My last couple of days in Bali have been absolutely super. Yesterday I spent hours walking the dirt tracks and lanes of the rice fields. I decided to soak in moments and scenery instead of living it behind my camera – simply beautiful but labouring on the fields looks like excruciatingly hard work. It does, however, give me a greater appreciation for savouring a serving of rice.

There are a couple of local lads (late 20s/early 30s??) that are caretakers for the place where we are staying and I caught them unawares this morning when they were cleaning with their shirts off – HELLO!!! I haven’t’ seen bodies like that for at least 8 months – they know how to take care of themselves, sadly no photos, sorry ladies.

Today I visited the sweetest little school called Pelangi School about 5 km SW of Ubud. I had a wonderful chat with Felicite in the office and they would be thrilled for me to visit back there to do some teaching. I am so excited, what a wonderful opportunity and yet another brilliant excuse for me to return. We are staying in touch by email. Although the school looks very well kept, it is not for profit and most of the classrooms still don’t have tables and chairs, there are numbers on the floor where the children sit. The classrooms are huts made of bamboo with makeshift artwork designed by the kids as protection from gaping holes when it rains (like today). I was so sad to miss them – I was there at 2pm and the class is dismissed by 12 on a Friday. Extremely disappointing, but the few older kids that were hanging around for English lessons were a lot of fun to joke around with. They attend school 6 days a week, so some of their days are shorter. How I would have loved to sit in on a class and talk to them – something they have encouraged me to do on my return.

I savoured my last sunset on our balcony overlooking the rice fields. I believe that people who have visited Bali before and not enjoyed it have definitely visited the wrong places. The locals are such a joy to be around (when they’re not selling you something), the food is amazing, scenery completely stunning, prices more than affordable, easy to get around, safe and the weather is ideal. The islands are beautiful, still untouched and the beer is damn good

Soili, what can I say…. It was such a joy sharing with you over the past week. I do hope I have the opportunity one day to make it to Finland and meet your beloved hedgehog. :-) Enjoy the remainder of your journey in Indonesia – wow, to spend ANOTHER month there would be amazing, I can’t wait to hear all about the North. I also feel compelled to say that I am still full from lunch….. thank you sooooo much for shouting me my last Nasi Goereng Special and banana pancake with ice cream. Yummoooooo. I hope we keep in touch.

Right now I am at Doha airport – the capital of Qatar. I nearly didn’t’ make it on the plane from Denpasar – last night I booked a bus from Kenya to Tanzania as my proof of leaving the country. It was however, apparently not enough. The ‘thank you’ letter I had printed from the African company was not sufficient and they said that if I board the plane, they would not let me through the other side. I explained that I was planning to go to Cairo, but had not booked the flight as I was unsure of the dates and according to entry requirements of Kenya, a ticket by whatever means out of that country (including to Tanzania) was adequate. I was surprisingly calm, I asked them if they had wifi, they said no. I asked if there was a computer I could use to gain further confirmation from the bus company, they said no. I asked if I could negotiate my case when I get to the other side, they said no. I suggested if we could find a computer, I could avoid any further problems and just book my flight to Cairo. They were busy negotiating my dilemma in Indonesian and didn’t’ respond. I was shoved from supervisor to supervisor before I was taken to this room that had a computer with what must have been dial up connection. I jumped on Zuji.com.au and booked my flight to Cairo, I leave Kenya in late May. All through this process they were extremely polite and helpful – and I continued to stay cool and in control, yay me! I am pleased to say I am now in Doha and don’t mind in the slightest that I have a 3 hour wait before completing the last of my journey to Nairobi. I find myself skimming the crowd looking for Africans that I can potentially befriend while waiting for and on the flight. Only hours away.

Gotta shoot and next I post will be from somewhere in Kenya…