I had to endure the seat in front of me fully reclining in my face, and noisy kids behind me, but it was a reasonably comfortable flight. We took off 30 mins late, but landed on time. I was surprised to hear the captain announcing the landing – it was a woman pilot. Captain, no less. Bagus!

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My flight was at 2pm and I was through immigrasi and into the lounges by 1215pm. I thought to have a coffee and biscuit while I waited, but the prices at Denpasar Airport are just ferocious! A coffee ranges from $4.90 to $6, and a hamburger is $18.90. These are even higher than Perth. I was so astounded that I walked away. I’m not paying that.

OK, so I had an ice cream. I was even more astounded: $6.80 for a single small cone. I only pay $4.50 at my local shops for a much bigger serve. Moral: take a cut lunch.

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I stayed my last three nights at my favourite hotel, the Taksu Sanur. What a pleasure this hotel is. I didn’t have a prior booking, but they had a room and it looked out over beautiful greenery on the ground floor to the kids’ pool. The staff all remembered me, as this would be the fifth or sixth time I’ve stayed there and I recognised a lot of them, too. It really makes me feel good when they greet me by name and remember my previous stays. I tell them I’ll be back, and I mean it. I don’ wanna stay anywhere else. The rooms are huge and immaculate and I don’t have a single complaint.

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We also had dinner two nights running at the Stiff Chili restaurant on Semawang Beach. The breeze off the ocean is so strong that they have to put screens up. Once again, they remembered us from previous visits and we had a good old chat with Wayan, the Balinese waiter who speaks excellent Italian. How? He just picked it up from customers. V speaks quite passable Italian too, and she says he’s good.

In fact Veronika is pretty clever herself. She speaks High German, Austrian German, excellent English of course, Spanish, passable French and Italian. As well as some basic Latin from school in Vienna. Not bad, eh? I’m impressed!

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Now for some pics shot from my window seat this afternoon. The air was very hazy, but with enhancement …

1 Near Wickham

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12  Rays of light.

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So endeth four weeks in Bali. I must admit, I’m a bit Bali’d out at the moment. A bit tired of the horrendous traffic, the suicidal driving, the haggling and so on. I’ll be back, though. Not sure when. I talked of doing a trip to England this year, but I’m not sure I’m up to it. Fatigue is becoming a serious problem and I can’t walk far without conking out. I did walk from the Taksu to the beach restaurant two afternoons in succession, though my leg muscles are complaining. Must keep at it, I guess.