Bali paradise!

We're not sure if we're getting old or if our priorities have just changed, but this time round in Bali we're here for the food!!! We arrived in to Kuta Monday afternoon (27th) and went straight to the old haunt Taman Sari Cottages on Poppies II. The reception isn't at the front anymore, it's all being renovated and they're going all fancy.. The pool area has all been re-done too & the good old trippy mushroom wall has gone to be replaced by a pretty cool pebbled wall with statues and cool night lights. It's looking very funky and I think it was probably about time. Usual staff still working there so always a smiley welcoming face which rocks! And of course they always ask (with slightly glazed expressions) about Miss Dewi & her latest whereabouts- nothing changes!!

So far I've checked out TJ's, Treehouse (sadly it's TOTALLY different), TUBES, Warung 96, Pub Bagus and Kopi Pot, but yet to go and have a feast at Aromas...saving the best til last..Don't worry Kat - I'll have a tempeh burger for ya. Kuta's still rockin, the bars still seem to go off but I'm not really diggin it anymore.. In fact, after a few years in London, I think partying is the last thing on our minds!

So...what else..Been keen to get out on the surf. We ummed & arred about buying some new surf boards out here but have decided against it now as Royal Brunei say they'll charge us $30US per kilo in overweight baggage!!! INSANE. Rich hired a board and went out just at Kuta the other day but it was super messy out there. We even went running on the beach one morning in prep for a day in the surf!!! Priorities have definitely swung right around..

I'm writing this update from Gili Trawangan, a little island off Lombok. Internet is uber slow so who knows if this will actually make it on to our page. So, we're out here doing our Advanced Open Water dive licence anyways with Manta Dive. Did 3 dives of an outrigger yesterday which were the Deep Dive to 30m, Navigation dive and the Night dive off Gili Meno which was awesome..There were about 6 of us with torchlights and we saw a very, very rare Flamboyant Cuttlefish that just hovered there and let us all check him out for ages; a HUGE Napoleon Wrass about 1.5m long!, black and white pipe fish, trumpet fish, angel fish and tonnes of other funky fishies. I'd also just like to say I am not a dive nerd, I had to be told what the fish were - honest!!! hehe.

We just have 2 more dives to do which we should've done today except Rich came down a little ill over night so we called it off..Bit of seafood poisioning I think, but he's on the mend now. So maybe we dive tomorrow! If not we may finish the course somewhere else..

Well that's all the news I think! We haven't bumped in to anyone we know, and don't know of anyone in Bali right now, fire me an email if you do and I'll go hunt them down. We'll be heading back to the mainland Tuesday I think and will stay on and drive around Bali a bit for another week checking out potential 'getting hitched' spots. On to Brunei on the 11th July, and Brisbane on the 12th to see the fam.

Over & out,
schnick x