During the last month of orange farming there was only one thing that pulled me through: Bali. As soon as I booked the ticket I couldn’t stop day dreaming about beautiful beaches, tremendous temples and fingerlicking-good food. At the 28th of November the day I longed for was finally there: I’m flying to Bali baby!
From Melbourne to Bali by air
If you fly to Bali, make sure you book a return ticket, otherwise you will not be allowed on the flight. I only realized this during check in at Melbourne Tullamarine airport… shit! I quickly booked a return ticket and a few hours later
I was high up in the sky.
Halfway during the flight the pilot announced that the weather above the outback was unusually clear, and told us all to look out the window. “You’ll first see it on the right side, then I’ll make a turn so that people who are sitting on the left side of the plane also get a chance to see it.” And there she was: Uluru! A trip to Ayers Rock has always been on top of my bucket list, so you can imagine I was happy like a child. Uluruuuuuuu!
Beautiful but busy, busy Bali
The last time I visited Bali was 6 years ago, and, wow, so much has changed! I noticed the change as soon as I arrived at the airport. The cute, little airport where everything was made out of wood made place for a big, modern airport, servicing many in- and outbound flights day in day out.
After my airport shuttle didn’t show up and some haggling with the locals I jumped in a car who brought me to my first destination, a hotel in Seminyak. During the drive I gazed out of the window, looking at all the cars and thousands of motorbikes driving around in one big chaos. A huge smile appeared on my face: I’m back in South-East Asia <3
Paparazzi!
When I arrived at the hotel I got upgraded to a room with a view over the rice fields because they had forgotten to pick me up from the airport. After dropping my always-too-heavy backpack in my room, I started my Bali holiday at the pool with a cold Bintang and a nasi goreng. YUM!
The next morning I got up early to watch the sunrise, and after a small breakfast I got settled in at the pool. Much to the delight of many guests. As soon as I sat down I was approached by a man who asked if he could take a photo with me. Oh boy, the joy of being a blue eyed Dutchie in Asia! I posed and gave him my most picture perfect smile and carried on doing my thing (aka working on my tan ;)). Photo after photo followed, but this time without a friendly request, by just standing in front of me or secretly pointing the camera at me. Poor Kim Kardash, I don’t know how she puts up with this every day!
New holiday, new hairdo!
3 months of working in a dusty orange shed had taken its toll on my hair, so I was in desperate need of a haircut. I discovered that a well-known Dutch hairdresser, Rob Peetoom, was located in Bali, so off I went. After saying goodbye to 1/3 of my hair (of course, I’m exaggerating, but it does feel like it) I went up to the front desk to pay. Because Rob Peetoom celebrated their 5th anniversary I got to spin a wheel of fortune, and won a free facial! The girl who gave me the facial was a 30 year old Dutchie herself, living as an expat in Bali. After a wonderful treatment and some good conversations about life in Bali I left the salon, feeling rejuvenated and fresh.
Tip: download Go Jek to get around. It’s like Uber, but instead you can order a ride on a motorbike which often costs you less than a dollar and gets you from A to B much faster than a taxi. And by looking at the crazy traffic, you’re much safer on the back of an experienced Balinese driver instead of risking your life trying it yourself 😉
In my next blog I’ll tell you more about being back in Bali. Make sure you follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook and don’t miss a thing! 🙂
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