Lombok: Kuta

We were picked up at 10.30 for the transfer to Kuta Lombok. Sooooooo glad to leave the hostel. The toilets & shower were GROSS! Owner was a bit odd too. Expecting the journey to be 3 hours we were pleasantly surprised when it took half that time. Sweet! With no accommodation booked the bus driver took us to a home stay.... 100IDR (aprox £5) for the room including breakfast. Sure it was basic but we had our own bathroom which didn't smell & was clean.  Nice. We booked for 2 nights & went for lunch at a local place round the corner. This was when we were introduced to the bracelet kids: young kids from the area who will hassle you to buy their bracelets. They all speak fantastic English which they later told me they had learned from their customers & have answers to any reason you tell them you are not interested!  They were cute to begin with, and despite us saying no several times, they just sat with you waiting until you said yes or they got bored. In the space of two hours we had probably been asked by about 20 individual kids to buy a bracelet,  even whilst walking down the beach they would stalk you. We kept walking & eventually managed to lose them.

The next 4 days & nights were spent in & around Kuta. Tatiana stayed 2 nights & Rob & Maura left the same day as me. I moved to their accommodation for 2 nights (Kuta bay) which was just within my budget & had a small pool. What a treat!  We hired mopeds twice & visited some wonderful beaches nearby. Lots of surfers. Its so unspoilt here. The guys all had a go at surfing (I watched). We ate at local restaurants. I had my first avocado juice. I was intrigued earlier in the week as I wondered how you juiced an avacado but it's actually mixed with coconut & chocolate.  I'm sure it was 1000 cals but it tasted delicious!

Don't kill me dad but I drove a moped for the first time!  It was near the beach on a very quiet road for about 10mis. Not sure if I'll brave it again but we'll see!  It's such a cheap way to get around & you see so much more. I may have revved it a tad too much & got scared trying to go up a sandy hill. The last night we went for dinner with an Aussie & Swiss guy we'd met at our accommodation.  The bracelet kids sat with us for most of the night & played games on Maura's Iphone.  They are so cute but I feel sad that they have to spend their afternoons & evening's hassling tourists (they do go to school in the morning). We did eat in a vegetarian restaurant in Kuta during our stay which gives 15% of their profits to underprivileged kids in the area. Made me feel a bit better. Next stop, Flores.

Lombok: Sengiggi

So for once in my life I was organised & packed the night before & good job because low & behold my pick up was 7am not 7.30!  No time for brekkie then, I quickly checked out & went to the van waiting for me. We picked up some other guests and then drove to Padangbai for the fast boat to Lombok. I arrived into the ferry port & there weren't many people getting off... Most were heading to the Gilli Islands. I overheard a couple speaking English & asked if they knew where to go, they were only flipping Irish! We shared a taxi and swopped details to meet up later. I got to my hostel where I'd booked to stay 2 nights in Sengiggi. There was a mosque at the end of the street with prayers being chanted really loudly out of a speakerphone.  There were no tourists. Where the hell was I? Maybe I should have done my research before actually arriving but remember this is the new me, living on the edge (erm something like that anyway!).  I was told my bed wasn't ready so I sat in the reception area hoping someone would turn up. A Swedish guy arrived who was pleasant but clearly didn't want to engage in any conversation.  Next thing I'm forced to go & sit down in front of a travel agent across the road to discuss my travel plans (I'd let slip to the hostel owner that I wasn't sure where to go). I was pretty tired & listening to him trying to sell me something was not how I pictured my day but I managed a 'I'll just have to think about it'.

Back at the hostel reception I sat there thinking about what to do & a friendly girl sat down. She was called Tatiana & was from America & had also just arrived & was thinking the same as me. Hurrah! We decided to go for a walk & see what Sengiggi had to offer. Wow, it was nothing like Bali. Really unspoilt.  Hardly any shops, bars & tourists. Later we banged into another few Westerner's (we all stuck out like sore thumbs) looking for accommodation.  We gave them some tips (from the few hours we had spent there), and mentioned we were going for 2 for 1 drinks on the beach later if they wanted to meet up. Things were looking up!

The beach bar was lovely.  Prices were a lot cheaper here than on Bali (I already thought Bali was pretty good vfm). We tried some cocktails containing the local tipple 'Arak', and enjoyed the live music & stunning sunset. We were now joined by the people we had met earlier, Rachel & Justin from the UK & Maura & Rob from Amsterdam. We all sat & chatted about travelling & life in general. What a great bunch. I wasn't quite feeling myself as I had the cold & I was tired from my day so an early night was in order.  Slept ok but the mosque has the chanting from the loudspeaker 5 times a day.... one of these is at 4.30am for 30mins. I managed to put my ear plugs in at this point!

The following day we went to the beach for a relaxing day. Not many people trying to sell you stuff here. This was good. That was until a group of boys arrived to play on the beach.  They were about 11-15 years old & clearly hadn't seen many ladies in bikinis (the island is 80% Muslim). Well they were coming over & wanting their photo with us, trying to practice their English. Then a group of girls around the same age joined them. There were probably 20 people crowding round us. It was funny to start but did get a bit annoying.  I wonder how many photos we now appear in!  We had a nice relaxing day & met up with the same gang for 2 for 1 drinks, then to a live music bar where the band were really good,  playing some U2, Coldplay & Mumford & Sons. Next stop, Kuta Lombok!

Hard to leave Bali

Hello! So I was glad to leave Ubud. Not that I didn't enjoy it, more that I was shit scared for 2 nights. A British woman who was staying alone was murdered the previous week. I'd also heard of attacks on other solo female travellers. I made sure I was home by 6pm & slept with my pen knife next to me. Shame really as I did like it there.

Back in Seminyak I headed to the hostel. Wasn't looking forward to it as I didn't enjoy it that much the previous week. I needn't have worried as the people that were there were really friendly.  There was talk of meeting that night at 8pm to go for dinner & drinks. Great! I walked down to the beach, had lunch with an Aussie guy I'd met on the way from Ubud. We shared some travel stories & then I headed back to the beach for a walk. Later I met everyone from the hostel. A decision was made to go to a club in Kuta (main touristy bit where all the Aussie's go... think Magaluf full of drunk Brits & you get the picture). We squeezed 9 of us into a 7 seater taxi, much to everyone's amusement!  The club was 50IDR (aprox £2.50) for entry, all you can eat buffet & free cocktails for an hour.  Nice!  Had a great night drinking & dancing with my new friends.

Next morning I didn't feel too clever.  It was raining too so an opportunity just to chill out at the hostel. After the rain passed I had a walk on the beach & some lunch.  Back at the hostel, a few of the guys had mentioned hiring mopeds & going to see sunset at a temple at Tannah Lot, about an hour away. There was no way I was driving one but one of the guys (the lovely Caley from Canada) offered to take me as a passenger.  He had a bike at home & was a Dr so I trusted him. We managed to convince a shop to hire us 7 bikes for 4 hours & after a lot of faffing, we were off. Omg I was terrified! I'd been on the back of a bike before but that was on a very quiet island near Vietnam with a local driving.  This was a place notorious for bike accidents. Somehow we made it & we walked around the temple grounds.  Lots of locals there. The sunset wasn't great due to clouds but was nice to see the place. We got back to the hostel, I needed a beer!! Then we had dinner & a drink in one of the cool beach bars.

Next day most of the people I'd met had left so the hostel was pretty quiet. Myself & Cara (lovely German girl I'd met a few days earlier) went to the beach in Seminyak with another girl we had just met.  Once on the beach we were hassled so much. Sunbed? Sarong? Ice cream? Bracelet? Sunglasses? Massage? Surf lesson? Honestly, it was relentless.  We discovered a way round it... pretend to be asleep! Although we did get rumbled by one woman. I wouldn't advise going to the beach there,  it's terrible! Shame as the actual beach itself is nice. Made the mistake of going to Aussie bar for lunch... worst & most expensive meal yet. I should know to stick to local food after the KFC incident in Bangkok... but that's another story.

Back at the hostel met my first Brit! Rosie from Cheltenham. I booked my ticket to Lombok for the following day. Had a coconut drink (yummy!) On the beach with Rosie & Cara, then we met Chili (Swiss guy I'd met the previous week) for tea. Watched some live music at a bar (they were really good actually & sang a few Beatles songs... always quite amusing in an Indonesian accent!). Tried to sleep back at the hostel as was being picked up at 7.30am the next morning but my roomies were chatting to me sharing stories & advice of places to go, things to see & I wasn't particularly tired anyway. My last night in Bali, for now anyway. Let's see what the islands bring.

Jackie x

I love Bali

Hello from a very hot & sweaty Bali. This might be a long one so sit yourself down with a nice cup of tea & read on....

Made it to my first hostel.  Bit weird sharing but good way to meet people & for keeping costs down. On my first night I met a lovely German girl called Alena. She had been travelling Oz for 8 months & was on her way back home, spending 6 weeks in Asia. She said she was moving on the next day & recommended the hotel.  The next morning we went for a walk around Seminyak. I didn't see to much of it as after 20mins walking we were allured by the cheapness of the massages. She was checking out of the hostel at 12 so we both opted for a 30min back, neck & shoulder massage.  Guess how much? £2 whole pounds. I kid you not. My back was a bit stiff from the flight so I lay there & shut my eyes & enjoyed the relaxation.  I can honestly say it was the best massage I've ever had. We walked back to the hostel & she said why don't I come with her. I had already paid for 4 nights. I said no & waited with her for her taxi. Then I thought why not just go.... I need to be more spontaneous! 5 mins later I'd checked out, managed to get a voucher for the remaining 3 nights & was on my way!

We got to the hotel & it was lovely.  The Serenity eco village in a place called Canggu.  It's an environmentally friendly place where the accommodation is made from bamboo, they recycle everything & you can do yoga. The pool area was so relaxing with water features everywhere & chill out areas with comfy cushions.  We booked a double room & no room number's here, it was called 'Freedom'. It was slightly over my budget but for 2 nights I thought I could make an exception.  So glad that I did. I loved it.

The next 2 days were  spent relaxing at the pool, going for walks down the beach, meeting new people & just having a great time.  Went to Echo beach, had dinner & lunch in a beach cafe, even did a morning yoga class (11 months of no exercise, I really struggled but I did it... maybe didn't fully enjoy it but it's a start!).  The location is really popular for surfing so met a few surfer dudes. By now our party had increased to 5. We were joined by Freddy & Helmut from Germany,  & Rebecca from Italy. We somehow managed to get the 5 of us, plus luggage & driver into a taxi.  No idea how! We headed to Ubud where we would spend the next 2 nights.  I'd booked us into a homestay so it's like a b&b I suppose where the owner's live there too & you have your own room, bathroom & private outside area.  The room was pretty basic but the owners were really lovely & welcoming  (amd it was cheap as chips!). They live in 1 room along with their 3 children. Cramped is an understatement. The wife (I cant remember her name) will bring your breakfast to the seating area outside your balcony every morning. There's a choice but all include fresh fruit salad. Yum.

That afternoon we visited the Monkey Forest, one of the top attractions in Ubud according to TripAdvisor.  The forest is right in the centre of the busy town so I didn't expect it to be so unspoilt. Large trees with tropical plants everywhere.  Amazing. You could buy bananas from sellers outside. One tourist had done this & before we had set foot into the forest a very cheeky monkey (pardon the pun!) grabbed the whole bunch from him & started eating them!  I laughed!! Some of the monkeys were a little bit scary as they were wild. One jumped onto Alena & tried to get into her bag, and scrached her a little on her back. It was a good place to visit but don't bring anything of any value as they'll be off with it!

I went to bed around 10pm as we were getting picked up at 2am to do the volcano trip.  Hardly slept! We were collected around 2.15am & drove to a cafe (if you could call it that, it was a little shack near a farm which smelt of manure,  nice!). We had a banana pancake & a cup of tea then headed to the volcano. I may have already mentioned but I'm not at my fittest at the moment so walking up the volcano in the dark, sharing a torch, wearing borrowed trainers, tired, I was probably not in the best of moods! It took us 2 hours to get to the top.  The sweat was driping off me & my glasses kept steaming up. Once at the top though, you could see the sun starting to break through the clouds. Wow,  it didn't feel real. We watched the sun come up in awe. A really magical experience.  As it started to get light, wild monkeys came out of nowhere. Bit traumatised by the forest earlier that day, I tried to keep my distance from them.  We ate banana sandwiches & a boiled egg for energy, were shown the smoke coming out of the volcano  then headed back down. Once back at the hotel, shattered wasn't  the word for it..... I was exhausted.  I didn't sleep long though as the rest of the guys were leaving early the next morning & I wanted to spend a bit of time with them.  I had decided to stay in Ubud on my own another 2 nights.  I wanted some chill out & recharge the batteries time. We went to the market where I wanted to buy EVERYTHING! So many lovely nick nacs; bracelets, earrings,  sarongs,  clothes, bags, you name it. I settled on a mirrored coaster... just £1!

I had some more sleep & went for dinner with the guys. Said my goodbyes & headed to bed. The next couple of days I pottered around Ubud and caught up on sleep.  Went to a pilates class at the yoga barn which I really enjoyed. The instructor was from Australia & the setting was very calm & serine.  I wish I could go again but im easing myself back into exercise. 
Met some nice people in a restaurant this afternoon. An American guy who's married to a lady from Bali & their son. They were telling me about the island.  They very kindly gave me a lift which saved me an hours walk. I was almost going with them to meet the whole family but I declined.  Everyone is so friendly here although you do have to have your wits about you as some want to rip you off! And you need to barter for everything! Realised I've not met anyone from the UK yet. It's been nice meeting people from other countries.... One of the aims of my trip!

Tomorrow I'm heading back to Seminyak for 2 or 3 nights then I might fly to an island called Flores. Or I might not! Who knows! Can't believe its been almost a week since I arrived.  Time going quickly already. I've booked to go to Singapore on the 18th June (going to stay with Val who I used to work with at Beaver Travel) so will be in Indonesia until then. Will try & make my blog a bit shorter next time!!

Jackie x  

I made it!

Apologies for not updating my blog for a few weeks, I've been crazy busy! Had the most amazing few weeks catching up with friend's & family. I think I managed to gain at least half a stone from all the eating & drinking. Healthier eating will be commencing once I've tried on my bikini & realise it doesn't fit. Oh wait, I have a tankini, phew!

My work leaving do was ace. Felt pretty ropy the next day but thankfully Costco pizzas were in order! I was given so many presents it was better than a birthday. Then spent the afternoon wearing said presents around the office: #selfie t-shirt, black & white floppy hat & some rather fetching pink tropical glasses! Then that night with hangover still very much present, I was forced to go out again...... only to find my friend's Faye & Lindsay had decided to visit me from Spain & France! What a lovely surprise. Sat night was my leaving do with friends & it was the best. So great to get all my friends together. Packing on Sunday with a hangover wasn't my best ever plan but I did it. My bag only weighed 17kg too. Pretty impressive for me!

So at present I'm sat at Doha airport waiting for my connection to Bali. Worked out the journey time will be 23 hours in total. This is the farthest I've ever traveled in my life. Managed to get into the exec lounge in Manchester for free. I think the receptionist took pity on me when she saw my tear stained & `omg what the hell am I doing` face! Was sat next to a lovely guy from Manchester on the flight who was a radio producer who was on his way to Muscat to see about a job over there. Sounded interesting. He'd ran the Manchester 10k the previous day so was walking liked he'd crapped himself! His words not mine!

Anyway the last couple of week's has made me realise how many amazing & fabulous people I have in my life. Honestly, as I sit here now I can't believe how lucky I am. This year is already turning out to be the best ever (although hard to beat 2007 & the HD results). From day trips up & down the UK, to dinner with friends. Girl`s nights in to coffee catch up's. I keep thinking it's all just a dream. And now here I am, on a 6 month trip visiting some wonderful places. I just feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

I don't think I've actually thought about what I'm about to embark on. I've been thinking about doing something like this for years, but now it's a reality.   I know it'll be tough at times & will be weird sharing hostels with strangers. But I will treat myself every so often so it's not so bad.

So I'm now at my first hostel. It's basic but not too bad. Been chatting to my roomies, who've been giving me lots of tips. Was very greatful for Becky-Jo's dad picking me up from the airport. We had a beer in a bar just round the corner from my hostel. Going to head to sleep now.... tiredness is taking over.

Big love
Jackie x

Less than 4 weeks to go!

Howdy! So just less than 4 weeks to go.... will I say it out loud in days?  Ok 26 days. OMG!  Is that right? (quickly tots up the days not using my app).  Ok it's 28 days. 26 if I don't include today or the day I go so er yeah not long then!.

Firstly I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who wrote on my Facebook page or spoke to me in person about the whole India/Philippines decision. I've thought about it a lot over the weekend, had a look on the tinternet and I am sill none the wiser.  So I've decided to send off for my visa anyway then at least when I am over that direction I can make the decision whether to go or not.  They do not make it easy to get an application for a visa for India I'm telling you! Ok I may have been a bit tired last night from drinking and packing over the weekend but it's not straightforward, or cheap. Over £100. Asking me where my mother was born.  I don't know!  Made it up.  Let's hope they don't read my blog!  TBH I don't know how they would find out.  I Googled it and I'm still not sure!  And now I'm totally paranoid that I've not signed a certain part of the form, my passport which already has my Vietnam visa in it is now in the hands of the Royal Mail & the India Embassy and I've got 26 days to sort it out if things go tits up. Keep your fingers crossed people!!

So as I type I am sat in my room in the house I've lived in for the last four years, surrounded by boxes.  This is starting to feel a bit real now.  This week is pretty busy as my things are going into storage this weekend, so having to get mega organised now.

And on that note, I better get on with my list.

And no I'm not excited yet. I know I should be a little but my mind is too preoccupied with sorting out boring stuff like bills, storage, insurance, post re-direction etc, etc. But you know what?  It will all be worth it (unless I have a nervous breakdown before then!). Next week I might be able to breathe a bit more and if you ask me then, I might give you a different answer!

Jackie x

India or The Philippines

Well its now less than 5 weeks to go & I'm blogging from my tablet as this is what I'll be using when I'm away. Not as easy as my laptop but I'm sure I'll get used to it!

So I can't quite believe than in less than 5 weeks I'll be almost at the other side of the world, enjoying tropical climates. Just feel like I'm going through the motions at the mo. Got a little stressed this week so now have one 'to do'  list, rather than three! I'm moving in about 2 weeks & going to stay with a friend for the last few weeks. Lots still to do but I'll get there.

I've been having a dilemma about part of my trip - going to India. My step mum recently returned from there & now her & my dad are worried about me going there alone. To be honest, I have been deliberating this since I booked the trip as I have read some horror stories but I'm always of the opinion that something could happen to me in the UK. So I've spoken to a few friends and I'm swaying towards going to The Philippines instead. I've got about a week to decide as I need to send off for my Indian visa if I do want to go. Any advice would be greatly accepted.

Oh and I apologise if I appear unorganised at the mo. To use the technical phrase, my head is up my arse!

Jackie

Ps this tablet is going to take some getting used to....15mins for this paltry effort.. oh dear...