anui

We were in Bali for a week but have now escaped t the much cleaner Nusa Lembongan. Good to be back in clear water! In Bali, we moored in the smelly, windy but convenient Serangan on the South of the island. We did the obligatory trip to Kuta and were surrounded by traders the second we got out of the cab. Scott hasn't been to Bali for more than 20 years and recognised virtually nothing. The laneways are still there, crowded with shops and dangerously over-run with motorbikes. Shopping is fun, if you're into serious hard-core bargaining. We didn't really need anything but picked up some clothes and then headed to the beach, where Scott and Seth both had massages. I had a foot massage and bought handfuls of cheap bracelets whilst I was a captive in the massage chair. Scott started chatting to a wood carver named Made who was carrying , and trying to sell the huge head of laughing Buddha. Somehow their discussion about the mahogany and the time to carve it turned into bidding…

Today's blog entry is dedicated to my young friend Annabel, who is a devoted Anui blog follower and so deserves special mention. Hi Annabel!!

We are in Bali now and it is quite a contrast to beautiful clean Gili Air. We haven't been into Kuta yet but went en masse to stop up at the giant Carrefour supermarket. Oh the thrill! It may not be very exciting for you land-lubbers but to have fresh milk and apples and chocolate (Scott bought his own supply as he says that I am too stingy, but I say that is why it has lasted two months!) is excitement aplenty. Tomorrow we will head to Kuta to have a look and find some bargains. In Gili Air, I became rather good at the bartering and had to be dragged away so that I wouldn't practise any more.

Something rather troubling has occurred – Scott has taken to wearing a sarong. I can see the allure of a cool cotton skirt on a hot day but I have been telling him that sarong-wearing, like any skirt, has a certain etiquette – namely, when wearin…

13 September 2010We last wrote from Labuan Bajo, just prior to heading into Komodo on our hunt for dragons. We went to the island of Rincha, and spotted a dragon before we'd even anchored the boat! They are funny creatures, as you'll see from the highly professional photo – they walk slowly and flip their feet out sideways and don't look as if they could break into a sprint. They are, however, capable of running at speed for a short period and their bite is deadly. With our friends from Suspence and Red Boomer II we spent two afternoons sitting very quietly (not easy with 7 children) waiting for the dragons to appear. There were also monkeys and deer. The anchorage was beautiful and quiet, being one of the few spots where there is no village. We all did plenty of hill walking and kayaking – perfect. From then we went to a fantastic spot called Gili Lawa ('gili' means 'island') where we anchored in the clearest water I have ever seen. The snorkelling was fan…