We got to the airport in plenty of time and had several conversations with some nice people all along the way, and even though we didn’t get to bed until 2:00 a.m., we still woke up about 6:00, which is sunrise here! A vast improvement over the late 7:30 sunrises in KL. In Bali people were saying that it’s been rainy season, but hopefully we brought some sunshine with us since it was a beautiful morning and stayed nice all day. Our first breakfast for $13.50 (see pix) reminded us that Bali, even though people say it is NOT as cheap as it was, is still a bargain for US dollars.

We’ll be staying at two different locations here. This first is in the city of Sanur for 4 days, then 19 days over on Ceningen island, which is part of Nusa Lembongan, then back to our Sanur homestay for 30 more. We previously stayed in this city and hotel, and it was so nice coming “back” to a familiar place that we truly do love. We met a fellow ex-pat for dinner on the sand, and walked back home along the boardwalk that traverses the sand, stopping in a new mall that just opened along the way, so checked it out. One year ago when we were here it was under construction, and there was concern about the mall bringing in more traffic (yes it does), and more tourists (ditto). Even so, the place is really cool, as it overlooks the beach with a stylish open air feel, and a good selection of stores, including a large grocery store .. which we always appreciate.

 

Bali is presently on our “Top Four” list of places to rotate through for 3 months at a time. However the visa process for Indonesia can be a bit cumbersome, as entry requires a QR code for customs, which is a pain. But it looks like they MAY have discontinued the Health Pass process since no one asked for it. On our first day back we were reminded about how Gracious the Balinese people are; so polite, genuine, and their energy is contagious.

We’re in the country for just under 60 days, then on to Siem Reap, Cambodia