Postcards from Bali - Arrival
I'll start by saying, it's 1:30 in the morning and I am laying in bed listei=ning to the most beautiful rainstorm going on outside. Now, I love a good rainstorm (especially at night) so this is the perfect way to start my Bali experience.
I'll go back ward now to talk a little more abou tthe journey here.
The flight from LA to Singapore was a LONG flight. Although the flight itinerary said it was 17.5 hours, it ended up being only 16.5. whew! I boarded at 11:00 at night so I was pretty tired already. I got to my seat and got settle and waited to see who my aisle mates would be. No one was coming. I kept waiting. Finally, I heard the captain say the door was close. I had the entire row to myself!
Once we took off and got into the air, they brought us a meal. I was not really hungry so I put my plate to the side, and got comfy. They had made us all close the shades. Then they dimmed the lights. Then I fell asleep. I slept off and on for the next 7 hours. I was able to switch positions to try to stay comfy but that long in an airplane seat made it hard to do. My butt hurt, my back hurt, even my knes hurt. But I had the entire row to myself so I was better off than most. I had three blankets (thank goodness because I used all of them) and three pillows. It was interesting laying there in the dark listening to the gentle sounds. The plane wasn't loud at all so it kind of felt like I was floating through the air. I could hear the soft sounds of people snoring softly or lightly coughing. I a child whimpering. At one point I looked at my screen to see where we were. We were in the middle of the ocean. I had no idea what time it was because I have no idea where time zones change in the middle of the ocean. I also had no idea if it was light or dark out. It was really. It was almost dreamy.
I don't know that I have ever had such a nice international flight. Another thing I will say is that Singapore Air is an amazing airline. They take very good care of you and their customer service is excellent. Every attendant I interacted with was wonderful.
Not too long before we landed, the announced that if we wanted to open our shades, we could see the sun coming up. Unfortunately, I was over the wing and the plane was tilted just enough that I couldn't really see it. But I did get a couple good shots of the sky and my first sights of Singapore.
Once we landed, I still had one more flight to go. Ugh. I will say the Singapore Airport is beautiful. And clean!
Finally, it was time for the final leg to get me to Bali! This flight was only 2.5 hours and thankfully, it was unevenful.
Getting off the plane and going through customs in Bali was crazy. So many people. Then the hour drive to my hotel. Now this was interesting It reminded me of Mexico, Jamaica, Thailand and Morocco all put together. The motor bikes (like Thailand) made up about 50% of the traffic and like Thailand, they go wherever they want to go. There lanes on the roads are marked, but no one pays attention. Not the cars, not the motorbikes. The road to the hotel actually took and hour and a half. There was so much traffic.
The streets are small (no main roads) and there are little shops all along the route. Like Morocco, everone was selling everything. Because the road was so small and crowded, I really didn't get to see a lot of scenery. What I did see, was a extreme amount of statues. Everywhere! They are stunning.
Turning off the road, I was not sure what the hotel would be like. The road we turned off of was crowded and did not give the impression that there could be a spa-like hotel anywhere near. But when we pulled in, I realized i was wrong. The hotel looked like an oasis just waiting for my arrival. Waiting for me to engulf me in it's arms and let me breathe.
I did not explore outside of my hotel. I had dinner, met some of the people that would be on some of the tours with me and headed to be. I was out. Unitl now, when I am fairly awake. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings when I will be out and exploring. Love to all! Ruthie 🩶
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