Road trip day 2 - Another dive or two then journey from Tulamben to Menjangan - 19 February 2008

Bali map showing whereabouts for the day

I awake at 2.30 am with very bad stomach cramps. I get up and go into the bathroom – and watch the stars for a while – as the cramps begin to recede. Methinks I have a touch of "Bali belly". Very pleased that the bathroom is roofless – mind you Anita is more pleased than me! I creep back to bed – but Anita as always wakes up again. I lay awake until 6.30 – as she is getting up. Her ear is bad she will not be diving today – but intends to go and watch as it is a shore dive from just around from the hotel.

Me - minus the beard!

I try and fall asleep – but no joy. I pick up my book and read all the way through. I get up, shower and go and sit by the pool, over where Anita and Granddad are watching the ocean. I am feeling very hot – and my beard is somewhat ever so bushy, although its been less than a week since I had shaved it last. Anita suggests that maybe I should shave it off completely, so I traipse off to the room, and grab one of the two razors that I brought on holiday with me. Ten minutes later – both razors are very blunt – the beard is off – but the moustache remains!

I go and sit with Nanny who doesn't notice anything different about me. Granddad is the same – well until I tell them! When Andy gets back from his dive he notices – and tells me to shave off the moustache as well! – told me it looks gay. Trouble is – my razors are blunt and no-one has any spare ones – primarily because we are only away for a few days. The hotel does not have a shop that sells this kind of thing – and there are no shops close.

While we are chatting Roger advises that he has a trimming attachment on his electric razor – so goes off and gets it – and Anita does the business for me. It is off – much to the mirth of everyone around me. Roger in this case you a star – but that's probably the best thing I'm going to say about you.

Breakfast will be taken in a bit – but until the restaurant is open we sit around and chat, mainly about the dive. Seems that Mike has got a new nickname – from this particular dive – he is to be known as the "plough". No not because he is a star – but he had managed to stir up a load of debris and made the visibility very poor! Hehe

Kids at the pool edge

Everyone else goes into the restaurant with me a solitary figure around the pool. I had decided that the best thing for me – would be to starve myself – and hopefully clear up the Bali belly. It was a shame because the breakfast looked really nice

Again we sit around the pool and chat – while the divers get ready for the second dive of the day – well those that are going – and that happens to be the plough – sorry - Mike – and Liz. Everyone else just sits with us around the pool. Once the dive is over we are advised that we will be leaving about 1.30 – so there loads more chilling we can do!

Den offers Anita some eardrops, to try and help with the ear ache, Anita takes some, and Den tells Anita to keep the drops until the ear ache clears. Funny thing is I think they are still in our cupboard at home.

While we wait the other group show up at the hotel. All is not good within their ranks. Seems like the hotel is really bad – and the food disgusting. Well that's was according to Dave and Daphne. It has got a few people worried – and Les & Den are even thinking about hiring a taxi and returning to the main hotel – rather than go on the journey round the island to the "hell-hole". John, ever diplomatic John, suggests that we ask Paul & Maria as at least they have their heads screwed on!

When asked they advised that the hotel was ok – and that it had been Dave & Daphers that had caused a scene in the restaurant last night. It included chair and food throwing, and lots of abuse. All because of a vegetarian meal! See told you it wasn't good for you. The voice of reason (Paul actually) settles everyone's worries. No cabs required here today!

Maria is running short of cigarettes so Anita and Su take her to a shop up the road, beside the restaurant where we ate yesterday. They are gone for a while, and return in time for the coach. Goodbyes are said to the other group, and off we go – heading eastwards towards the next hotel.

Bali view.... wonderful

It was funny watching the driver put on and take off his seatbelt every time we went through a built-up area – or where there was the possibility of the police being around. The views out of the coach are again wonderful – fantastic even. Rice paddies as far as you can see – and every so often a small town. Some of the buildings are really great – others more like shacks. We are making good time – but will stop and have lunch.

We arrive at the restaurant – it is right on the beach. The chairs are all sticky due to the sea breeze. Once again the divers' food is covered, but everything else has to be paid for. I again decide not to eat – but just have a drink of water. No don't feel sorry for me – lol. The main course is dolphin fish – which everyone seems to like – well apart from the usual suspects! Granddad explains what a dolphin fish is – and that it can be found all around the world but with different names.

The bill turns up – and Anita once again is the administrator, working out what everyone owes, and putting the cash together. The manager of the restaurant seems fairly impressed, when she gives him the cash.

We jump back on the coach – and the driver is playing some music. It is actually modern dance music, only not at the speed you would expect. The tempo is ever so slightly faster – making a song that is familiar sound like a strange remix – done by Pinky and Perky on helium and speed! I'm going to need to see if I can find some of this music – for the Dinner and Dance if nothing else!

Some of the oldies ask the driver to turn it down – well it was a bit loud really. Lauren very nicely offers her "skittles" around the people close to her – only for the bag to do the rounds around the whole coach – some people taking one or two others almost a whole handful. She laughs it off – but looks a bit miffed - especially because she is one of those who hasn't eaten a great deal so far.

At approximately 4.15 p.m. we arrive at our hotel. It is another Mimpi – and again looks very nice. We find our rooms – again an outside toilet and shower, and we have a fish pond right in front of the room. Bags are dropped off – and then go for a walk around the grounds. It is really beautiful – very well laid out – with a "quiet" pool (just like the Puri Santrian) and a great group of hot springs. The "loud" pool is lovely – and the view across the bay just fantastic. I cannot believe that apart from Paul and Maria the others did not like this hotel. It is actually nicer than the previous one – and we liked that too!

Map of the Mimpi @ Menjangan

We see Granddad off in the distance with his binoculars to eyes searching for birds. We are very close to a national park so he is hoping to see loads of new birds. The national park is called the Bali Barat – and covers approximately 10 percent of Bali's Land Mass. It is in the Jembrana district. Nanny and Granddad went to the reception to ask about birds – and come back and advise us that at 7.30 tomorrow they will be going to the national park – to view some birds that you wouldn't normally see. Granddad is a bit worried about Nanny's knee – but will make a call in the morning.

We explore the grounds of the hotel – it is very well laid out – there are even rubbish bins that say organic and unorganic! Close to the pool is the restaurant and bar – so as we are sitting around the pool we can have a few drinks – still water for me – although I am feeling a lot better. My tummy is not grumbling as it was. Everyone including me gets in the pool to cool down. It has got very hot and humid.

Everyone decides to go back to their rooms – to change for dinner. Anita has got two towels from the hotel – one around her head and one around her body. More of this to come! We all arrive back about half an hour later – and get a table for all 21 of us!

    

Some of the scenery @ the Mimpi Menjangan

A couple of the girls go off to go to the toilet and come back with massive smiles on their faces – seems like there are usual signs on the doors – designating the mens and the womens. Everyone goes off and takes a look – and yes they are a touchunusual. When I go into the gents, I immediately spot another "interesting" piece of carving. Well it's a chap with a lizard hanging off an appendage (or should that read a chap with a lizard hanging onto his old chap!!

Toilet signs and THE carving

As an aside when we got back Andrew put the pictures of the signs on his Facebook account – but was informed in no uncertain terms that he must remove them as they were disgusting. Funny thing is that Cathy has them on hers, and no one has said anything to her..

Anita again picks up the bill – for some really good food and drinks. I have a small meal – and even let myself have a beer because I am feeling so much better. As we sit and chat – lightening is striking over the lake. Well when I said lake – it was actually the sea. The hotel sits on a headland – and there are loads of boats here. The storm is really brewing – and as we head back to the room we get soaked – even though we had an umbrella.

The oustside of our room

Anita's ear seems a little better – the eardrops seem as if they might be working. This is good news as tomorrow's dive is to the coral reef – which John says is a great sight.

We read a while and then lights out and sleep – well a little sleep as the storm lasts all night – and is very very heavy at times.