Big fat backpack and noisy eaters
First stop, really heavy backpack. We arrived at Heathrow looking like we were eager to collect our Duke of Edinburgh award, ready to spend the next 17 hours practicing the art of not getting irritable at other peoples bodily noises (the basics, like eating, breathing, living) whilst conveniently ignoring ones own. Two planes, many films and 'I wonder if the brace position does actually save your life' later we had arrived in the land of sun, rattan furniture and cheeky monkeys. Bali.
A Dicky Belly
Bali is an incredible sensory wonder. The warmth, the buzz of people and mopeds, the chorus of wildlife and waves. If you're lucky, you may also experience the unease in your belly as you question whether you will throw up or shit your pants. As I am somewhat risk aware and some may say anal/controlling at times, I took the executive decision to not let the tap water even so much as look at my toothbrush, LET ALONE TOUCH IT. The same couldn't be said for my fun-loving, free-roaming, relaxed sister and partner who ended up with sparkly teeth, but not so sparkly pants. That will teach them for letting their hair down on holiday.
The Grass is always Greener... Seminyak
Joining my sister Katie in Bali was rather wonderful. Katie lives in Australia, alongside my other brother Dan, leaving me and my OTHER brother Oli reflective of our mundanely boring, predictable and yet magical livelihoods in the UK. I am aware that social media is usually full of great lighting, filters and angles, but that was until we reached Seminyak. The land of beautiful slender gals and mini mustachio Australians. Even in real life these bronzed, mullet haired cool kids made me feel like a pasty over packed Richmond sausage. A few 'bad Dobby's' and 'I am enough' through gritted teeth later I was ready to drop the insecurity bullshit and take in my surroundings for the next two weeks. A couple of lessons learnt here: 1. You don't need to 'get ready' for a trip. 2. Don't wait until a trip to 'feel' a certain way, I can ensure you those pesky thoughts have a funny way of making an appearance. To those thoughts and feels we say, "hey old friend lets go on an adventure!".
Big fat sausage fingers and even bigger questions
I label myself as quite an intiuitive being, at least I want to believe I am. At the start of last year, something fishy was brewing. Special friend Reece was up to something, at the time I couldn't put my finger on it. Either he was plotting to run away from me, or prepping the most creative and thoughtful proposal of all time. Fortunately it was the latter and the treasure hunt commenced in the form of a message in a bottle before we left for the airport. For those of you who roll your eyes about other peoples proposals, bare with, let me condense days of live-laugh-love into a few sentences. After a series of cryptic clues, treasure maps, involvement from confused family members and Etsy's best tea stained Pirates of the Caribbean style scroll paper, I found myself standing on the edge of a cliff at sunset in Nusa Cenigan. Either Reece was suprising me with the most excessive birthday treasure hunt or he was about to pop his shakey knee into the dusty grass behind me. I did think at the time 'this would make an amazing proposal' but don't get your hopes up incase you turn around and he's giving you the most anti climatic birthday hug. Staring out into the sea I felt a nudge on the back of my knee. Surely not. HE'S ONLY GONE AND DONE IT. YEEEES!
Irrational Thoughts and Natural Disasters
When I have something to be excited about, my brain does this amazing thing of counter balancing the joy by finding something for me to worry about. The chosen worry for this trip was... drumroll please... Tsunami's!!! Cue teeny tiny flat island combined with trip advisor forums on big waves and the Gili Islands. The people have spoken, John from Bristol said "a real tsunami there would basically kill everyone with a very high chance" another from Debbie in Pool, stated "I am purchasing an inflatable life jacket to take with me. Just to have in the room in the chance something should happen." I parked my internet searches there and decided to push my risk management clipboard to the bottom of my backpack.
Once we arrived at Gili Air, we were greeted by horse and cart, crystal clear waters, smiley locals and quaint little signs featuring a running person, a wave and an arrow. After seeing an array of these frightening signage choices I decided to make peace with having no control over the ocean and aformentioned non existent evacuation plans. Two days later, relaxing at the beach, book in hand and Bintang in the other, my fears began to grow. As I peeped over my novel on 'A guide to being a worry-wart' the tide had retreated, eerily showcasing rocks and sea creatures. I then remembered the sea is allowed to have a tide and I need to chill the fuck out and throw away my Final Destination boxset.
Welcome to my crib
A massive highlight of my time in Indonesia were the rather beautiful & charming Air B&B's. For a quarter of the price of Lenny Henry's bed. The selection of somwhat more affordable pleasing on the eye accomodation really does put your local Premier Inn to shame. To summarise, Indonesia really is a sensory overlaod, not in the "I'm about to have a panic attack" kind of overload, more in a 'wow life isn't so mundane' way, a tingling reminder of the present moment.
Let me summarise:
Bali - Seminyak : Thick warmth, slight drain smell, beautiful people, avacado on toast, bronzed Surfers, wavy beaches, incense, australian accents, motorbikes.
Gili Islands - Gili Air: Jingle bells, horse & carts, dusty paths, white sand, prayers from the mosque, abandoned hotels, bicycles, rickety huts.
Gili Islands - Gili T: Bicycles, empty beach clubs, sugayr cocktails, horses, beanbags on the beach, distant loud music.
Bali - Ubud: Hot rain, traffic, cars, monkeys, yoga mats, temples, birds tweeting, incense, Eat Pray Love vibes, lots of people 'finding themselves'.
On that note of broken English and short sentences. That's all for today. Thanks for coming along the adventure.
Bella xxx
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