i touched a snake

hi there.  i'm back from bali and have unpacked first thing and settled in nicely.  i mention unpacking because i'm really slack when it comes to unpacking and usually take a week or more.  shocking i know.  i hardly bought anything, well not much.  i bought myself a magnifying mirror on a stand.  it was half price and although it's only 5x it is great.  i have a 15x one but it's very small.  i bought another small painting. i didn't travel with my sister which was a bit weird as everyone asked about her. i missed her.  bali has changed so much since my last trip.  they are bringing in a new law soon which will control the building of new hotels etc.  hence, everyone is going nuts and building new huge, ugly, western style, luxurious hotels.  and shopping centres.  huge with only name brand expensive shops and right next door to the old style markets.  we stayed in sanur for two days which was a really nice change and went to the night markets for dinner both nights. it's on the east coast and is much quieter than kuta where we usually stay.  we were planning to go to lovina on the north coast but fell into a lazy bali mode and it just didn't happen. that's why i hardly bought much although i did manage some presents for the kids.  i ate lots of great food, drank lots of delicious juice (mango and avocado mostly).  we caught up with lots of friends and had a massage or two.  Putu has been in hospital with dengue fever and is already back at work.  the weather was really hot but we enjoyed lovely breezes and swam a lot.  one of the hotels was brand new and very nice while the other two were more basic but still quite good.  i have to tell you that i touched a snake.  it was like velvet and so soft it amazed me.  we came across a man and a woman from the bali reptile rescue group and stopped to talk.  i would have given them a donation if i'd realized where they were from at the time.  the man was from australia and he had about two or three smallish snakes around his wrist.  the lady had a huge albino python around her shoulders.  of course all of them were active because of the weather.  i touched the python on his middle but wasn't game to go near his head.  he was quite tame apparently.  :)  i traveled to via darwin and from via sydney which i have to say i dreaded but found quite easy really.  years ago we came back through sydney and it was hell.  a sea of people all pushing in and it took forever.  i had to travel on a shuttle bus to the domestic terminal to get home.  i didn't sleep until later that night and feel fine now.  i am covered with very itchy mozzie bites although i used mozzie spray.    i'm going to add some photos (of course).  the new airport is pretty specky but is still having teething problems.  we waited in the new departure lounge and my flight wasn't called.  a girl directed us to some stairs and we went down to the old airport.  the pa wasn't working and it was crowded and hot.  our plane was delayed for over an hour so i was relieved to get on board. when we were taxiing out to take off the man behind me started vomiting violently.  omg it was horrible.  everyone was strapped in and the crew couldn't help him until the seatbelt light went out.  i love going away but one of the best things about travelling is coming home.  sorry for such a long post.

our first very basic hotel.  i grew quite fond of it.  at least it was clean.

Ipul after a swim

fire dancers at skygarden

my favourite beach.  geger beach.  i didn't recognise it.  there were at least three new hotels.  huge and very crowded

the new toll road built over benoa harbour.  all materials and workers came over from java.  a huge undertaking. 

my beautiful wooden carved bed.  a brand new room room was very welcome

our dear friend Putu who has been laid low with dengue fever for a while now

hard rock hotel

the wall light in my room.  lovely

i'd like one of these

i didn't taste it.  shiny tea sounds delish doesn't it?

folding bike. very useful

cremation procession down the main street.  when they got to the roundabout they went around it really fast many times to confuse the evil spirits

treehouse restaurant.  my favourite

music shop.  i got my son's christmas present.  lots of ukuleles

i love you too.  there were several of these down our lane