HELLO! FROM BALI

I am currently on the balcony of my hotel in Jimbaran, Bali (Jimbaran Bay Beach Resort and Spa) and finally have the time to write my first blog post about Bali..

The start of my trip wasn't as smooth as I had planned. It turns out I had to leave on September 20th instead of the 21st, which was what Frau Wietheger had in mind for some reason. She even organized a small farewell ceremony at the airport so we could say goodbye..

But on the 20th, I had several important appointments to attend. So, I had to forget about the official farewell.

But (in retrospect) luckily, my long-haul flight from Frankfurt to Singapore was delayed by 10 hours, yes, 10! They rebooked me so I wouldn't miss my connecting flight from Singapore to Denpasar (the capital of Bali). So, everyone managed to be there on time for the farewell.. Even though I left an hour later.

After a 17-hour flight, which didn't feel like 17 hours at all because I met funny seatmates from Australia, NZ, Japan, and Italy during the flights. (Interestingly, two out of the three men were world travelers and gave me some tips for my journey)

Finally, I arrived in Bali on September 21st at 10 PM! I took a taxi to the hotel and fell dead tired into bed because I hadn't slept at all during the ride.

After a hearty breakfast, I wanted to explore the area. I started walking and after just 100 meters, it felt like walking through a sauna. 10 AM and 30 degrees! The 30 degrees are not a problem, it's the high humidity that makes it challenging for the body.

Last night, I didn't notice it due to fatigue.

Nevertheless, I forced myself to at least walk up and down the main street.. Which turned into 2 hours because there was something new and exciting to see on every corner.

I immediately liked the Balinese people, each and every one of them was super helpful, very open, and despite their Asian English, easy to understand.

The traffic here is not as smooth as in Germany, but I must say, despite driving on the left side, it's not as bad as I imagined it to be, even based on the stories I've heard. But I wouldn't trust myself to drive here, although it's very likely that one of my tasks will be to take the children to school in a minibus!

There is definitely no culture shock here, at least not for me!

It's just different here, but not unpleasant.

Even as a blonde person, you don't have to worry too much here, you feel safe almost everywhere. Of course, you get called after or whistled at more often, but it doesn't make you feel so uncomfortable, and if you give them a grumpy look, they quickly become quiet and shy :D.

The beach in front of the hotel is beautiful, but strangely, there were hardly any people there.

So, just to be safe, I preferred to go to the pool. Afterward, I went to the gym and then ended the evening on the hotel's rooftop.

I am still enjoying my last few days off and trying to acclimate a little before the real adventure begins on September 25th. There, I will meet Blanca, who will be taking care of me here in Bali. From then on, my future for the next 6 months will be planned.

I will keep you updated!

Best regards from sunny and beautiful Bali

By the way, Hai! means 'Hello' in Indonesian.