A month in Indonesia

Index

Day 1 – Tues 2nd Sept 2025 – travelling to Heathrow

Day 2 – Wed 3rd – just flying, and losing 7 hours en route

Day 3 – Thurs 4th – arrive in Bali; settle in Canguu

Day 4 – Fri 5th – visit to spiritual leader

Day 5 – Sat 6th – Hindu ceremony; make silver ring

Day 6 – Sun 7th – beach and watch the surfing

Day 7 – Mon 8th – move to Kuta; baby turtles

Day 8 – Tues 9th – relax (and laundry)

Day 9 – Wed 10th – rain in Bali; tour to Java

Day 10 – Thurs 11th – Mount Ijen; move to Ubud

Day 11 – Fri 12th – Ubud: just wandering…

Day 12 – Sat 13th – Ubud: monkeys and music

Day 13 – Sun 14th – off to a yoga retreat

Day 14 – Mon 15th – yoga; nature walk; canang; yoga

Day 15 – Tues 16th – sound healing, yoga

Day 16 – Wed 17th – yoga, cooking class, jamu, yoga, massage

Day 17 – Thurs 18th – yoga, herbal tea, chocolate, yoga

Day 18 – Fri 19th – yoga, Batik, yoga

Day 19 – Sat 20th – back to Ubud town

Day 20 – Sun 21st – Ubud self care

Day 21 – Mon 22nd – just chilling

Day 22 – Tues 23rd – walking

Day 23 – Wed 24th – cycling

Day 24 – Thurs 25th – hiking

Day 25 – Fri 26th – flying to Flores, going off grid

Day 26 – Sat 27th – hike to Waerebo

Day 27– Sun 28th – leave Waerebo, back to Labuan Bajo

Day 28 – Mon 29th – houseboat, kayak & snorkelling

Day 29 – Tues 30th – houseboat, kayak & snorkelling

Day 30 – Wed 1st Oct 2025- houseboat, Komodo dragons, kayak & snorkelling

Day 31 – Thurs 2nd – leave Indonesia

Week 1, Day 1

After months of planning, my trip to Bali is becoming a reality. Following my son George’s agreement to look after my dog, Harry, for 3 months I am ramping up my gap year with a month in Bali, followed by a month in NZ and a 3rd month in Australia! I have never been to any of these places before and have always wanted to go, so now’s my time. I am excited and a little apprehensive – the last time I spent 3 months away from home travelling was in 1985 after university. I was lucky enough to get a work visa for the USA as part of an exchange programme which enabled US citizens to come and work in Europe, organised by BUNAC. The world was a different place back then – as far as my parents were concerned I had fallen off the edge of the world, disappearing god knows where in the US until I thought to call them from a pay phone in San Francisco after a couple of months! Now we are all connected all the time, but it still feels relatively daunting to set out on my own…

The journey to Heathrow was pretty easy, on the train from Okehampton, to Paddington, and then out to Terminal 2 via the Heathrow Express. A minor hiccup then as I had booked to stay at a hotel overnight before my flight early the next day – I had booked the Ibis Styles which is apparently a completely different hotel to the Ibis. I had been quietly smug at successfully catching a bus out to the Ibis for the grand sum of £1.75, but was then told I had to travel back towards the airport to find the Ibis Styles. I gave up with public transport and got a taxi the short distance back, at a cost of £16.50! My excuse was that it was raining, the bus stop to get back to the airport was the other side of a busy 2 lane road, and my bag was VERY heavy!

I had struggled to know how to pack for 3 months away. Bali is a constant, humid 30 degrees and I had booked an adventurous activity tour towards the end of September so figured I would need beachwear, T-shirts and shorts. In NZ however I had booked a more up market tour for 21 days, of both the north and south island, some of which could be a bit wet and chilly in October. In the end I used a courier service (mybaggage.com) to ship out a suitcase with warmer clothing to the first hotel in NZ, whilst using a soft bag/rucksack for Bali. I had forgotten how much easier having a suitcase with wheels is when using public transport…

Anyway, first stage of the journey was complete, and after settling into what was actually a pretty good room with some interesting decor, I went and grabbed a meal in the restaurant, which looked and tasted very much like school dinners!

Week 1, Day 2

To get from London to Bali I had opted to fly Singapore Airlines all the way, with brief stopover in Singapore. Heathrow went very smoothly with more helpful staff than I have encountered before, both in the airport and on the bus that I successfully caught back to Terminal 2. You cant walk into Heathrow because of the tunnels so bus is really only the option.

Week 1, Day 3

13 hours later I arrived at Singapore – fairly tedious journey but helped by a few gaps in the passenger numbers which meant I could move across to the middle aisle and sit next to an empty seat. We landed in Singapore at 5.25am their time (7 hours in front of Uk time) and were swiftly directed to catch the sky bus to a different terminal as the connection to Bali was already boarding. There were several of us making the transfer which worked very smoothly, but I didn’t get to see much of Singapore airport. The flight to Bali was another 2.5 hours, so I had had my fill of aeroplanes by the time we arrived. The sunrise as we left Singapore was amazing, however, and I was seriously impressed by the attendants on both flights – the majority were very slim, very attractive young ladies, who managed both flights in uniforms which included a skirt to the floor. The service was exceptional. To be fair the time soon passed after watching 2 films, finishing one book and reading the whole of another, and some dozing.

Unfortunately the taxi I had booked to take me to my accommodation in Canguu didn’t show up (or had already left as I think there was some confusion about the time of collection). There were loads of taxi drivers touting for business and one was particularly helpful so I let him persuade me to drive me instead.

The drive was eye opening. I had read a few weeks before that the traffic in Bali was horrendous, and this was not an exaggeration. The taxi ride took an hour and I spent the time in awe of the hundred’s of moped drivers weaving in and out. 3 lanes of traffic would quite often be six abreast if you counted the mopeds in between the cars. Some had 3 people on one moped, others were loaded with goods making them as wide as a car. One had a man and a woman on the back and I realised she was carrying a tiny baby in her arms. There is no public transport in Bali and my taxi driver said that nobody walks anywhere – even to get 100 metres up the road they will jump on a moped, often using the pavement to avoid the cars. Nobody under age 17 is supposed to drive one but apparently this is not enforced. A moped can be bought on credit with just a 10% deposit so everyone has one – mum, dad, the kids…

The roads became narrower as we moved away from the airport, with all sorts of shops and businesses lining the street. The electric wires hung between the street poles were even worse than in the Caribbean – huge numbers of wires just strung up like decorations. I didn’t get any photos of the streets, but will do later this week I’m sure.

Eventually we reached the accommodation I had booked for the next 4 nights – an oasis of green away from the busy streets. There are loads of knick knacks everywhere, some based on the Hindu religion but also a strange fascination with frog statues – not quite sure where they fit in!

My room is a ‘loft’ space called the Summit, which is on 2 levels with a lounge and bathroom on the ground floor, and a bedroom above, up some rather steep stairs. Two very polite Balinese ladies checked me in and showed me around, and made sure I was aware of the various activities that they also offer. My name is on the board outside! After a quick change I went to the bar and had a local beer – a Bintang – seems ok, and could become a staple at less than £2/bottle

One of the services on offer was a Balinese massage so I decided that would be a nice way to relax after all the flying. It was certainly relaxing – the masseuse had to wake me up to turn over half way through!

I’m struggling with the rates of conversation and the variability of prices still. My 4 nights accommodation cost 2,321,144 Indonesian rupiah which works out at about £105, which seems a bargain for the amount of space I get. The taxi I had booked from the airport was just over £10 via booking.com, but the replacement I had to pay for was about £32. The massage was 150,000 IPR which works out at less than £7! I made it up to 160,000 IPR because I had some change from the beer, but realised afterward this tip was worth about 45p which feels a bit insulting!

It is warm here but not unbearable. I am glad I have A/C in my bedroom, although it wasn’t on when I arrived – hopefully it will work ok tonight! I was advised to keep the door shut because of the mosquitos which was a little worrying – I think I would have anyway to keep the fowl and dogs out that are roaming the place!

I waited until the evening before getting something to eat in the restaurant, in the hope there would be lots of people and a bit of a buzz, but my only companions were the cats and dogs – apparently they have 11 cats and 5 dogs. The dogs I was happy with but cats have never been my favourite, and one ended up on my table before I finished eating and I definitely struggled with that!

There seems to be a lot of people working here in one capacity or another but no other guests. All the workers are keen to say hello and ask where I come from, and sometimes it feels a bit intense – I would rather be sharing their hospitality with other guests!

Week 1, Day 4

In the morning I woke up with a swollen left cheek just below the eye after being bitten in the evening/ night. The mozzies are a bit of a menace – I will make more of an effort with the jungle spray

At 8am I joined a yoga class, led by the owner, and found another guest, Jasmine, from Dubai. The yoga was supposedly for beginners but I was grateful for my bit of experience from home. The surroundings were a great backdrop, better than Launceston Leisure Centre sports hall!

I had booked a car to take me to a 10am appointment. Google maps said the journey was 15 minutes, and I booked the car for 9.30am so I was in plenty of time. By 9.40am no car had appeared and I had to ask again – eventually car and driver turned up at 9.50am. My comment that we were running late and would need to hurry made no difference at all – we made our way at the same speed as the rest of the traffic, as courteous as ever to all other road users. There seems to be only one speed in Bali and things get done dreckly, like Cornwall used to be.

My appointment was with a spiritual leader, who looked exactly as you would expect a spiritual leader to look – old, very thin, beard, wrapped in a short white sarong from the waist down.

Back at the hotel i am still not quite sure what to make of my visit. I had no specific reason to be there, wasn’t in need of any specific healing and haven’t experienced any trauma. When asked what I wanted to know I didn’t really know what to say. On the form I had been asked to complete I put ‘curiosity’ as the reason for my visit. He asked me about family and occupation. From this information anyone could make an informed guess about me and my character, so I remained a little sceptical. I did say I was at a bit of a crossroads without work to fill my days, having retired at March, and wondered whether I should make more of an effort to find a partner

Jero Mangku Geni spoke a lot about my positive energy, even going as far as to say he was jealous of that energy. He said I was a channel for God, working for the future. Everyone else operates in the past and will never catch up. I overthink because of this channel. Sometimes in a crowded place I will feel sad or lonely because I am empathising with others, and sucking up their energy. He said I would not stay with a partner as they would try and control me and above all I need to be free….a load of hocus pocus? Who knows…

Towards the end of the session, which was just less than an hour, I felt an overwhelming need to cry and suddenly my thoughts were filled with my dad, who died last year. I didn’t mention dad but asked why I suddenly felt so sad, and Jero just smiled and said I wasn’t sad, it was just relief. He said I was like Ganesh, the Hindu God, who has big ears as he is good at listening and sorting out others problems

The emotional reaction caught me by surprise and seemed to come from nowhere. Maybe there was some sort of connection…or maybe they put something in the coffee they served?

Jero talked about me being surrounded by people in the future, attracted by my positive energy, and the importance of art and, in particular, nature. He said I should travel north in Bali where there is more nature, with him. Funnily enough they run tours there…

I came away a bit non plussed. I didn’t think to take any pictures of what was a very spartan home just off a busy street. Perhaps they have a villa in the greener areas away from the built up streets? I paid nearly £100 for an hour which is expensive in Bali. The car and driver who took me there, waited the hour and took me back to the hotel charged 200k, which is less than £10.

https://balispiritualhealing.net

That afternoon I dozed by the pool – I even braved my bikini. Unfortunately the pool was closed for maintenance and I just ended up hot and sweaty, with no visible addition to my tan. At dinner I tried a Balinese chicken curry which I really enjoyed, accompanied this time by one of the friendly dogs, and no sign of any cats

That evening Jasmine, who I had met at yoga, got in touch by WhatsApp as she had also been to see the spiritual healer – I had sent the link because she was so interested. We swapped impressions about the visit and decided that despite some similarities there were differences in what he told each of us. She also had an emotional response (and drank her tea afterwards, so nothing to do with anything put in the drinks!)

Week 1, Day 5

The owner who took the yoga had explained that Saturday 6th Sept was a special day, with schools holding a celebration to Saraswati, goddess of education and learning. She had suggested we might like to come along to the local school, but as always in Bali arrangements were vague. However at 7.30am I was awoken by Honey, with traditional Bali dress including lacy pink top and sarong. We were then led along a tiny walkway behind the houses (which may explain why not many walk on the road?) to the school. Apparently the celebration is always held on a Saturday, in a complicated 210 day cycle. Jasmine and I felt privileged to be invited.

Initially the older ladies appeared to be setting up the various offerings with very specific rituals. Whilst this was going on an elderly gentleman invited us to sit next to him – he said he was 82, and he ended up being the one who blessed everything and led the Hindu prayers. I asked if I could take his photo and he posed for me

We were moved away to sit on mats on the floor in specific locations, with men and women kept separate, barefoot with shoes left beside the mats. Most of the Balinese were sitting on their legs but both Jasmine and I struggled in that position – the whole ceremony lasted from about 8.30am to 10am? There was a lot of flicking water here and there, and placing objects in particular locations whilst we all watched. Some were scrolling on their phones initially, and some talked in whispers – one of the young girls behind me asked if I wanted my room cleaned later (I didn’t even recognise her from the hotel).

Towards the end of the celebration, which included us moving to another part of the school grounds to another site with similar offerings, there was then the prayers that all of those present joined in with – there was a lot of prayers holding the flowers that each participant had with them – you see these outside every home along the pavements and roads, as they are prepared daily. The flowers would end up tucked behind your ears, or on your head, depending on the specific prayers – Honey led us through it so we could do the same as everyone else. Everybody was burning incense too, which became quite overbearing.

There are photos of me in the Balinese dress which Jasmine will share with me later, and I will add these here then. Jasmine is doing some sort of business masterclass in Bali, and had to rush off. Although she is originally from India, she is now based in Dubai, and her WhatsApp shows she is a ‘Dubai Realty Coach’

I had booked a class at the Big Tree Jewelry Centre for 11am and realised I still had time to make it. I had downloaded the app Gojek which is the local equivalent to Uber, which isn’t allowed to operate here. I was contemplating hiring a moped with driver to take me, but when I went to book it a car was not much more expensive, so I chickened out and booked that instead! The car turned up within minutes and got me to the Centre in plenty of time.

At the class you can make a silver ring from 7 grams of silver (or bracelet or necklace, but at extra cost because it will use more silver). I chose the design I wanted, and then with another couple (German?) we were led through the process by a Balinese guide.

First the tiny silver balls were melted, using a blowtorch powered by manual bellows. We then flattened our silver strip by passing it many times through a press, before settling at a work bench. Depending on the design we then hammered or filed the silver, under the guide’s tuition, before bending it to size. The finished product we then buffed and polished on a machine with various attachments. I got a thumbs up from the guide so reckon I had done alright -he was giggling at the efforts of the German lady’s hammering, but she seemed to have chosen a more intricate design

After the class I wondered down the street a bit – it seemed to be easier to navigate than the streets around the hotel, but perhaps I am just getting used to the traffic, and it seemed less busy. The buildings were a random selection of shops and garages and Hindu temples, all mixed in together

There didn’t seem much point just walking for ever so I decided to find my way back to the hotel. I checked out the Gojek app again and the prices were quite different for cars from earlier. I also decided I needed to get on a moped at least once so would give it a try. I ordered one, and it must have been less than a minute before he arrived. He gave me a helmet and I tentatively jumped on behind him, steadying myself by holding his shoulders (I am dwarfing everyone out here!). I actually felt safe, although we went a different route to the car, down small side streets and over broken cobbles. The driver slowed down at each junction and we made it back to the hotel in no time, despite passing loaded mopeds carrying goods, and random dogs everywhere. The cost was less than £1, even with the tip I gave.

Week 1, Day 6

The next day, Sunday, I decided to go to the beach. I found the closest and booked a car – Wayan gave me his WhatsApp no. so I could message him direct in future rather than using the app. Everything here is done on WhatsApp.

When I arrived at the beach there was a surfing completion going on. I found a cafe looking out over the beach, ordered breakfast and just sat and watched

It was good to stretch my legs and walk a bit, along the beach. The sun came and went, definitely shorts weather but not too hot.

I enjoyed the day, even though I don’t go the beach in Cornwall all that often and I certainly don’t surf (always I enjoy watching others sometimes). I think the greatest appeal was the anonymity, after feeling a little under scrutiny at the hotel. I had felt the same in 5* hotels when I had been lucky enough to attend conferences for work in the past – too much checking I was ok and a feeling that perhaps they were just putting on a smiling face for the tourists. I am not sure this is the case in Bali, and the hotel was definitely not 5*, but even so I felt a bit freer a the beach!

Sunday was obviously a busy beach day, together with the surf contest, but I reckon there are probably mopeds everywhere every day – the moped car park was definitely quite full. I wasn’t quick enough to catch a photo with 2 riders and a surfboard on the side, but you can see the photo of one with the relevant frame on.

I started to walk back to the hotel but sunset comes early and after 6pm it was getting dark. I was getting more confident walking beside the traffic, but decided I was asking for trouble walking in the dark. The traffic appears to run smoothly, helped by the lack of any stop of give way signs or markings – at any junction both cars and bikes just slowly pull out into whatever traffic is coming and just edge through, passing on the left or right, whichever works best. There is the odd small toot to warn others who may be backing out into traffic, but otherwise nobody acknowledges each other, whether in anger or with thanks. It seems to work. I used Gojek again to catch a ride home on the back of a moped, through the crowded dark streets, and again paid less than £2 for what would have been an hour and a half walk.

Week1, Day 7

I had booked yoga for Monday morning at 8am but nobody turned up. When questioned I was told the owner was sick, so I just did a little bit on my own, making it up as I went. I spoke to the farmer who was cultivating the rice field which is contained within the hotel – their feet must struggle being submerged in water all the time. He was happy for me to take his photo but said he would carry on doing!

I also took a picture of the iguana which seems to get placed on the statue just outside the restaurant every day – when I had arrived I didn’t realise it was real, but then saw someone actually place it there the next day. I never saw it move from its post.

Whilst waiting for Wayan to come and pick me up to take me to Kuta I got chatting to an Australian who was staying at the hotel. He had seemed to make a point of avoiding me previously but was now very chatty. He was moving to Bali permanently, having been a visitor for 40 years. After Covid he struggled with everything and then got Dengue fever more recently. He was moving from Melbourne, but staying at the hotel whilst the house purchase was going through. He talked about how much Canguu (pronounced Changoo) had changed since Covid, as the Russians had moved in buying up all the land. Apparently the Balinese do not have a problem with any nationality, except the Russians (confirmed by Wayan later), because they are just rude. He also said the people in the hotel earn the equivalent of 9 AUD (Aussie dollars) for a 12 hour day. He also said they are poor because they have ceremonies all the time and make offerings.

The journey from Canguu to Kuta was supposed to take 40 mins according to google, but actually was more like an hour and 20 minutes – Wayan just expected the £10 we had previously agreed, as it was a fixed price and seemed genuinely pleased to be given a bit more.

The hotel in Kuta was definitely a step up from the previous one, much more modern and tidy. Perhaps I should have appreciated the realistic representation of Bali as it had been at the other hotel, but for now this one in Kuta was just what I needed.

The hotel stuck to its policy of the rooms being ready from 2pm, and there were a few of us waiting in reception. This wasn’t a problem as the chairs were comfortable and it was air conditioned, but not long after 2 one of the receptionists came over and said there was an issue in my room which they wanted to sort so there would be a short delay. He offered me tea in the restaurant as an apology – ok! When I got there I was told they were actually giving me afternoon tea, and I had a choice of tea or coffee, and a plate of savoury and a plate of sweet options. The macaroons were delicious!

After I cleaned up in the room I ventured out, first walking around a market and shopping mall, before heading for the beach, which this time was just across the road from the hotel.

All the modern shopping malls had security guards checking bags which seemed a bit extreme, but I suppose the tourist trade is so important they cannot risk anything happening again. Wayan had told me about 200+ being killed by a bomb in Kuta in 2002 – he hadn’t been very far away. He showed me the memorial when we were driving to the hotel.

Between the beach and the road were hundreds of little shacks, mainly selling drinks and hiring out surfboards or offering surf lessons. I came across a long queue and found out that there was a Bali Sea Turtle Society who hatch baby turtles and every now and then they announce they are big enough to put into the sea, and offer for the public to help. I was too late to be given a turtle, as the 350 available today had already been allocated. Each turtle was handed out to a person in a carton with some water, and carried down to the beach. There was a rope in the sand and all lined up ready with their turtles. The swimmers were called back out of the sea to make room for this turtle release

After quite a lot of pomp each person was told to tip their turtle on the sand, and watch it make its way seaward. They were told to name their turtles and feel responsibility for their fate

After watching the turtle for a while the people were all then told to pick them up again (not sure why they were told to see them struggle on the sand first) and take them to the sea which was a little way away. Again there was a bit of hype before they collectively placed their baby turtles into the sea, and waved them away.

I was really lucky to witness this event as timing is very sporadic depending on when the turtles are ready – they can release up to 600 at a time apparently

I decided to get some real exercise today and walked about 5km, down to Pantai (Beach) Jerman along the ‘boardwalk’ (not wooden like Canada but no mopeds allowed so used for walking/jogging etc) and watched some of the massive plant doing some beach restoration work

I came back along the main road one block back from the beach, looking at some of the shops etc. There are clubs here which operate until 4am, intermingled with bars and shops and everything else. There was already an open ‘beer bus’ in full swing, full of girls with microphones singing Spice Girls hits as they were driven along.

Wayan had told me that 50% of the tourists to this part of Bali were Australians and the bars and food were certainly geared up for them. The Australian I was talking to at the last hotel before I left had referred to them as ‘Bogans’ which equates to something like the UK ‘Chav’ I think – they are certainly known to drink a lot of beer!

I didn’t feel up to a party – I hadn’t slept much the night before, with constant coughing keeping me awake. I was now developing a cold too, and assumed it was something I had caught the plane, as it had been developing over a couple of days. I retired to my bed early with some cough mixture I had picked up after having a cool bath – the cough mixture tasted like drinking polos but seemed to help.

Week 2, Day 8

After a restless night, coughing quite a bit, I needed a quiet day. The hotel has a self-service laundry so an opportunity to rinse through the clothes I had been wearing to date. Whilst the heat is bearable it is quite humid and any activity tended to leave me hot and sweaty (or maybe this was part of the cough/cold/covid? too). It was nice to put on fresh clothes and just enjoy the hotel surroundings and my very private, large covered terrace, surrounded by plants. It was also raining too, just a fine drizzle but there must have been more rain overnight.

The best way to relax in Bali is to of course make use of the numerous places to get some sort of spa treatment. My hotel had given me a voucher for 10% off any treatment in their spa when I arrived, as I was their ‘guest of the day’. A 2 hour relaxing massage and facial did the job, all for the grand sum of £26 (after my extravagant 10% off). The facilities were excellent, like the rest of the hotel. Perhaps not authentically Balinese, in that everything was very modern and comfortable, and could have been anywhere in the world.

The service in the spa was, of course, lovely, with the usual Balinese welcomes – I have yet to see any locals being angry, they always seem to be so calm, smiling and willing to please. We had a man from Indonesia on the Caribbean cruise we did in April (Efendi), and I understand that the owner of my previous hotel operates a recruitment agency and training school for local Balinese people who want to work on the cruise ships – as a nation they seem well suited to the job, and it gives them a way to see the world and perhaps escape the local poverty.

Bali is considered to be Australia’s Ibiza, with flights here from Australia which are cheaper for some than flying across that huge country. Then there is a warm climate, welcoming and smiling people and cheap facilities and food once they are here, especially in Kuta. The place is not authentically Balinese anymore than Ibiza is authentically Spanish, but it suits the guests that flock there. For me this couple of days helped restore the batteries, especially after a lovely dinner in the hotel restaurant, accompanied by a lychee martini. The live singer was very good and it was nice to sit outside listening to her sing, undercover as it had tipped down with rain all afternoon and evening. My only regret is I didn’t see the famed sunsets along this coast.

Week 2, Day 9

Really loud thunder woke me up in the middle of the night, and I could also hear the rain tipping down. Later in the day reference was being made to ‘the worst storm in Bali for 10 years’. The underpass that takes traffic to the airport was submerged in water with cars floating around in it. There were numerous floods around the south end of Bali

None of which helped my transition out of Kuta. After paying twice the usual amount for a taxi I ended up getting out and walking with my luggage as otherwise I wouldn’t have made a meeting I had arranged. The walk was horrendous – probably a couple of km, in high heat and humidity, dodging pedestrians, scooters and cars. By the time I arrived I was melting, dripping sweat everywhere.

The arranged meeting for 1pm was to join a tour to Java, neighbouring province in Indonesia, west of Bali. The minibus took me and 7 Italian and 2 German tourists on the drive to the port, in the far north West of Bali. The journey was long (over 6 hours) and relatively uncomfortable, but included 40 minute ride on the ferry to Java. Because of the flooding we took a long time to escape the south of Bali, and this could explain the speed with which the driver drove towards the port, overtaking one lorry after another on wet roads, in the dark, irrespective of oncoming traffic. I decided to stop watching the road ahead…

Eventually we got to Java and were driven to a medical clinic. Apparently it is law for all of those taking part in the activity I had booked (more tomorrow…!) to have a medical checkup. They checked blood pressure, SATs, temperature, height and weight and then pronounced you fit to go

Finally we arrived at some accommodation and had dinner, and a briefing for the next day. My room was basic but adequate – the ensuite was a door to an open room, so I could shower privately, but in the light of the moon

Week 2, Day 10

Whilst we didn’t get to sleep until 11pm, we had to be up again at 1am (Java time – Java is an hour behind Bali so it was 10pm, Java time, when we went to bed, but my phone/alarm hadn’t changed time zones, and I wasn’t sure if it might do whilst I was asleep – I set my alarm for 1.5 hours to 12.30 am and then had another hour when it was clear that my phone had retained Bali time and I could get up at 1.30am).

So the activity we were all set to do was a climb to the summit of Mount Ijen, an active volcano, and down into the crater to see the blue flames. The climb up is onerous, taking about 1.5 hours but an hour of which is on a very steep track. We had to stop every 5 to 10 minutes to catch our breath. I took it slow and steady and didn’t fall behind, but it became obvious I was getting special care and attention as the oldest of the group. The climb was made harder because it was dark, and we were using dim torches to light our way amongst some rocky bits. There were stalls selling drinks and snacks at regular intervals but we were all self sufficient

There were hundred’s of people all doing the same climb, each with their own guides. We had 2 for the 8 of us (the Italian family and me – the Germans had been allocated to a different group). Harri, the main guide who stayed at the back, said he thought there were about 300 to 400, but on a busy weekend it can be as many as 600. It felt like there were too many! At the rim of the crater it was necessary to filter down as there is only room for one or two wide down this very rocky path, and we had to ensure we stayed together as a group. Harri held my hand to help all the way down the descent which must have taken another 45 minutes and was hard going.

We had been given warm coats, gloves, torches and gas masks before we set out. The briefing the night before had been quite specific about the do’s and dont’s – eg a warm coat is essential at the top because of the cold wind; gloves were partly to protect our hands when holding on to rock faces on the way down inside the crater which are covered in sulphur traces, but also to stop us using our fingers to rub our eyes and getting them irritated by the sulphur; torches to obviously help us to see our way en route; gas masks to protect against the sulphur fumes when we reached the bottom of the crater. We had been given the details to read the night before at the briefing- see https://indotravelteam.com/routing-and-important-information/briefing-on-your-kawah-ijen-adventure/

When we were at the bottom of the crater we had to use our gas masks as drifts of the gas came over us fairly often. We turned our backs and closed our eyes, to protect them, until the guide said it was ok to open them again.

Harri offered to take us one by one to where the sulphur fumes escape the volcano at extremely high temperatures, and then can turn blue when reacting with the oxygen in the air. We all had a go, some with better results than others. It was hard to stay and pose in front of the blue lights whilst Harri was taking photos and videos when your body is telling you to get away. Breathing is difficult, even with the gas mask, and keeping your eyes open so you can see what you’re doing very difficult with the sting of the sulphur. In the end I was lucky to see this amazing sight and get a couple of videos

We then had to get back up out of the crater again. Going up the rocky path was easier going up than it had been going down, and we had lots of stops for photos, looking out over the sulphur and the acid lake.

Unbelievably many locals have, at one time or another, carried up sulphur for cash. The baskets they have across their shoulders can carry 70kg to 80kg, and they will do what we did, but loaded, 2 or 3 times a day in order to make just enough to live on. Harri said he did it for 6 years and his shoulder is bigger on the right than the left because of it. He is now a guide taking people up and down every day, and he went to where the blue flames were 7 times – his lungs must be affected

The miners, as they are called, fashion carvings from the sulphur too, for resale to tourists for a bit of extra money. Often they stop mining after a few years and do guiding like Harri, or perhaps run the ‘taxis’ up and down – these are primitive wheelchair type contraptions which they push up and down the path from base to the top, for a fee from the tourists. I said it looked hard work (the path is very steep and rutted in many places and there was one person pushing and two pulling to get the passenger up the hill). Harri pointed out that 3 people dealing with a similar weight to what they used to carry means they find it an easier job. It was often youngsters who paid for a ride down, with the guides calling out Taxi! Lamborghini!

It was a relief to get to the bottom, climb into the minibus and go back to the accommodation for breakfast and a shower. We then had the 6 -7 hour bus ride back through Bali – this time I opted to be dropped off at Ubud, the cultural center of Bali, to see what that’s like

Week 2, Day 11

Ok so maybe I am starting to get Bali. This morning sitting on my balcony at the hotel looking out on the view it feels really peaceful, and very green and tropical. Behind me less than 100 metres away is the very busy main street through Ubud, but busy in a different way to Canguu and Kuta – I felt very comfortable last night strolling for a bit before getting something to eat. Ubud seems to be more what I was expecting from Bali

I moved to a different hotel in Ubud, just around the corner, which I had already booked for 2 nights – the first one in Ubud had been a last minute booking when I realised I could get dropped off in Ubud instead of returning to Seminyak after my visit to Java.

The new hotel was obviously a family affair, situated behind the family temple. There are temples everywhere in Bali – I am not sure every family has one, but its possible. This one was particularly ornate, although usually you just get glimpses through doorways. Doors and gates are symbolic in Balinese Hinduism, representing spiritual protection, acting as thresholds between realms. Apparently they are sometimes set at an angle as evil spirits are supposed to only travel in straight lines.

There was some building work going on at this hotel, which rather spoilt the peace, but was not a big deal for me for 2 nights

I wandered the streets, going wherever looked interesting, and found myself in a huge market, selling sarongs, wooden carvings, pictures etc. The sellers were keen to haggle and I saw one running down the ‘gang’ (street) behind a tourist with a calculator, trying to offer a better deal.

An art gallery offered some peace from the busy streets, but I found the pictures quite dull and dark. The gardens were beautiful, with the usual fish ponds. There are fish everywhere in Bali – I was told they help to keep the mosquito’s down as they eat their eggs. I was getting bitten regularly and glad I had packed jungle spray and Anthisan which helped – at least none had bitten my face again, which had been the most uncomfortable.

There was a sign to the ‘secret rice field’ and a small path between shops. I just followed others down a small, sometimes muddy, path which wound its way around the buildings, next to deep ravines full of tropical trees. It opened out into what I found out later was called the Sweet Orange Walk trail, named after the Sweet Orange Warung (Cafe/small restaurant) along the trail. After the inauspicious start it really was an oasis away from the hustle, and eventually led around in a circle back to the market.

I stumbled upon the Water Palace (Pura Taman Kemuda Saraswati). We dressed in traditional Balinese dress after paying the admission charge and wandered at will in the gardens. The actual ‘palace’ appeared to be closed, but the gardens were atmospheric in the sunset.

In the evening I had returned to the main road near my hotel and found a bar with a band playing Pink Floyd and other classics with a Balinese twist which I really enjoyed.

Whilst there an accident involving a moped happened right outside – traffic ground to a halt and everyone scurried about clearing debris so that the road was open again within minutes. The rider of the moped appeared dazed but walking, and everyone carried on as normal.

Week 2, Day 12

It appears you cant come to Ubud without visiting the sacred monkey forest sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to over 1200 long-tailed macaques, considered sacred by the Balinese people, and there are temples within the 12.5 hectare site which were built in the mid 14th century. Tourists are not allowed to enter the temples, but the whole site is accessible by the village locals 24/7.

I read all the guidelines before going to the forest (which was within walking distance of my accommodation) and left jewellery at home. No food or drink is allowed even in your bag, as the monkeys would know it was there. We were also advised not to look the monkeys in the eye as they would take this as a sign of aggression. Bites are unusual, but if bitten it is advised to go and see a medic immediately. After reading all this I was nervous but felt I had to go.

Inside I was careful to keep my distance, and to keep moving. Some were sitting on other tourists shoulders etc and I really didn’t want one on me! At one point one caught up with me as I was walking and grabbed my trouser leg, but luckily let go and I carried swiftly walking on. I don’t know why I don’t like the idea of them on me, I assume it is the thought of being bitten.

There was an exhibition space in the middle with some local art which I preferred to the art I had seen the day before

There is a cemetery within the grounds, used by the local village. Apparently the graves are only temporary, until the day of mass cremation when all are cremated together in a big ceremony

In Ubud there is a palace. Apparently the king of Ubud is not a real king, and royalty is not officially recognised, but the family is revered anyway by the local populace. Their home in the centre of Ubud is of cultural importance and the gardens are open to the public with no charge. The gardens themselves are not the most impressive I have seen, but I think there is more behind closed doors which the public cannot see (although we are not talking Buckingham Palace here).

When I visited I was lucky enough to see a group of young girls being taught traditional Balinese dance. The smallest/youngest of the girls, who I think was the daughter of one of the teachers, was having a great time, and confidently performing for the tourists who happened to be there.

They also hold traditional Balinese music and dancing every night of the week, within these grounds (for which there is a charge of 100k idr, about £5). I bought my ticket for the 7.30pm performance and was advised to arrive an hour before as seating is first come first served.

Apart from wandering some more (I had to buy a sarong!), eating and drinking (very overpriced drink in the restaurant next to the water palace) I had an hour to spare. Because of the heat I struggle with sore feet, so took the opportunity of having a foot massage. There are places offering massages everywhere- almost every 4th or 5th shop – with the girls usually sat outside glued to their phones waiting for business. I saw loads of people having foot massages, and I would seriously recommend it – it was extremely soothing and relaxing – we should have these on the high streets at home! I splashed out and combined it with a back massage, which was also excellent, although I still cant get used to the Balinese method of climbing up and gently sitting on top of me whilst pushing down on my back! It is also odd to leave your shoes in the street outside

I was glad I arrived back at the palace in good time, as I got a good spot to watch the performance. An elderly gentleman came and sat next to me – he described visiting Java and Bali when he was a child as his father was some sort of international civil servant and they paid for the family to visit a couple of times a year. They would travel by boat from Europe, taking 3 weeks to arrive, stopping at various ports on the way. Ethnically I would think he was perhaps Indian, but very difficult to tell. He seemed to have lived in France for most of his life (he alternated between speaking to me in English and the couple on his other side in French), but now lives in Portugal. He has a son who has started living in Australia with a French girlfriend, and a daughter who has settled in India. He told me that he used to stay at the palace when he was a child, as a guest of the ‘prince’, and confirmed that the living conditions were ‘lavish’ inside. I bet his whole life story would be fascinating

The traditional music is called ‘gamelan’ and my friend said he loved it but his family hated it. After an hour and a half I would agree with his family – not for me, but great to experience all the same. The dancing had very specific meanings which the leaflet/ticket helped to explain, but I was just fascinated by the facial expressions which were so pronounced.

Week 2 Day 13

Whilst in Bali I felt I should be doing yoga, but surprisingly I had seen very little yoga going on. Luckily I had booked a week long yoga retreat just outside Ubud. The accommodation is basic and the food is all vegetarian. The surrounding countryside is rice fields. The owner is Iranian, who came to Bali 17 years ago, and set up the retreat 13 years ago – he said he cant go back to Iran as he would be shot – he came as a refugee, but has settled in Bali. The first other participant I met is ‘Kim’, a 29 year old from NZ, who is very much out of her comfort zone in Asia. Everyone arrives on the Sunday, for the week, and first briefing is at 6pm.

At 6pm Ariel, the Iranian man who I thought owned the retreat, but appears to run it as a not for profit organisation for someone else, demonstrated his impatience for anyone not sticking to his timetable. The rules were to arrive between 2pm and 6pm, and no early or late check in allowed. As it happened 3 of the 8 participants arrived after 6pm, and he was not happy, having checked the time on his phone several times, before starting the induction dead on 6pm. He lightened up as the evening progressed, but we all know now have to attend each activity on time – the pages of rules we were provided with clearly state that if we are 1 minute late to a yoga class we will not be able to attend

Normally there are more than 8 at the retreat, but Bali has had some bad publicity in the last two weeks – first there were demonstrations against the government, and then the recent floods which were widely reported in the area. A lot of people intending to visit Bali have cancelled and this has impacted on the local economy, those that need the income most. So instead of 12 – 15 we were a small group of 8, and all female.

All were younger than me, as expected, but a very friendly group, from varying nationalities: Dani (UK); Nicora (USA); Eva (France); Marta (Italian); Chelsea (Australian); Kim (NZ); Florencia (Argentina) and me. We stayed chatting over dinner, getting to know each other

There are a lot of insects around, being a warm, wet location. Mosquitos were biting in the evening, and there seemed to be a lot of ants. There was a large gecko within the straw roof above the open dining area, and another smaller one. When I got back to my room there was a huge wasp/hornet on the floor.

Week 2, Day 14

The first yoga session was at 7am and I was glad I had done some yoga in the Uk already. There were mixed abilities but it didn’t seem to matter. The teacher came originally from Java, and he got quite emotional after the class talking about his son in Jakarta. He showed us some of his art work – he had recently sold two paintings in an exhibition to the governor of Lombok, and was rightly proud!

Ariel led us on a walk around the area, pointing out medicinal plants, which was quite similar to what we had done in Granada earlier in the year. We stopped at a cafe in a place where they do sound healing as a taster for a proper session we are signed up for on the next day.

On our walk we passed some small buildings from which artists were working. Some of the pictures were amazingly detailed and can apparently take months to complete. We spoke to one of the artists who used to live in the US, working as an IT specialist, but had ended up in Bali eventually when he realised he needed to change his life. I asked about whether the pictures provided enough to live on and he said they trust in god. When I asked if he had a wife and children he admitted he did, but they were still in a house in the US, and only came to Bali occasionally – it wasn’t clear how he funded that lifestyle.

In the afternoon we were given a class on how to make the canang that you see everywhere in Bali – this is an offering to the gods which needs to be made every day, We made the ‘basket; out of coconut leaves and learnt about the relevance of the different coloured flowers put in the basket and their positioning. The canang has to be placed in each house’s temple (every house has one apparently, but it can be little more than a decorated shelf). The position will always to be the north east. Once made an incense stick is lit – the canang is only holy whilst the incense burns – after that it can be trodden on etc as it has served its purpose

In the evening we had another yoga session, which was quite different – this was yin yoga, which focuses on deep breathing, and holding poses for a longer period of time, up to 5 minutes for us. I found it quite painful sometimes

Week 3, Day 15

The sound healing session was held at the Pyramids of Chi which apparently are very well known and popular – https://ubud.pyramidsofchi.com/. We walked from the retreat accommodation and got absolutely soaked in the pouring rain. The sound healing was held in a pyramid structure – there were about 50 of us all laying down on mattresses whilst various instruments were played, such as yoga sound bowls, gongs etc. The only lights once the session started were very dim, and we were given ‘eye pillows’ to cover our eyes. The idea is that we reach a pronounced form of relaxation over the hour or so

I cant say the process did much for me. I was still struggling with a cough, and trying to hold this in whilst everyone was relaxing was not conducive to my own relaxation! I don’t think I fell asleep but I was tapped on the shoulder at one point which was something we were told would happen if we did fall asleep so we didn’t disturb anyone else with our snoring! I must have been snuffling or breathing heavily

I did, however, feel completely drained for the rest of the day. We had some free time until the sunset yoga at 5pm, and others went into Ubud to see the monkeys but I stayed at the retreat. I had asked if there was a herbal remedy for my cough the night before, as Ariel seems to have a herbal remedy for every ailment. He gave me some foul smelling tea to drink, which I downed in one gulp, but it didn’t seem to help. My cold seemed worse and the intermittent cough as annoying as before. I couldn’t decide if my sense of smell was affected by the cold, or if it was caused by the incense which is burnt everywhere, or even the lack of fresh air. Because of the humidity even a deep breath doesn’t feel very refreshing. And because of the various insects, especially the mosquitos, I kept the doors and windows of my room shut at all times. I had noted that the air con made my cough worse, and the other herbal teas and coffee we were given seemed to irritate my throat. To top it all I had a headache which I couldn’t shift despite taking my usual Anadin Extra, and my stomach was sore (perhaps because of the yoga?). So I spent the afternoon feeling sorry for myself. Not quite the energy/spiritual uplift I had hoped to get from the sound healing…!

A phone call with my son George in the evening helped lift my spirits.

Week 3, Day 16

I felt a bit better today after my self pity the day before, with at least my cold going and not coughing so much (perhaps).

After a yoga session at 7am, we then had a cooking class at 11am to make our own lunch – a jackfruit curry. Buda, the Balinese man who taught us, was very good, and led us through the process, talking about the ingredients and how they are used in Bali. We separated into groups for those who didn’t want the curry to be spicy to those that did. The spiciest used a whole chili, but Buda said the Balinese would probably use 10 or more in the same quantity of curry!

The ingredients included tumeric, ginger, garlic, and shallotts, as well as the chilli and jackfruit. The leaves and lemon grass were added whole as flavouring, but not eaten. The jackfruit had a similar texture to chicken (perhaps, with your eyes closed) and ours was spicy enough with just half of the small chilli. The large chilli was cut up and used whole, but without the seeds.

In the afternoon Buda took us through the process of making a medicinal drink, which again had tumeric, but also tamarind, along with other ingredients, including palm sugar. It is supposed to have all sorts of health benefits – it is called jamu. I just about drunk most of mine, but I cant say I enjoyed it!

I have decided that my headache is caused by my body struggling without its usual diet – no meat, no sweet puddings (in fact no pudding at all), no alcohol. I am looking forward to topping up these essential ingredients at the weekend!

There was a second yoga session at 5pm. I am not sure I am cut out for yoga twice a day, and the ‘ummmmm’s’ and other chanting don’t come naturally!

In the evening I had booked my complimentary massage – we are entitled to one in the week as part of the cost of the retreat, which was lovely. Earlier in the day Ariel had been explaining some of the ways of the Balinese people, from his experience from 17 years in Indonesia. He talked about how people in Bali never want to say no, or ‘I don’t understand’. Instead they will say ‘yes’ but you can tell from their smiles what they actually mean. He described a sort of nervous laugh and a smile when saying yes instead of ‘I don’t understand’, which the lady who came to do my massage did exactly when I asked her something.

We had talked to the yoga teacher from Java about why he thought the Balinese were always so kind and smiley, and he put it down to Karma. The hindu/buddhism mix that is practiced in Bali is quite different from say the hindu practices in India. It is believed that good intentions and actions lead to positive karma, while negative ones lead to negative karma, with these consequences often influencing future lives through reincarnation. It is in their interests to always do good

Another strand of their culture is the concept of duality, the Balinese philosophy of balance between opposing forces like good and evil, light and dark. This is often represented by black and white check material wrapped around shrines etc, or even trees, honouring the sacred object or warding off spirits. The Balinese will not, apparently, celebrate an occasion to excess as this belief in duality would mean that something bad will occur to offset against the celebration.

Ariel also explained that money is hugely important in their society – girls will want to know what a prospective mate earns and what his house is worth, almost as opening questions on a date. Often a family or neighbourhood want to keep the wealth they have and there is a lot of inbreeding as marriages are a way of achieving this. The traditional villages are very insular, and people would not travel far or want to mix with the next village.

There have been huge changes in Bali in the last few years, with development everywhere. Unfortunately the effect is already showing up with the recent flooding as the concrete has made it difficult for the water to run off. Ubud used to be full of rice fields but now there are none in the centre. The south of Bali is even more built up.

There is no awareness of the need to avoid pollution within the local population, and with the advent of plastic for the tourists there is rubbish everywhere. There is no real government to speak of and nobody, therefore, educating the population in this respect. Even new roads and schools are paid for by the local inhabitants, not the government, according to Ariel. Many only go to school for a few years, to learn to read and write, and then leave to work. IQ levels are apparently much lower than the global average.

Week 3, Day 17

Today’s yoga was ‘Hatha Yoga’. I don’t think I am understanding the specific types of yoga, but whatever it was called, it was hard, with a lot of balancing. I got really hot (although it is STILL raining) and definitely struggled with some of the poses

At 11am Buda reappeared to tech us about the various herbal teas and infused drinks they use in Bali for various medicinal purposes. Little samples of each were brought out for us to try. The second one on the list was the one I had been given earlier in the week to help with my cough (which didn’t seem to have worked) and everyone agreed that it tasted foul. The others were ok except I really didn’t like the Rosella

The other people in the retreat are very interesting and lovely. We have had lots of conversations over the week, and got to know each other quite well.

• Florenzia described the dangers in Argentina, and how she always carries pepper spray. She has been travelling a couple of years, including Europe and Asia, and goes home for a couple of months at a time to reconnect with family and friends.
• Marta and Eva met in China and both have travelled extensively. Marta is Italian and Eva is French but they both now live in Barcelona. Marta is a project manager for a translation business, but finds it very stressful and dreams of having her own yoga school – she is probably the one most able to complete all the yoga poses here.
• Nicora lives in New York, and is the next oldest here, but still young at 47 – she is a professor, teaching teachers how to teach maths – she is on a 1 year sabbatical (because it was available) and intends to write and study different cultures which could help in her role. Nicora doesn’t talk about any family, and I seem to be the only one here that has had children. More elderly people have visited the retreat before – Ariel thinks the eldest was 87, and she was able to complete the yoga classes ok (so I had better keep going!).
• Kim, from NZ, still seems a bit shell shocked listening to others tales – she hasn’t travelled outside of English speaking countries before and is usually with her family. Kim is a surgical nurse and speaks about working in Australia.
• Dani from Yorkshire in the UK has ADHD and talks a LOT – she is the baby of the group but really well read as she seems to soak up knowledge. She doesn’t sleep much and goes on tinder dates and meets up with friends overnight.
• Chelsea, from Australia, unfortunately left the retreat after the sound healing, although I’m not quite sure what she didn’t like about the retreat. She has done a lot of yoga and reiki and spiritual stuff in the past, and attended a different retreat, but appeared to suffer from anxiety. She now sells her own pottery.

So, quite a mixed bunch and the more interesting because of it.

In the afternoon we were shown how to make chocolate, using coconut cream and chocolate powder, with some sugar. We ate our own chocolate after dinner

The rain came down worse than ever this afternoon, and it is easy to see why it is causing flooding. Dani had talked with Buda and found out that his family had been very badly affected, and with one of his uncles losing all of his pigs, which would have been disastrous for him. None of the people affected will have been insured

The yoga this evening was a mixture of breathing exercises and some more gentle yin yoga. The breathing involved holding one nostril at a time, and breathing out through the other several times, and then a different exercise breathing in and out through each nostril in turn. It helped to clear my nose for a while!

Week 3, Day 18

The asana yoga we had today with a new teacher was similar to home, although I can feel some aches and pains. The yoga mats are very thin and we are basically lying on ceramic tiles, although we can use some green pillows to protect knees etc. We have also made use of blocks and straps on occasions to maintain certain poses

This was the last day of our retreat with only yoga planned for 7am and 5pm, so the rest of the day was free. I had found a batik class that I fancied doing which was only 20 minutes away from us, further away from Ubud, so this was an ideal time to visit. I asked the rest of the group if any others wanted to join me, and in the end there were 4 of us. To get there we each ordered a moped, and hung on as we were each transported to the arts centre – it was more scary than previous rides as we were away from the busy town centre and so the mopeds could go faster. Overtaking cars and travelling around lots of roadworks and huge pot holes made the journey more fun – I was glad to arrive!

I absolutely loved the batik class, and found the whole process more mediative than any yoga class. First we were given pictures we could choose from, and we then traced in pencil onto the cotton sheet we were given. The next stage, the most difficult, is to go over the pencil lines with hot wax, using a very odd ‘pen’ which you dip into the heated wax, and apply using the ‘nib’ at the end. It is hard not to drip wax onto your artwork in great dollops.

As you would expect the teachers made it look so easy, and were very gentle as we struggled to get it right. To start with you want to getting everything exact but eventually you have to accept this is hand made and there will be errors that make your own piece unique! Once we had made sure every line was drawn (and no gaps which would later allow the paint to bleed through to a different section) we were able to move across to the painting section

The painting was the most fun, like water colour painting, with the wax lines containing each colour. We were shown how to blend colours, with the teachers standing by to help or stand back as much as you wanted. I was very pleased with my result – a picture of a Barong mask as \i had seen used in the dancing at the palace

I realise I made a mistake though – I treated the ‘beard’ at the front as if it was fire like from a dragon, but lets got for artistic licence…

The paint is left to dry before putting in a bucket with some sort of fixing agent. It is then washed in boiling water and dried again before being ready to take home. Because of the lack of sun they were using electric heat guns to dry and speed up the process. Because of the humidity everything feels a bit damp even when the sun shines, but with no sun it takes a long time to dry anything

The last yoga session of the week was more yin yoga, and I actually quite enjoyed it – perhaps I am becoming a bit more flexible after a week. The last evening was spent chatting – a lovely bunch of women who have all been very supportive of one another

Week 3, Day 19

After a fond farewell to all the participants on the Retreat, Dani, Florencia and I attempted to get a car into Ubud, as we were all staying back in the town, albeit at different places. Unfortunately due to traffic (we assumed) we had to wait a while as the cars didn’t seem to make progress towards us. Whilst waiting we saw a couple of ladies (amongst many others) carrying their offerings to the temple for a ceremony

An older man also walked past with a scythe, and seemed to want to have his photo taken, probably because he then asked for money. I offered a few coins and he scoffed at these and refused to take them, but I said I didn’t have anything else.

The area was typical of a lot of Bali – beautiful women carrying elaborate offerings, so nicely presented, into colourful temples, but right next door is jungle filled with rubbish

Eventually we walked further to the main street and found a really nice cafe serving coffee and pastries (and aircon!) – we waited there until a car arrived and took us to our various accommodation in Ubud

I had decided to stay at the hotel which would be used for the first 3 nights of the tour I was booked on from Tuesday. It was magnificent, especially after the very basic facilities at the Retreat. The entrance and gardens are amazing, and it is nice to have a room with the en suite enclosed within the room, rather than open to the elements (and the geckos and bugs!)

I thought I had better get some laundry done, but the prices quoted in the hotel were ridiculous – 35,000 idr just for one dress. Whilst this is less than £2, it is very expensive compared to independent laundries which appear everywhere in the street. I took mine to one which was a 15 minute walk away, albeit down the main road, dodging potholes and traffic – there they weigh the dry washing – my 3 kilos will cost 45,000 idr altogether – not much more for 2 bags of clothes. I am a local now, haha!

After a little more of a look round the hotel grounds I found the swimming pool and enjoyed a lie down on the sunbeds with a Bintang (although this again was well above street prices).

It is so easy to get acclimatised to the low prices and feel outraged when charged a lot in fancier places, but it is still pretty cheap

I met up with Chelsea, Dani and Florencia in the evening at an Italian restaurant, which was a lovely way to spend the evening. The Carbonara, bottle of lager and passionfruit panna cotta all went down really well after my week of vegetarian food, with no puddings or alcohol!

Week 3, Day 20

The hotel is 20 minutes to the south of Ubud, but they offer a complimentary shuttle service back to the Cocomart (large supermarket), in the centre, so after breakfast I made use of this service. I had intended to walk the Campuhan Ridge Walk but after setting out towards it from the Cocomart I soon realised it was already too hot for a hike, albeit not very long.

When I was in Ubud before the Retreat I had marvelled at 2 young lads using a jackhammer whilst wearing flip-flops to make what looked like random holes in the side of the road. Whilst I had been away these holes had been used to hold large decorated poles, ready for the ceremony due to take place at one of the temples. I had asked Buda about it as I had seen some preparatory work before I left and it seemed to involve a huge amount of people, and he said it was a ceremony for a mass cremation due to take place. He implied that it was costing a huge amount of money which could perhaps be better spent elsewhere. The detail of the structure being built was impressive

Instead of going for the hike I stopped off at a salon and had my finger nails re-done – they had got a bit messy whilst I had been away and it was nice to sit in the air conditioned salon and have someone tend to me! I talked to a couple who were also having a manicure and pedicure – they were from California, and intend to settled in Bali in a year or two, having visited a dozen times. They told me about one of their favourite places called Bambu Indah which has a succession of natural pools which you can swim in. They were off to the Yoga Barn for an Ecstatic Dance class

I had heard about the Yoga Barn from a couple of people at the Retreat who had attended some yoga classes – apparently it is quite famous. I thought I would walk over and take a look, if only to have a coffee. It is a complex of buildings with different spaces for classes, and it was full of people who appeared very confident in the space. I got a smoothie from the juice bar and watched for a bit before finding a quiet space on a beanbag and falling asleep in the shade whilst listening to the music

In the complimentary taxi back to the hotel at 3pm I chatted to an American family from Wisconsin, who seemed a little overwhelmed by the traffic and the heat. They were going to get a massage in the hotel spa.

Back at the hotel I relaxed and read by the pool, topping up my suntan, and enjoyed the complimentary Bali coffee and crisps available from 4 to 5pm.

That evening when I went to the restaurant for dinner one of the American ladies from Wisconsin came over to me and suggested I joined them at their table for dinner, which was really nice of them. It turned out I must have read them wrong earlier in the day as the lady who had invited me had travelled to over 100 countries in her life so far, including Nepal for a month every year for 3 years, and Tanzania in Africa, as well as many others. Her son who used to work for UPS until he retired has been to over 50 countries, and the third member of the group, a friend of the older lady, had also travelled extensively. They were interested in my journey and we touched on our previous trips. I asked which of the 100 was her favourite country and she said the USA – it was always nice to come home.

Week 3, Day 21

Nothing planned for this day so I decided to take the opportunity to take my laptop to breakfast and catch up with the rugby club bookkeeping! I had been keeping on top of my paid role with Haines Watts, the accountancy practice I had retired from but retained some internal duties, but my voluntary role with the rugby club is a lot more messy and gets left to last. The shaded restaurant overlooking the pool, with power points, was an ideal place to catch up.

Once I had done what I could I relaxed by the pool with a book. The American family returned from their tour at 4pm, having struggled with the heat and the amount of walking. We made use of the complimentary tea and coffee, served today with sweet banana fritters

Making the most of the day I had a Balinese massage in the hotel spa, and later dinner with the Americans again. They are off to see the Komodo dragons too, and said there was no guarantee they would appear – I hope they show their face when I’m there later on my tour

Week 4, Day 22

I didn’t want to feel confined to the hotel all day again so decided to walk the Campuhan Ridge Walk that I had given up on before. I used the Gojek app to get a moped ride from the supermarket just outside the hotel – they opened at 7am, just as I got there and I used the ATM to withdraw another 2m rupiah (less than £100), stock up on water and buy some of their mosquito spray which I think is more effective than the jungle roll on I brought with me

The ridge walk was ok, although shorter than I expected. It is paved all the way and a pleasant enough stroll.

I continued into the village at the end and found a lovely place for breakfast – they had small open huts within the rice field with a very low table and cushion to sit on. It looked lovely, but perhaps more suited to the smaller Balinese people than me – I eventually managed to get my legs under the table! I still struggle to have noodles or rice for breakfast, but everywhere sells omelettes which suits me fine – this time I got a tomato, tiny sausage and very crispy bacon with it, which was unexpected.

The ‘Bali coffee’ is served pretty much everywhere, supplied with creamer and sugar. I drink it black, and it is quite strong and a thick consistency – there is a general sludge at the bottom of the cup which is best avoided! I haven’t tried the very expensive Kopi Luwak – this is a popular tourist attraction which taxi drivers like to take tourists to. Apparently the coffee is so expensive because the coffee beans have been partly digested and defecated by the Indonesian palm civet (a small mammal, a bit like a cat) – the animal is supposed to choose the best coffee cherries and then what they poop out is processed to make this famous coffee. There is some evidence that some of the ‘cats’ are now kept in cages and fed a diet which prevents them scavenging for the best coffee cherries

After returning along the trail I walked further, up the Penestanan stairs, and along small alleyways winding behind closed gates with just small glimpses inside.

The Blanco Renaissance Museum is in the area – Antonio Blanco was a Spanish artist born in Manila in the Philippines, who travelled the world before settling in Bali in the 1950’s, after being given some land by the local king. He married a local dancer, and lived until 1999. He is referred to as the Dali of Bali, and is supposedly the most famous artist who has lived in Bali. The art seemed to concentrate on the female form, and breasts were prominent! He was quite eccentric, and wore a beret at all times. No photos of the art are allowed, which is housed in a magnificent building on 3 floors with a central dome to allow natural light. In one room there was a film playing, called Bali Forever, which is a dramatisation of the artist’s life. There are some parrots in the gardens

Later I found the Sweet Orange, or Subak Juwuk Manis Rice fields, walk that I had done previously, and walked to the Sweet Orange ‘warung’ for a drink. The path wasn’t as wet this time, but still pretty precarious at the beginning along a makeshift bamboo bridge between concrete paths.

I ordered a coke, some fried corn fritters and a smoothie bowl. There is a lot of fried food in Bali which is delicious but perhaps not very healthy. The life expectancy of the Balinese is lowere than the UK, possibly because of the fried food, and also because a lot of them smoke. The poverty will also have an impact of course.

The traffic in the centre of Ubud was worse than ever today – I found out afterwards that some roads were closed because of ceremonies taking place, and this had pushed all the traffic together. It made crossing the road more precarious than ever

The Balinese people attending the ceremony looked beautiful in their ceremonial clothes. Nobody should enter a temple without shoulders and knees being covered, preferably wearing a sarong. If a ceremony is taking place then traditional Balinese dress is required, like I was given when I attended the ceremony in the school. Menstruating women are not allowed in temples at all, as they are considered unclean during their period.

I used the hotel shuttle service to get back to the hotel. Perhaps because of the heat but also perhaps because of the Covid that I am sure I suffered, I was glad to get back. I don’t seem to have the energy when I’m walking like I usually have, and feel breathless quite quickly. Hopefully in NZ when the air is fresher and less humid I will feel different again

For the rest of my stay in Indonesia I will be part of an organised tour with ‘Much Better Adventures’ based first in Bali before moving onto Flores, a different island in Indonesia, and ultimately Komodo. We met for a briefing and our first meal together with our guide Guido, in the hotel.

Week 4, Day 23

We left the hotel at 8am after breakfast to be bussed to our first activity – a bike ride in the NE area of Bali. We collected our bikes just south of Mount Batur, and biked about 16 miles, mostly downhill, back towards Ubud. It was lovely to see a quite different, more rural side to Bali. The area we picked up the bikes was surrounded by fields of mixed crops like fruit trees etc. Some organic farming and permaculture seemed evident.

We stopped at a village temple and Guido and the other guide organising this particular activity talked to us about the Balinese people’s traditions and faith. Apparently prior to the 2nd World War Indonesia was ruled by the Dutch, as an important trading post. Unlike the English rule of India, when the local Indian population were assimilated into the English culture, the Dutch kept themselves very separate from the local people. The Japanese took over the area along with many other Asian countries during the War, but surrendered the land immediately after the atomic bombs launched by the USA. Before the Dutch could re-assert their control of the region, Indonesia declared itself independent.

The Balinese people combine Hinduism and Budhism with traditions arising from before formal religion was introduced into the area, to give a unique blend. In contrast Java is more of a Muslim country, whereas Flores is Christian.

We were invited into a Balinese home compound, where the grandparents live in the oldest small building whilst the younger generation have the bigger house. They have their own temple and separate kitchen area. There were a lot of cockerels in basket cages, making a lot of noise, and some chicks. All around the compound were various fruit trees and vegetables. The banana tree in particular is very important, different parts being used for food for humans and animals, as well as for lining plates and making the daily offerings basket etc

We rode through the big areas of rice fields and learnt a bit about growing rice. The plants are manually put into the field covered in water and kept wet initially. There is water flowing down from the lake on the mountain which is shared by all the farmers as it flows past each field in gullies. When manure is used as fertiliser the land is allowed to dry out a bit before being flooded again. The crop takes 3 or 4 months, and the land is allowed to dry out prior to harvesting. The rice is then threshed, dried and milled to get the final product

We stopped off at the place where they make the Luwak coffee and saw one ‘Luwak’ in a cage and two just sleeping on platforms. The guide at the coffee centre said that they breed the animals they use, and so they are quite tame, unlike the ones in the wild that can be quite aggressive

We were shown the ‘poop’ that has been washed for 3 hours 3 times, and can be handled. We were then able to try some of the coffee, or taste other coffees which had been flavoured with eg Ginger or Coconut (and sugar – they like their coffee and teas sweet).

Despite having some doubts about the way the animals are now contained for commercial reasons (but then aren’t cows and sheep in the Uk?), I tried some of the coffee – it was much smoother than the normal Bali coffee, but not exceptional enough for me to pay the high prices to bring some home.

Further down the road we came across a village which was very decorated, getting ready for a ceremony, in a way that was similar to what I had seen in Ubud town. This ceremony takes place every 210 days and the village are involved in the preparations which can take a month

After the cycle ride we were given a great lunch at a lovely place overlooking some more rice fields

That evening the rain came back in a very heavy shower – we were glad it had stayed dry for the bike ride. In fact it had been very pleasant, with a gentle breeze as we rode, and generally a bit cooler in the slightly higher ground

Week 4, Day 24

A tough day, but a great opportunity to experience the more northerly part of the country, which is much more rural and attractive than the built up south.

We were led down through the jungle, with walking poles that came in useful on the slippery muddy downhill parts.

The first waterfall we saw was not the tallest in Bali, but the most powerful. We waded across the river at the bottom and on to a second waterfall.

When we reached our lunch stop we were able to plunge straight into the river which was a relief, as we were by then very hot and sticky. The current was so powerful it was difficult to stand under the waterfall itself.

After an amazing barbeque picnic lunch we continued downhill towards the coast, between rice fields

The downhill was very hard on the knees and calves, and it was very hot.

Eventually we stopped at a tourist spot where the tallest waterfall is, had a drink and then down the punishing steps to the bottom of the falls. We were rewarded with a coconut and a rest after climbing back out again

It was a relief to get back to the hotel, and then go out for dinner

Week 4, Day 25

Today we travelled to Denpassar airport on Bali, to fly to Labuan Bajo on Flores, a different island. Indonesia has over 17,000 islands, although not all are inhabited. Over 700 different languages are spoken and they are all very different from each other, so as well as speaking their own local language they speak Bahasa Indonesia so that they are understood throughout the country. And English, of course – every guide, taxi driver, vendor was able to speak at least some English and they liked to practice, always asking ‘Where you from?’

Lunch in a restaurant 10 minutes from the airport was painful with misunderstandings and long delays in being served – my basic corn soup was the last to arrive. The afternoon was a long drive down to a Eco site on the south of the island, stopping briefly at a small supermarket for supplies and a toilet stop. Again the toilets were very primitive, requiring your own tissues which were put in a bin after use, and the toilet was ‘flushed’ by using a scoop in a big bucket of water to one side. As always there was a facility to wash your nether regions which usually resulted in suspicious liquid coating the floor from previous use – not ideal if you are wearing trousers as they can get damp when lowered to use the toilet!

After the stop at the shop the roads got a lot worse, with the minibus having to be weaved between broken tarmac and temporary repairs. It did enable us to look at the houses as we passed as dusk approached – first impressions were that the houses generally seemed to be more a substantial red brick construction, with many painted in bright colours – it reminded me of the Caribbean. It was a nice contrast to the traditional black buildings in Bali, built from the local volcanic rock and dust, especially the temples.

Many houses seem to by only partly complete but still being utilised, even if windows were boarded up etc. There was obvious poverty and our guide Guido confirmed that generally Flores is poorer than Bali in terms of income, although bartering is often used to obtain basic provisions, and rice and other plants are grown, and a lot of eggs are eaten from the family’s chickens.

We eventually arrived at the camp, in the dark. New guide Joe, who had joined us at the airport, and Guido spent some time talking to us about the island of Flores. Both were born there, although Guido now lived in Bali with his wife and seven year old child. A lot of information was given, but we were all very tired, and really just wanted to eat and go to bed!

There were some ‘tents’ available for 5 ‘couples’ or individuals willing to share – these were open structures with a platform and basic bedding, supplemented by mosquito nets. There were 14 in the group so Guido asked for 4 volunteers to sleep in the bunkhouse instead, on basic bunk beds – by that time I just wanted to sleep so I volunteered along with 3 others.

We had gelled as a group by now, with different characters from different countries.

• Ian and Val were the eldest at 66, both from the UK, but arriving from Australia which they had visited with Ian’s daughter who was now living in NZ.
• Jan at 65 was a similar age, making up 4 of us over 60. Jan lives in Portland, Oregon, USA, on the west coast south of Seattle. She is married but her husband would rather travel locally in his VW van, and she has 2 adult children in their 30’s. Jan had arrived via Java, which she had visited for a couple of days before coming to Bali.
• Corey and Malena were a couple from New Jersey, USA – Malena runs an insurance business with her brother, after her father stepped away. Corey has worked in a supermarket I believe for 20 years, and is counting down for another 5 years so he can get maximum pension rights. He has to work 6 days/week, including every weekend with just one day in the week off, and holidays need to be requested a long time in advance. They have no children and travel a lot.
• Vijay is a consultant anaesthetist working in London who has also travelled widely but not done such a physical holiday before. He booked last minute
• Fiona was born in Austria but now works in London. She has an American accent after living with a host family for 2 years from the age of 14.
• Billie comes from Weymouth, although she works in Poole, as a graphic designer. Her partner Matt stayed at home, as he is not keen on travelling
• Frankie is on a year of travel and has already been to a lot of countries. She had been based in Vancouver for some time, although she is English, but the management consultancy career she was following required a lot of travelling around the US.
• Kelly, also English, joined the tour as part of a bigger trip as she was going on to Sumatra to trek to see the Orangutans
• Rachel, again English, works for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which works to eradicate poverty. She had previously qualified as a social worker but left after becoming disillusioned with the way the system works
• Finally Ralph and Niki were a couple who had got together relatively recently, and were slightly reserved from the group. Ralph is American, whereas Niki has Columbian parents, although she was brought up largely in the US

So a varied group, all of whom have travelled widely and have many stories to tell

Week 4, Day 26

Waking up the next morning we could actually see that we were overlooking a big bay – we had heard the surf all night but hadn’t been able to see it. I was the first to climb down over the rocks to the beach, and I sat and enjoyed the waves for a bit before breakfast. Our guides had said how beautiful it would be, but I think I have been spoilt by Cornwall

The facilities were basic, as I suppose you would expect at an eco camp. The journey by minibus (we were split into two) was then tortuous along badly maintained roads, to Waerebo lodge. We had expected to pick up a picnic lunch here and take with us, but it wasn’t ready so we waited until it was and ate on sight before moving on to where we would start our trek that day

The climb to Waerebo village was 70% uphill, 20% flat and 10% down again. I found it very hard indeed, probably because of the remnants of what I am sure was a Covid infection at the beginning of this trip – I was always trying to catch my breath. The rest of the group were keen to crack on and we probably didn’t rest enough on the way. By the time we reached the village I had what felt like a migraine and I was feeling sick, so much so that I all I wanted to do was to lie down with my eyes shut. I was not interested in eating dinner, and also missed the opportunity to look inside one of the huts used by the local families

The Waerebo live in these conical shaped buildings, with different families sharing each one, with a communal kitchen space in the middle. There are very detailed rules on who can marry who, for example, with ‘clans’ being controlled. One clan cannot mix with another more than once by marriage for a number of generations, but first cousins getting married seems to be ok. Guido’s family lives in the area (his aunt seemed to run the Waerebo lodge where we had had lunch) and understood a lot of their ways, and spoke the same language. When we arrived we went straight to the chief’s hut and were presented and permission sought to take photos etc

Week 4, Day 27

Guido was adamant that the ‘tribe’ were living as they always had, and were not doing anything different for the tourists. I am not sure this really rung true as there were a lot of tourists and payment was made for our visit. There were items for sale such as sarongs and friendship bracelets. The hut were we were invited to sleep was built in the last decade, big enough for about 30 people to sleep in a circle on mattresses with sheets and pillows. There was another of similar design where other tourists slept and we were served basic food (largely rice and eggs).

Luckily I found the walk down much easier than the day before, helped by a ride on the back of a moped for the last part – it had been offered the day before on the way up but I had passed up the opportunity thinking I was able to walk it all – I should have paid the 50k idr and saved my breath!

We had to travel back along the road we had used the day before – an hour and a half of bumping along at a snails pace, before several more hours on marginally better roads, back to our hotel at Labuan Bajo

The sunset at the hotel and swim in the pool were luxury after the conditions of the previous 2 days!

Week 4, Day 28

We spent the next 3 nights on a houseboat sailing around the Flores coast and Komodo National Park.

First we went north from Labuan Bajo and were then taken in two groups in tenders to an area of the sea for snorkelling. The only snorkelling I have ever done was the bit in the Caribbean in April, and I never wore flippers. This time we climbed over the edge of the boat into the sea and assumed we could all crack on – I forgot everything including how to use the mouthpiece, and struggled to swim with the flippers on. Joe was in the water with a ring and I used this to initially catch my breath, before deciding to swim to the beach on a small island straight away (our intended finish point), so I could start again. I took off the flippers and re-entered the water, and worked it out ok, but stayed in the shallows next to the beach. The coral and tiny fish were amazing and I think I benefited from my actions as the others seemed to agree that the snorkelling was better in the shallow waters than it had been where they were initially dropped off.

We then moved to Rangko Cave, a salt water pool inside some cliffs which we climbed down into. The rocks were slippery, but the pool was lovely and cool, and so easy to float in the salt water

From the beach where the Cave was we had our first experience of kayaking. I had initially asked if I could have a single kayak, but when the kayaks were brought to shore there were only doubles available. Jan asked if we could share and it turned out to be a perfect pairing – whilst Jan hadn’t kayaked before she had done a lot of rowing in an outrigger at home and was used to keeping time with others in the team. We decided I would sit in the front and she was in the back, and basically copied my strokes. We soon worked out the best ways to turn the boat and we received many favourable comments for the way we worked together and kept time – we looked like we had been kayaking together for ever.

We covered about 5.5km, along the coast, admiring the flying fish we saw along the way.

Our houseboat had 3 levels, and we were able to go up top on the sun deck to admire the sunset each evening, and sunrise in the morning.

We slept in 4 cabins. I was sharing with Jan, Billie and Fiona, sleeping on two bunk beds, in a basic but air conditioned room, at sea level. There were two bathrooms we shared with the other room of 4, and the two rooms of 3 on the next floor had two bathrooms of their own. The bathroom had flushable toilets, bins for the toilet paper, and basic showers. Whilst the showers made everything wet including the toilet, we were standing on a decked floor which drained the water away without having to stand in liquid at every visit.

Week 5, Day 29

After an amazing sunrise, the boat moved onto Kellor island having been anchored overnight

A small but steep and difficult hike to the top of the island gave us a perfect view of the beach and islands below

The kayaking this time was a bit longer, about 8km, around the coast of Flores, to Strawberry rock (named because of its red colour)

We followed the mango swamps along the coast, and were able to see lots of starfish and other creatures in the shallow waters.

After lunch we went snorkelling again. This time I just wore my boat shoes instead of using the flippers, and was much more confident jumping out from the main boat. This time we saw a turtle, as well as lots of amazingly beautiful fish. I didn’t have an underwater camera or a go-pro, but Malena shared these pictures she took

That evening we sailed to Kalong island which is famous for the flying foxes (fruit bats) that fly from their cave over the bay every night at dusk – they looked like big birds to me, and I failed to catch any in a picture. Whilst we were waiting we saw a rainbow, and Guido got very excited as he had never seen a complete rainbow before!

Week 5, Day 30

The last day on the boat and we were off to see the Komodo dragons. These animals are left over from the dinosaur age – huge cold blooded reptiles which can reach up to 3m in length. They exist on a small number of Indonesian islands including Komodo and Rinca. The largest number of nearly 2,000 live in Komodo National Park on Komodo island. Surprisingly the island is still inhabited by humans, of about the same number – apparently their village is surrounded by a barrier in the hope of keeping the dragons out, but they do sometimes penetrate it. A lot of the locals act as guides, to accompany up to 1,000 tourists a day along a choice of 3 very distinct, marked trails, in the hope of spotting one or more of these beasts.

We had an early start as the boat set sail at 5am to get us to the island, the best time to see the dragons being early morning before they disappeared away from the sun’s rays.

We were lucky enough to come across 7 in total, 5 males (although not the really big ones) and a couple of smaller ones about a year old. Some of the group were convinced the dragons had been fed to please the tourists and felt uncomfortable at being photographed with them. The guides were keen to get loads of photos for each of us and were skilled in making it looks as if we were closer than we were. I assume they were keen to ensure the photos got shown on social media etc, to keep the flow of tourists coming. As always it is an extremely difficult job to balance the needs of wild animals with the poverty stricken local community. I don’t believe you can really blame the locals for maximising what they could from this dangerous local resource they were compelled to co-exist with, although I drew the line at having a photo looking as if I was actually stroking the dragon, as this felt as if it diminished the animal rather than respected it.

The guides were carrying sticks in a specific shape and we found out afterwards this was so they could pin down a dragon’s leg if it advanced too far. We thought perhaps it was used to pin the dragon down around his neck, but apparently their necks are too strong and this would be ineffectual. The dragons mouths contain up to 50 types of bacteria and at least one is poisonous and will kill its prey if bitten. Humans are sometimes bitten as well, but there isn’t an anti venom as such, it is just essential to wash the wound to get the bacteria out. The biggest problem is blood loss as the dragons don’t just bite and leave a mark, they rip away all the flesh so that there is a gaping wound. When killing their prey (usually deer or wild boar) they go for the stomach after bringing their victim down, and rip the insides out. They are solitary creatures, but are attracted by blood so if there is an animal that has been killed this will attract other dragons. They use their tongues to smell and can pick up scents up to 4km away. We were advised that any menstruating females should make that fact known to the guides. They can run up to 20 km/hr, and will swim if they have to, chasing their prey into the water.

The females lay eggs around August and September after the mating season and then go away and leave the eggs in the nest. A lot of eggs are eaten by predators like, ironically, the wild boars. When the baby dragons are born they instinctively climb the surrounding trees as protection against being eaten by the adult dragons, and feed themselves on insects etc. The mother does not nurture the young.

There were some frenzied market stalls selling souvenirs at the end of our tour, and our haggling skills were tested – I am sure a lot of us paid over the odds for what we bought, but I personally felt there had to be some compensations for living in such a difficult place

We were not allowed to kayak from the beach in Komodo so instead we got into our kayaks from the houseboat. The wind and currents were strong and it was the hardest kayak yet, to cross the bay and around a couple of headlands until we reached ‘pink beach’. Here the ‘sand’ is a pink hue, because of the red coral pieces mixed in with the sand.

We snorkelled twice in the afternoon – once we were attempting to sight manta rays which migrate through the channel to the east of Komodo. We were not fortunate to see any, probably because the season for this migration is May, although there were a lot of other divers and people snorkelling in an attempt to see at least one.

Finally we crossed to Turtle Bay, and snorkelled, this time in the hope of seeing the turtles. The current was strong, and I was still not wearing flippers – I found it hard work this time to keep up with the others who seemed to be swimming much faster than me. Whilst the coral and fish were lovely, I didn’t see any turtles at all, and felt that the best snorkelling for me had been the first time when the coral seemed brighter and more colourful just off the beach

That evening Guido told us about his experiences on Komodo – apparently he had spent 6 months working on the islands of Komodo and Rinca, as part of his university studies. He had a couple of very close escapes from a particular dragon – once when he was collecting water from a well like they did every day, to water the plants, but he hadn’t brought his stick, and instead had to resort to throwing a stone at the dragon’s head to try and get it to go away. The dragon seemed to remember him after that and he had another close shave with the same one when he was showing some Chinese tourists around one morning.

A friend of Guido was bitten by a dragon and was only saved because there happened to be a boat nearby which could rush him to a local hospital to wash the bacteria out and stop the bleeding from the huge flesh wound in his leg. In another case a tourist was bitten when he ventured on the island after being told it was closed for the day, and was only saved because a guide heard him screaming after being bitten. A local girl was killed by a dragon with her father unable to save her. Guido had purposefully not told us about these stories before we visited! Joe had shown us some videos the night before, featuring a dragon eating a deer which was alive and bleating. Guido remembered a dragon had eaten a monkey whole and the monkey’s shouts could be heard from the dragon’s stomach. Very difficult animals to live alongside.

Week 5, Day 31

A special speed boat had been arranged to collect me from the houseboat at 8.30am as I was having to catch an earlier flight back to Bali than the rest of the group. I was actually going to miss the last night, and farewell dinner, as well as a last snorkelling and kayaking session, but I had another tour to join in NZ, and was flying out of Bali later that day

I had some breakfast before we left. The food on the houseboat had been amazing, with lots of variety and beautifully presented. These 2 photos were taken by Fiona during the trip, with the chef, Ralph, in pink, overseeing one of the displays. I was, however, looking forward to eating sitting on a chair at the table rather than on the floor!

Just before I left Guido showed off a fish that the crew had caught off the back of the boat

The transfer to the airport at Labuan Bajo was seamless, and I flew back to Bali without issue. I then transferred to International departures before boarding the overnight 7 hour flight to Auckland, NZ, at 6pm. But that’s a story for a different blog…

Goodbye Indonesia – some highlights and some surprises. I cant imagine I will rush back to Bali, but there are other parts of Indonesia which could be interesting to see – the Orangutan trip sounds amazing!