04.-17.06.2019 # Bali

It is hardly surprising that we immediately feel at home again after the extremely warm welcome. We still have the resort almost to ourselves and enjoy the peace and quiet after the rather loud and bustling stops in Java. By the way, we deliberately chose the date of our arrival in Bali. The evening marks the end of Ramadan this year, and we are curious to see how the breaking of the fast is celebrated here.

The next morning, Grandfather Amirudin, whom everyone calls Security because he also works as a night watchman, escorts us from the pool to his house. It's right next door, just two doors away. Unfortunately, he doesn't speak English, so I usually use Google Translate to communicate with him when my few Indonesian words are exhausted. This time, however, we are accompanied by Komar, one of the boys from the staff, who kindly acts as an interpreter. When we arrive, there are already quantities of sweets in various variations ready and we are persistently encouraged to taste everything. We are slowly realizing why it is also called the Sugar Feast. Komar tells us that it is customary to visit friends and relatives on Idul Fitri (Indonesian for breaking the fast). And similar amounts are served in every household. One can already be concerned about the effect of fasting.

In the afternoon, Kati, Ida, and Uwe arrive. After not seeing each other for more than two months, there is, of course, a lot to talk about. Later, we are invited to Herman's. Here too, there are plenty of homemade sweets, so we are almost tempted to skip dinner. We will not see Herman again until a few days later. The next morning, he plans to leave early with Miya and the kids for Java. Kiki, the oldest son, has made it to a secondary school and the proud parents have some paperwork to do there.

We spend the next two days mostly by the pool. Maike has provided Ida with snorkeling equipment and in no time the arm floats (almost) become history. It's incredible how quickly you can learn to swim in the right environment. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the rest of the group. Thanks to my Flightradar app, we can see the plane from Doha flying towards Denpasar after a holding pattern with a slight delay. The plane from Kuala Lumpur with Chit, Sandi, and Kwar Kwar arrives no more than 30 minutes later. Just as planned. Later, Peter calls with Chit's phone. They can't find their driver. I had arranged with Herman that the driver should hold a sign saying "Dr. Peter." Unfortunately, without telling me, my Herman changed the sign. Okay, 'Arak Attack' should also have been familiar to the group, but it would be boring if everything always went smoothly. The all-clear comes shortly afterward, they finally found each other. The minibus arrives just after midnight, earlier than expected. But contrary to the agreement, the driver didn't stop anywhere for food. That's bad because the kitchen at Man's is already closed. Luckily, there is plenty to drink. :-)

We finally get to meet the firstborn of our 'adopted son' Chit and his wife Sandi from Myanmar, whose wedding we were honored guests at two years ago. The timing is somewhat unfortunate, as Kwar is quite irritated from the long journey and is soon put to bed. It will be a long night for the rest of the group. There is a lot to talk about, and the beautiful surroundings quickly make the newcomers forget about the travel fatigue. The pool is conquered, and the beer supply runs dry. It is rumored that the last ones only went to sleep shortly before seven o'clock. But since I didn't look at the clock, I can't guarantee it. It was already bright, though.

Our 13-person community is functioning well again. Even Renè and Sascha, the only ones who haven't been here before, are fitting in well in their own way. It's fun to see everyone feeling comfortable. Kwar is happy every time he cruises through the kiddie pool in his swim ring and makes a big fuss as soon as he's out of the water.

When Herman returns from Java, he invites us all to another festive meal. We spend the morning at the beach near Bio Rock, where Maike and I held an underwater ceremony for our silver wedding anniversary. Those who are not going diving with Herman snorkel, swim, or enjoy themselves in other ways. For lunch, we all meet at Herman's house, where the familiar sweets await us. Later, Miya serves chicken curry, fish, and beef. For our two vegetarians, something is quickly cooked up so that everyone is soon full and satisfied. Later, we visit Herman's brother-in-law Firman and his family in the neighboring house. It really feels like we belong there. Fantastic.

The days fly by. When we're not occupying the pool, we're out and about. Diving in Menjangan (Renè is doing a trial dive there) or just off the coast of Pemuteran, shopping and eating fish in Lovina, visiting a nearby turtle farm (including the release of baby turtles), or hiking to a temple in the mountains. There's something for everyone. Every now and then, there are small jam sessions. Renè, Rico, Chit, and Leon (one of the local boys) play the guitar, Komar teaches us how to play the flute and gives me an original instrument to learn on. And our ukuleles are also used from time to time. Actually, too rarely, we've become lazy. During the evening triple charade rounds, new word creations are made, some of which certainly have the potential to be included in the dictionary :-) Jana, Kati, Maike, Uwe, and Renè take a cooking class and learn how to prepare delicious dishes. I'm already looking forward to the first Cap Cay at home. One afternoon, we all spend time with Herman and Firman on Gili Putih, a small sandbank near the village of Sumberkima that has only existed for about two years. The island is very popular with the locals for picnics or parties. We bring our own lunch and stick to the former. Unfortunately, it's low tide, so there's no swimming. Well, it doesn't matter, we still enjoy our time there.

Herman has booked our favorite band Kalimasada for two evenings. Manager Chris and singer Wayan are good friends of his and are always pleased to hear that they are playing for us. Accordingly, the parties are amazing. Even the staff, who are actually off duty, come by in the evening to celebrate with us. At some point, we even get the shyest person/people onto the dance floor, and everyone lets loose in their own way. The band is well applauded after their last song and is visibly touched by the atmosphere. I loudly start chanting 'satu lagi,' which means 'encore' in this case. When everyone enthusiastically joins in, the musicians don't hesitate long and play a few more songs. That's how it should be. I hope we get to see them as often as possible because they really play excellent music.

The evening with the second live music is also the farewell evening for Chit, Sandi, and Kwar. They are leaving a little earlier to spend some time in Bangkok on the way to Myanmar. So this evening is quite emotional, especially for Maike and me, as Chit and Sandi thank us in a traditional way for the invitation. It's clear that they find it hard to say goodbye. Although they should already be in bed because the departure is scheduled for 6:00 a.m., they are not tired and take selfies with everyone present and dance until the end. We have never seen Sandi so carefree before. It's a pity that they have to leave already, Chit is a born entertainer who often amazes us with small magic tricks or delights us with his guitar playing. It is only logical that almost everyone is present the next morning to bid them a safe journey.

The next to leave are Kati, Ida, and Uwe. They decided against the stopover with us in Kuala Lumpur and fly directly from Denpasar home. In retrospect, a wise decision, as KL can be quite exhausting, especially for a six-year-old. On their farewell evening, there is a Balinese dance to participate in. Two students from a local dance school perform traditional dances and each time invite someone from the audience to join them by draping a red scarf on them. It doesn't matter how you move, only participation counts. So hardly anyone refuses to participate. Only Firman defends himself vigorously. Together, we carry him from his hiding place onto the stage, where he quickly seeks refuge again. He has now accepted his nickname 'Ayam Penakut' (scaredy-cat). The time until midnight is bridged with the help of the karaoke machine, which brings out some hidden talents. For example, Jana is initially hesitant but then sings 'Santa Maria' excellently together with Peter. Renè is completely flabbergasted when I suggest that we sing 'Bad Moon Rising' by CCR together - he independently had exactly the same idea. The locals perform a few local songs, and time flies. When the new day begins, we toast Kati and Uwe on their wedding anniversary. At that point, no one really feels like going to bed yet, so we sit together for a while longer. It's good that the departure is not planned until late in the morning. After saying our goodbyes the next morning, the resort becomes quiet.

We then use the last day for some errands. Some treat themselves to a new haircut or a massage at Nur's spa. Somehow we have also made our mark in Pemuteran. Maike is asked in a souvenir shop where she lives in town. In response to her answer, "at Herman's Man's," the saleswoman spontaneously says, "ah, the Wolf family".. I have no idea where she got that from, but we seem to be well-known here. :-)

In the evening, there is live music again, this time with a different band. Not quite at the level of Kalimasada, but good enough for another party. Again, almost the entire staff is present. The boys and girls have taken care of us lovingly during the past two weeks. Almost every day, we had a funny towel figure on our bed. Of course, we don't hesitate to treat the crew to a few pitchers of Arak. Most of them seem genuinely sad that we are leaving. So there are felt hundreds of photos taken and quite a few Facebook friend lists expanded. It is another beautiful evening, mixed with a touch of melancholy. Maike and I make plans for the future with Herman and Miya. In two years, we plan to take a trip to Myanmar and Cambodia together. That will surely be fun. For now, Herman is happy when we spontaneously decide to leave our dive gear here because we want to come back by New Year's at the latest.

The farewell the next morning takes a while because the entire Man's family is gathered, and after the obligatory group photo, everyone wants to be hugged again. Our flight doesn't leave until 4:55 p.m., and we have already checked in via web check-in, but we want to leave by no later than 10:30 a.m. The drive to the airport usually takes about 4 hours, but it's always good to have some reserve. So at some point, I interrupt the cuddle fest with a loud whistle and give the signal to get on. Surprisingly, everyone listens to me. Later, someone from the group in the car says that they have never been seen off like this anywhere else. Exactly like that.

After a stopover in the mountains, we arrive on time at Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar. We have to look for the Air Asia check-in counter, which has been relocated to the basement. Finally, all the luggage is checked in, and we head directly towards the departure gate. Everyone is present except Renè at the boarding time. However, the brief excitement quickly subsides as he is located in the smoking lounge, where he quickly had to light up. He really takes it easy.

Thanks to our hot seats in the first two rows, we have a fairly comfortable three-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur. However, I would still prefer to stay here. Bye bye Bali and see you soon!