40 Hours in a plane and airports and still talking to each other
After 40 hours of traveling to beautiful Northern Bali we were so pleased with the mood of the five of us, little sleep and too much sitting
Was it the fact that we were starting the gigantic tour and on our first destination? Or was it the fact that we had five hours layover at both Seattle and Taipei?
Being able to access the lounge in Taipei after 20+ hours was a very welcome sight, for Kristi and me and even surprisingly Lara, the thought of a hot shower was top of our list. Charlie couldn’t care less and Ashton immediately saw the food area of the lounge, thought of his tummy and burst out with the words, “Oh! Num Nums” pointing at what he thought was western food. His reality was a little different but he left with a full Puku (tummy for those non-Maori in you).
Our arranged taxi driver must have been related to Scott Dixon or McLaren, he even thought his tiny Toyota 7 seater had a bit more under the hood than it did and I often wondered if the brakes had failed. This left poor Lara in the third row squeezed between luggage and a stroller feeling sick and the only one alternative was to fall asleep, that came within 2 miles of leaving the airport car park, she was exhausted. Here is an excerpt from Lara’s journal.
“The drive was a complete and utter nightmare. The hired driver was a maniac driver, the roads were windy, we had just traveled 40 hours straight, there
Arriving at Villa Casa Yara at almost 9 pm put another 4 hours to our journey and we were very tired. The welcome sight in the morning was just what we imagined Northern Bali to be, totally fulfilling. Second excerpt from Lara ” I woke up seriously refreshed and happy”.
Our villa had the most beautiful outlook only a sunset sea view could beat. We instantly felt the relief come to the surface……….all that planning……..all that worrying,………. all that tension………all that waiting……..we were finally starting Kristi’s dream that had become mine also.
It was also comforting for Kristi and the family to know that Pam had booked a flight to the Philippines and is meeting us there in January….see you soon Pam!!
The boys quickly jumped into the pool along with Lara and we are delighted with their progress, their confidence and progression in the water has been incredible.
Not only are we kicking with our feet we are trying with our arms too. We are even trying out our first goggles and jumping with no life vest, much to Daddy’s shock! ‘It’s the way they learn I get told, It’s the way they drown I think!”
Ashton is now trying his hand at high jumps.
Schooling
We are so proud of Lara. The first week she got stuck into a routine, swim and play and school in the afternoon. Her writing is coming on leaps and bounds, she has always been a maths nut and her attitude was great. Week 2 has been a little more slowly but all in all, she is going to do great. The best bit Kristi and I love is her journal, she writes well and actually is quite funny without realising it.
The boys even insist they want school each morning. Their vocabulary is coming on leaps and bounds, so many new words. One of their favorites is Pineapple Juice, spoken “Bubble Juice”. “Baby Gecko”, “I swim
The rest of the two weeks gave us precious time to relax, enjoy family time, teach, learn, play, Gecko watch and of course sleep.
Tours included dolphins, temples and waterfalls and one of our favorites the local produce market that seemed to have put Lara off chicken for life, see the photo gallery for some amazing pictures.
Conclusion
The first two
Check out this amazing gallery…….click here
Next stop… The island of Gili Meno, the turtle capital of the world.