SATURDAY, 2/14/15
It’s Valentines Day. There are decorations around at the mall, etc. It’s a mostly “western” holiday, but retailers will try to make some money if they can. Our time today is spent packing and prepping for our trip tomorrow to Bali. Judy was in the US such a short time (4 days) she didn’t get adjusted to the time change in Texas. I spent 7 days and it was enough time to get adjusted, and now I’m going to get to flip my body clock back to China.
Packing is problematic because we’re going to a tropical climate. All our “summer” clothes are packed away. There’s lot of digging and searching, trying to find appropriate clothing for the beach. We eventually find everything we need and head to bed.
SUNDAY, 2/15/15
We need to be at the airport at 6:45 am. I figured early on a Sunday, we wouldn’t have a problem getting a taxi, even if the “migration” was going on. The “migration” references the Chinese New Year tradition of families returning to their homes for family reunions. In Beijing alone, the government is anticipating 8 million people leaving the city. There is a mad scramble for train and plane tickets leading up to the holiday with scalpers buying train tickets by the hundreds in advance.
I was wrong! There were 4 taxis parked in front of our complex, and none of them wanted to go to the airport? We were ignored by more than 20 empty taxis as they drove past. I eventually offered one of the taxis sitting at the complex 200rmb (regular trip is 80rmb) to take us, and he started loading our suitcases. The airport express highway traffic was thick, but moving. At our terminal, the line of taxis pulling in was backed up. It took an additional 10 minutes to get to the terminal doors. It was reminiscent of the APEC conference holiday traffic at the train station. We got checked in and went straight to immigration and security. The lines were long, but moved steadily. We are way too familiar with this airport!
We’re flying Singapore Airlines for the first time on this trip. It’s a relaxing flight and the seats are comfortable, in spite of the tight spacing. The difference between flight attendants on the various airlines is striking. The Asian airlines especially seem to have a mold their attendants must fit. As they walk through the airports, they travel in groups, dressed very strictly in their colorful uniforms.
Our flight to Singapore takes 6 hours. We kill a couple of hours on the layover and then board our flight to Bali, on schedule for a two-hour flight. We are on schedule when we disembark at the Bali airport. There is a visa procedure requiring purchase on arrival. It’s $35 per person. The lines are really long (40-50 people in each of the 6 lines). Our travel company, Country Holidays, had sent info two weeks earlier about a new service available allowing pre-payment, and I told them we were interested. I sent them the money, and now we’re looking for our contact. I had a phone number, but my phone won’t work in Bali. After 5 minutes, an agent comes through with our name on a sign, and he walks us to the front of the line (past some frustrated looks). Then he walks us through the diplomatic “fast pass” immigration line. This was well worth the money. We find our luggage, and again, we breeze through customs. What was probably at least an hour, took 5 minutes, after he found us.
Denpaspar Airport
He walks us out and finds our driver and guide. They load our luggage in the van while I find a money-changer, and we head out for Ubud, a 50-minute drive. I slept through supper on the Singapore-Bali leg of the trip, and my stomach is growling. The driver stops at a KFC for me to get something quick. It was jammed with people. After a 10-minute wait in a line that never moved, we walked out empty-handed. The driver stopped down the road at a Circle K (yes, in Bali). I grabbed some soft drinks and Pringles, and we continue on to the hotel.
The main road to Ubud was narrow, but we turn off on an alley (or less). The driver and guide seem a little confused, but we eventually find the hotel entrance road (this was a really narrow road, down a steep hill). It’s around 11:00 pm when we arrive at the Kayumanis Ubud. We are walked to our villa, and WOW! It’s a huge private walled area with our own pool, outdoor living area, bathroom, and dressing area (yes, outdoors, covered but no walls). If everything else about this hotel is this great, we’re going to be living it up. Tomorrow will tell.
Villa entrance
Living area
Heading toward the bed & bath area
Yep, no walls
