13.11.2024 - 27.11.2024

13.11.2024 - 27.11.2024:

I left the apartment at 3:00 AM and left the key under the mat, as my landlord requested. When I moved in, I had to pay a deposit of 280AUD and hope that I will actually get it back.
In the Uber to the airport, I was in a great mood because I was going to see Milena again. When we arrived and I was just putting on my backpack to enter the airport, I received an email from my airline that there had been a volcanic eruption near Bali and my flight was delayed by 7 hours. If they had sent me the news an hour earlier, I could have slept in properly and made myself a nice breakfast. However, when I looked at the display at the airport, I was very glad that my flight was still operating because all other flights from Brisbane to Bali were canceled. I checked in, received a 40AUD food voucher, and spent my time mostly hanging around and playing chess. At some point, I also lay down on the floor for 2 hours and slept, which felt really good. But when it finally took off, I was relieved.
After landing, I picked up my luggage and ordered a 'Grab'.
Grab is Indonesia's Uber. A driver confirmed my ride and picked me up to take me to Ubud where Milena was already waiting. The ride was very strange for me as the driver spoke no English, took several pictures of me, sent them to some WhatsApp groups, and stopped at a gas station. I was very relieved when I finally arrived and Milena was outside to greet me.
That evening, we had a beer on our terrace and then went out to eat. However, since we were both a bit worn out from the journey, we went to bed afterward. The next day we visited some rice fields, treated ourselves to a 60-minute massage for 9 Euros, and chilled by the pool. Our hotel was right next to the Monkey Forest, so there were many monkeys in the pool area, on the rooftops, and on the power lines on the streets. While we were lying by the pool, there was a woman across from us who wanted to enjoy her chips or crackers. A monkey was also hungry, jumped over to her, and snatched the bag from her hand. It was funny to watch.

The next morning we got up at 6:45 AM, were picked up by a driver, and then took a speedboat ferry to Gili Trawangan. There are 3 Gili Islands: Gili Trawangan (Gili T), Gili Meno (Gili M), and Gili Air (Gili A). Upon arrival, there were no cars or motorcycles (except for a few e-scooters), only horse-drawn carriages and bicycles, and otherwise, you do everything on foot. Our hotel was the Mango Tree House and it was quite chill.
At some point, we went to the beach, got a cola, and took turns going into the water. I had my snorkeling mask with me and was able to see a wonderful turtle that was right below me. You should never touch the turtles, but if anything, only at the shell, and that’s what I did.
A day later we booked a snorkeling trip at various spots. We saw turtles, various fishes, and underwater statues. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to another massage. This massage was the best massage I have ever had. 60 minutes with aloe vera for 100,000 Rupiah, which is about 6 Euros.

On 17.11. we left Gili T by speedboat and went to Gili A.
Upon arrival, we had the best hotel of the entire trip so far.
We went to the beach, snorkeled there with our own equipment, and bought a waterproof phone case, so we could take some pictures.
A day later we wanted to get a massage that Milena booked. Milena (Mango) and I went into different rooms, and I had no idea what kind of massage awaited me. As it turned out, it was not a massage; instead, we were just smeared with a yogurt-cucumber paste for an hour in a room temperature that felt like 15 degrees, which was really cold. Since I thought Mango had booked a massage, I kept wondering when the woman would stop applying cream and start massaging me. After 20 minutes, I thought about how cheeky it was that she still hadn't started to massage me. However, it turned out Mango hadn't booked a massage at all, but just a post-sun cream application… In the evening we went to a bar called 'Legend Bar' which had great food and also featured a really cool fire show.
On 19.11. we went out for breakfast, treated ourselves to a real massage afterward, and then attended a silver jewelry course where Mango made 2 rings and I made a pendant for a chain. My pendant is a peace sign, but I was asked several times if it was a Mercedes star. While we were heating the silver, a small plastic gas tank exploded right next to me, which was quite a shock. The manager then said that in his 25 years of working, it had never happened before.
But it was indeed not my fault. His employee didn’t pay attention to the color of the flame from the Bunsen burner. Afterwards, Mango and I were both very happy with our handmade new jewelry pieces.

On 20.11. we drove back to Bali to a place called Legian. There we had a nice hotel. We walked around the city where we found a store called Mozarella. This store not only had great service but also excellent pasta with cheese and mushroom sauce. I first ordered 2 portions of that.
In the evening we went to a karaoke bar, which was quite amusing.

The next day we basically just hung around. We went to the beach and wandered around the city.
On 22.11. it was Mango's last real day here. We were also at the beach, at the pool, and treated ourselves to another massage. In the evening we ate again at Mozarella and ended the evening with a card game.

In the morning we went out for breakfast, then Mango packed her things, and we said goodbye at 12:00 PM, which was not easy for either of us. It's very crazy for me to know that I won't see her again for months now, but I enjoyed every moment we had together more than anything.

In the evening then Lina came, the Colombian woman I met in Brisbane. She had changed her flight to Bali so that we could still spend time together here. That evening I got a tattoo on my left upper arm. It looks like this: -- 1111 --
It's not just an angel number, which stands for making new experiences and being on the right path, but also my birth date, which is why I really like the tattoo.

On 24.11 Lina and I went to Ubud. Our hotel was fine, and in the evening we went out to party together.

The next morning we got up and went to a holy temple. There, you had to change clothes to go into the water and then do the ritual of making a wish at each outflow. It was interesting to participate in that. After visiting the temple, we went to the famous Ubud rice terraces, ate there, and then walked through the terraces. In the evening we were a bit exhausted and simply went to sleep after dinner.
On my last day, 26.11, we woke up in the morning and walked to the Monkey Forest. Many monkeys had small, curious babies that looked adorable. Afterward, we went out for a meal, and then I took my Grab to the airport, and this time the flight arrived on time.

Upon arriving in Brisbane, I was pulled out by the Border Force at the airport. My luggage was searched, and 2 sniffer dogs were used, one for drugs and the other for food. You are not allowed to bring any fruits, seeds, or such into Australia. I was not the only one who was pulled out. I stood in a line with 5 other people, including a flight attendant who stood directly behind me when the dogs sniffed us and our luggage. Both dogs stopped with her and she was immediately escorted to another room by security.
From the airport, I took the train to Milton. Milton is the district in Brisbane where I now have a new apartment until 15.01.25. The apartment is actually quite chill, as I have it all to myself, and usually, 3 people live here, so it is not small. The only bad thing is that I have no Wi-Fi here and have to do everything through my phone's internet.