I’m back after a break, and also back in Bali. This is the start of week two of four. Would you believe I stuffed up again, booking 31 days when I thought I was booking 30. It means I have to change my return flight, so it’s lucky I booked a Premium Flex ticket as I usually do these days. It means fast check in, extra luggage allowance, seat choice and a meal on the plane. The meal isn’t much, but it’s better than nothing.

They’ve increased the penalty for overstaying a 30 day visa from Rp300,000 (~$30) to Rp1,000,000 (~$100) per day! I got caught for this a couple of years ago, not realising that the first and last days are counted, even though you arrive at 10.30pm on the first day. Yes, I copped the fine of $30. I think this is crazy, counter-productive, because it means I and others are extra cautious and book fewer days than we might have ordinarily, thus depriving the hotels of business. Why does the fine have to be so severe for a mistake of a day or two? Why can’t it be a sliding scale? Anyway, I’ll go home a couple of days early, at least.

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I’m staying in our two storey “apartment” rooms, and the stairs are not proving as difficult as I feared. I can usually go up a full step at a time, slowly and with assistance from the solid banister. There are 12 steps to the landing and another 9 to the top. Each step is about 25cm, higher than I’m used to. However, it’s good exercise, and good exercise for the brain too, thinking ahead, making sure I haven’t forgotten to bring anything downstairs or vice versa.

In fact I used some thin rope and a small basket to make a lifting and lowering system. I feel I need both hands negotiating the stairs, so rather than carry anything, I put it in the basket and raise or lower the rope. It works perfectly. There’s a fridge upstairs, so it’s stocked with beer and drinking water. There’s a TV, so I can be entertained and cool and contained.

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Speaking of cool, the pool is four steps outside the door, so I’ve just done my laps for today. It’s about 12m, I think, so each lap is 24m, so 10 laps is a good workout. I started at four or five when I arrived and find the ten is quite easy now, so it’s working.

I’ve realised that all the water inlet jets are at the shallow end, so swimming in that direction is swimming against a current. Going back shallow to deep is faster. OK.

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I’m needing this exercise because my lower back and right hip are hurting quite badly. Add to that the pain from my pronated left foot and I’m hobbling like an old man. Lucky I brought my walking stick because I really need it.

I think it may be because I’m sitting slumped in a chair a lot of the time with no back support. Time to add some cushions. There are plenty.

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I’m able to do this blog because I’m back on the laptop. Stupidly, I forgot the power supply and cable when I came. I’ve been able to use the laptop a bit each day, but only on the battery charge from home, about 4hrs worth with the screen down low.

Today, after a bit of web searching, I went by taxi to the RTC Centre in Jl. Diponegoro and bought a generic charger/power supply for $60. It took a bit of experimenting but the one I bought was charging the battery in the shop while the laptop was on, so that was it, or so I thought.

But when I got it back here to the hotel, fully switched off, when I plugged it in and turned it on, Dell’s Support software kindly came up straight away and told me the charger I’m using is rated at 90W and the laptop needs 130W, so… take your choice, either proceed or get a better supply.

Since I had no choice, I proceeded and the machine booted OK and was both operating and charging, but the power supply was getting mighty hot. These things are rated to 70degC minimum, so getting hot is not too serious, but I decided to turn the machine off and let the battery charge while I had lunch. That did the trick, as everything was cool when I got back. That’s how I’ll have to operate, charge up at night and run on battery during the day. No problem, and I’ll leave this charger here when I go home.

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The hotel owners have built a new restaurant facing the street (of course) and have named it the See U Gen. See you again, geddit? Not sure about that name, but it’s their choice.

They invited us to a small blessing ceremony on Friday morning.