2001 was my third and final year at teachers college. I had stayed at home while studying so that I could study without working to live. With the end of my studies looming so was my time at home. My parents inevitably saw this coming and decided to take the family on one last 'family' holiday. But rather than the family holidays we were used to (Waikanae Beach, Taupo or Waiheke Island), my parents went all out and took us too Bali, with a short stop over in Sydney on the way.
We went during the school holidays at the end of September, only a few weeks after 9/11 and security at the airports were TIGHT! Everywhere had very vigilant and stringent airport security, scanners, rules and regulations. We didn't feel scared or vulnerable, in fact rather safe given the new security measures. Besides, given what we had watched on TV and was still making front page news, we were only too happy to oblige.
In Sydney we stayed in an innercity hotel so that we could explore the city for the few days we were there. We did all the touristy things one expects to do in Sydney - touch the Sydney Opera House, visit Taronga Zoo, ride the Monorail and walk through Chinatown and the Chinese Gardens. An old school friend Linda was living in Sydney and met us for the trip to the Zoo. Her brother had been a friend of Lexi's and the four of us went out drinking on night too.
Lexi, Lee and I shared a room at the hotel and Lexi was dismayed at the Australian's audacity to put a powerful bleach in their hotel soaps. We had great joy in reassuring him that in fact they didn't, he just hadn't been back playing on steam trains since the last time he's washed his hands with soap.
After a few days we flew across Australia and the Indian Ocean to Bali, Indonesia. We stayed at The Grand Bali Beach Resort Hotel in Sanur. It was one of those grand resorts you dream of, with multiple restaurants, swimming pools, spa rooms and of course a beach at the front door. We spent many hours in and around the pool, but to get a lounge chair you had to be out at 6am, and that's just ridiculous!
While we did some shopping, I wasn't a big fan. Bartering was common practice and not something I was good at. I didn't like being harrased and poked and prodded by vendors trying to badger me into buying from them. We soon realised that it wasn't cheaper to buy things in Bali and decided to do more cultural exploration of the island.
We found a small tour company that took van loads of tourists to local spots. Given we were a family of five we managed to get a tour guide to ourselves most times. And we asked for the same guy, Mardi. He was a lovely, young guy that spoke good English and had a genuine interest in showing us his home. He took us to temples and told us about the history and religious significance of each place. I was most excited to see the rice terraces that seemed to be common place in the countryside.
One evening we visited a Monkey Forest where the wild monkeys were in their hundreds, and sneaky buggers too. I have several photos of monkeys climbing all over both Dad and Lee when they thought they had food in their pockets. That same night we went to a show of Balinese dancing. It was rather exotic, but went on and on and on.
We also did one of my favourite life experiences (so far), ride Elephants. At an Elephant Safari park, we could feed the elephants and talk to them before getting on. I was a little skeptical and didn't want to ride alone, so Mum rode with me. Lee went on her own while Dad and Lexi got the rogue, young, Elephant. This elephant ran along the track, ran off the track, head butted a tree to get a coconut down, and leant over a cliff to get leaves from a tree. Needless to say, they were fairly happy to get off at the end. In the gift shop they had paintings done by the elephants and I really regret not buying one, but I do have a small key chain and lots of photos.
We spent a whole day at the water park, it even had a bar in the middle of the pool. I enjoyed relaxing on the slow rides and drinking at the pool, while Lee and Lexi spent ages going on the fast rides. I'd had my hair braided at this point - not a look that I will repeat, but at the time was something that you do when you're on a tropical island.
On Mum's birthday we went to see the sunset at Tanah Lot. Tanah Lot is a temple, built by monks many years ago on the edge of a cliff. Over the years the sea has eroded the cliff and the high tide now cuts it off from the main land. While we were there construction was going on to strengthen the temple and the cliff from eroding into the sea. It was a very spiritual place and a beautiful sight. I only wish now that I had my wonderful camera back then. That evening we had dinner at a small, local restaurant down on the beach. We sat at a table in sand, where a rogue group of reggae singers were busking up and down the beach. We asked the to sing Happy Birthday to Mum, but they clearly didn't know the song, resulting in the longest and funniest Happy Birthday singalong I've ever been part of.
After a wonderful family holiday we came home with many memories and some sadness that this was likely to be the last time the five of us went on a family holiday together. Until this holiday I was always jealous of friends and my cousin that travelled overseas. I wanted to travel too. But I learnt here that I would remember and appreciate this experience now that I was older and that made so much more sense to me now. And, it was cemented in me now, travel was something I had to do a lot more of.
We went during the school holidays at the end of September, only a few weeks after 9/11 and security at the airports were TIGHT! Everywhere had very vigilant and stringent airport security, scanners, rules and regulations. We didn't feel scared or vulnerable, in fact rather safe given the new security measures. Besides, given what we had watched on TV and was still making front page news, we were only too happy to oblige.
In Sydney we stayed in an innercity hotel so that we could explore the city for the few days we were there. We did all the touristy things one expects to do in Sydney - touch the Sydney Opera House, visit Taronga Zoo, ride the Monorail and walk through Chinatown and the Chinese Gardens. An old school friend Linda was living in Sydney and met us for the trip to the Zoo. Her brother had been a friend of Lexi's and the four of us went out drinking on night too.
Lexi, Lee and I shared a room at the hotel and Lexi was dismayed at the Australian's audacity to put a powerful bleach in their hotel soaps. We had great joy in reassuring him that in fact they didn't, he just hadn't been back playing on steam trains since the last time he's washed his hands with soap.
After a few days we flew across Australia and the Indian Ocean to Bali, Indonesia. We stayed at The Grand Bali Beach Resort Hotel in Sanur. It was one of those grand resorts you dream of, with multiple restaurants, swimming pools, spa rooms and of course a beach at the front door. We spent many hours in and around the pool, but to get a lounge chair you had to be out at 6am, and that's just ridiculous!
While we did some shopping, I wasn't a big fan. Bartering was common practice and not something I was good at. I didn't like being harrased and poked and prodded by vendors trying to badger me into buying from them. We soon realised that it wasn't cheaper to buy things in Bali and decided to do more cultural exploration of the island.
We found a small tour company that took van loads of tourists to local spots. Given we were a family of five we managed to get a tour guide to ourselves most times. And we asked for the same guy, Mardi. He was a lovely, young guy that spoke good English and had a genuine interest in showing us his home. He took us to temples and told us about the history and religious significance of each place. I was most excited to see the rice terraces that seemed to be common place in the countryside.
One evening we visited a Monkey Forest where the wild monkeys were in their hundreds, and sneaky buggers too. I have several photos of monkeys climbing all over both Dad and Lee when they thought they had food in their pockets. That same night we went to a show of Balinese dancing. It was rather exotic, but went on and on and on.
We also did one of my favourite life experiences (so far), ride Elephants. At an Elephant Safari park, we could feed the elephants and talk to them before getting on. I was a little skeptical and didn't want to ride alone, so Mum rode with me. Lee went on her own while Dad and Lexi got the rogue, young, Elephant. This elephant ran along the track, ran off the track, head butted a tree to get a coconut down, and leant over a cliff to get leaves from a tree. Needless to say, they were fairly happy to get off at the end. In the gift shop they had paintings done by the elephants and I really regret not buying one, but I do have a small key chain and lots of photos.
We spent a whole day at the water park, it even had a bar in the middle of the pool. I enjoyed relaxing on the slow rides and drinking at the pool, while Lee and Lexi spent ages going on the fast rides. I'd had my hair braided at this point - not a look that I will repeat, but at the time was something that you do when you're on a tropical island.
On Mum's birthday we went to see the sunset at Tanah Lot. Tanah Lot is a temple, built by monks many years ago on the edge of a cliff. Over the years the sea has eroded the cliff and the high tide now cuts it off from the main land. While we were there construction was going on to strengthen the temple and the cliff from eroding into the sea. It was a very spiritual place and a beautiful sight. I only wish now that I had my wonderful camera back then. That evening we had dinner at a small, local restaurant down on the beach. We sat at a table in sand, where a rogue group of reggae singers were busking up and down the beach. We asked the to sing Happy Birthday to Mum, but they clearly didn't know the song, resulting in the longest and funniest Happy Birthday singalong I've ever been part of.
After a wonderful family holiday we came home with many memories and some sadness that this was likely to be the last time the five of us went on a family holiday together. Until this holiday I was always jealous of friends and my cousin that travelled overseas. I wanted to travel too. But I learnt here that I would remember and appreciate this experience now that I was older and that made so much more sense to me now. And, it was cemented in me now, travel was something I had to do a lot more of.
No comments:
Post a Comment