Our last days in Indonesia we’ll spend in Bali…
All begins there with a visit to the immigration services, because we need an extension of our visum. It is already the tigst time we try to get an extension. In Kupang we forgot about it, in Maumere we planned to ask the extension on the 31th of july, but on the last day of the month they don’t work and in Labuan Bajo the office is not yet open. So all depends on the working here at Denpasar airport… Promising…

We arrive at the office – after a cross hither and tither around the airport – at 12:05 and the office closes at 12:00. So the officer don’t want to accept our forms anymore. A good start… The help of a travel agent is no option, because they need at least one week to get it all done. And then… the unbelievable happens… one of the officers comes in front of his colleagues out the office and makes us a proposition. For 800 000 rupiah we get our extension tomorrow, while the normal price is 250 000 rupiah. From then we called the office the immiruption system and decided to pay our overdue fee of 1 000 000 rupiah for 5 days overtime instead of 3 days on and of to the office or leaving our passports somewhere in the unknown. A really frustrating system, especially because everyone tells something different. We’ve regretted many times we didn’t regulated all with the Indonesian Embassy in Belgium… But the last days are relaxing and enjoying, so we don’t think that much about the immiruption anymore.

From the airport we head to Ubud, the cultural centre of Bali and once we arrive there, both of us wonder if we’re really in Indonesia. The streets are so clean, the shops have a modern look and the hotels are fitted with pools, airco and a modern interior. After a couple of weeks in the hidden parts, we enjoy the comfort over there. And all worries and uncomfortable things of the last weeks are soon forgotten!
Above all, the massages are cheap and the food is extremely tasteful, thats really vacation! We’ll enjoy these last days and use them to relax. Our hotel, the White Bungalows, is settled in the middle of some rice fields and the pool has a nice view, with too cold water… But the beach chairs along the water offer enough comfort.

Most of the time in Ubud we spend at enjoying the Balinese culture… We eat in many good restaurants, enjoy certain massages and relax in the warm weather, with some ice creams and a good book.
In the meantime we visit some temples, frequently inhabited by numerous macaques. Many times we see some tourists fighting to hold their cookies or hunting for stolen goods. Hugely amusing… One of the monkeys decides that my glasses are really interesting to eat, and steal them right from my nose. A real surprise, but by offering them some real food in exchange, I got the glasses mostly undamaged back. Another baby monkey steals our water bottle right out Ilses hands, but the most interesting part is observing a monkey who opens the bag of an unaware tourist and steal some parts inside. So once again, never trust a monkey… They are nice to look at, but dangerous when they set some monkey business in their minds.

The temples along the road are interesting ones, mostly because of the vivid hindu culture. In all of them we see many people praying and offering goods to the gods. The ‘Elephant Cave’ has not many visitors, but at the ‘Holy Spring Temple’ we arrive in the middle of a bathing ceremony. Afterwards the people go offering goods and receive blessing in the inner parts. The Besakih temple is special by its grandeur and the Ubud temple has a wonderful pool full of lotus flowers. So we eat, pray and love over there in Ubud. All the good of life along a couple of streets…

After some relaxing days there in Ubud, we head back to Legian Beach and the Suscottage hotel, to reunite with our luggage and to prepare our flight to Perth, Western Australia. Before leaving, we visit the Uluwatu Rock Temple, on a rock at the seashore. From there we have some amazing sea views and after a small walk, we arrive at the famous Uluwatu Surfing Beach. The high waves and many surfers make it a special event… Especially because of the beautiful sundown. And the return with all public transport finished after daytime, makes it even more adventurous. Luckily some friendly Indonesian people takes us back into the living world. We end our trip on Bali with a visit at the memorial at Legian, where 10 years ago a huge bomb exploded in the centre of the tourist area.

Next day we leave early, to be sure to get our flight, in spite of the fee… But everything goes well and in no time we arrive at the airport gate, curious about what the land of the Aussies will bring us, however we’ve already met some of them here in Indonesia… And how on earth will we find a car over there? All questions to be answered in the next few days…