Day 54 - 56 Friday - Sunday March 8 - March 10, 2024, Bali, Indonesia

Arrival 12:00 Bali (Celukan Bawang), Indonesia

Insignia arrived in the commercial port of Celukan where passengers were dropped off for their tours only to return to the ship prior to it departing for Benoa that evening. The ship will remain in Benoa until March 10.

The last segment which ended in Bali covered 3,716 nautical miles since leaving Sydney.

Janice and I booked a private three-day, two-night tour of Bali.

The humidity was so high that my clothes were soaked before we reached our guide. I wore long pants with zip off leggings because I may need them for temples. The itinerary said were to be greeted by Mr. Anuk. Outside the terminal an individual had our name on a sign but was not holding it up. Alright maybe he just did not see a couple (us) with luggage. Mr. Anuk is not here.

We placed the luggage in the van and discussed what we would see today. Here is where things began to go wrong. His itinerary was completely different from ours and the hotel he had was also incorrect. The hotel needed to be rectified before we drove 90 minutes in the wrong direction to the wrong hotel. Our hotel was in Ubud. Janice reviewed the tour with him to figure out an itinerary for the day before our drop off at the correct hotel.

We thought the tour would have both a guide and a driver which is what we had paid for to learn as much as we could on Bali in the short time we were there. Unfortunately, he was only a driver, so it was up to us to ask questions as he was not providing any information on Bali and its history and customs. He was a nice guy so we had to remind ourselves that this mix up wasn't his fault. Thankfully we could understand his English.

The first stop was to Brahmavihara, the largest Buddhist temple in Bali. It is in the village of Banjar. Our driver is Muslim, can you see a problem? He was unable to address our basic questions. A ship tour was also at the site. I had removed my zip off pants so needed to wear a sarong to enter the temple. No issue but maybe I should have brought mine which I purchased in Yangon years ago.

The second stop was to Banjar Hot Springs for a quick photo stop. We did not have swimming suits to go into the water which was not very inviting anyway. Many vendor stalls were on our way out with the Balinese trying to sell us souvenirs.

The weather is turning cloudy, and rain looks close so, the driver (not a guide) says we will drive up a mountain to see views of a lake down below. I guess he doesn't see the rain that we see coming. At the viewpoint on top, it is so cloudy the lake is barely visible. Not a good picture and then the heavens open and the rain pours down.

It is now 16:30 so we decide to drive to our hotel, The Alaya Resort in Ubud. The hotel is very nice, and the people of Bali are wonderful. Janice said that if she had to describe the Balinese in one word it would be gentle. Janice has a Bali massage booked today and is looking forward to it.

March 9, 2024

It was agreed that our driver would pick us up at 08:30. Our first stop is the rice fields (terraces) at Tegalalang. It is a popular stop with great views overlooking the rice terraces. Janice researched this place previously and wanted to swing over the terraces some 45 meters in the air. Fortunately, or unfortunately for me, the age requirement to swing over the terraces is 65 years old for insurance purposes - darn I could not go on the swing with Janice although I was already planning to not go - too much height for me. A safety harness is attached around her waist as she sits on the swing. She is told to lean back as two employees draw the swing back and push as hard as they can. Janice lets out a scream. They continue pushing her a few times and then let her swing gradually.

OK she finishes swinging forward now she reverses and is facing backwards over the rice terraces. She enjoyed it and was glad to knock this adventure off her bucket list.

The second visit of the day was to the Pura Tirta Empul Temple considered sacred by the Balinese Hindu community. We can see many locals offering sacrifices to the gods, mostly food and flowers. Everyone needs to wear a sarong to enter the temple.

It is of the busiest water temples in Indonesia, and should you want to enter the water you are required to change into a green sarong which we chose not to do. Janice participated in a similar ceremony when she was India years ago.

As we make our way to Tegenungan Waterfall located in the village of the same name we see at least four tour buses from Insignia coming back from the falls. Our guide (sorry driver and we still don't know his name) tells us we have one hour here. FYI a good guide knows the schedule of the tour buses and travels in the opposite direction to avoid them. It is very hot and humid, so we decide to move on. That's when I see an ATW passenger struggling to walk back up the steep steps. I go down to help her back up.

We see our friend, Helen from the ship at the falls having lunch with her guide.

We are off for lunch now and ask our driver if he wants to join us, but he declines. It begins to rain while we are at the restaurant and continues during our way back to the hotel. It seems that the driver wants to get rid of us.

We are back at the hotel early, but the sound of thunder continues to rumble all around us. The rain continues throughout the evening, but we have booked spa treatment across from the hotel.

I have a 1.5-hour full body massage and Janice has a facial. We are both in the same room. I think at one point my masseuse was straddling me as she worked on my back, it was like snap, crackle, pop (not Rice Krispies) as parts of my body were moved and pulled in all directions. I don't normally have massages, but Janice thought that I should have one as it is the thing to do in Bali. They are available everywhere and very inexpensive - around $25 CDN an hour. Janice was not impressed with her facial but certainly loved yesterday's massage and I enjoyed mine.

That evening we receive an email from the ATW executive consigliere indicating Insignia will be leaving one hour early the next day to avoid an upcoming storm.

March 10

Our driver arrives at 9:00 and he's not really interested in taking us touring. The weather changes for the worst so the decision is made to return to the ship.

On a sidenote, to maximize our time Bali Janice did a lot of research and decided to go with a tour company recommended by someone on board. We usually do our own bookings and will continue to do so in the future. It was very expensive and a frustrating experience, but we didn't let it ruin our time on this beautiful island. It was not what we had hoped for but maybe we can return in the future, who knows.

We depart for the next port of call, Surabaya 300 nautical miles away.

Tonight, our clocks turned back by one hour.

Interesting facts

· Roughly 4.2 million people live on the island

· Religion - 92% Hindu, 8% Muslim, 3% Christianity

· Rice is a staple

· Tourism has become the largest industry in terms of income generated.

· Major means of transportation is the motor bike

· Silent Day or Nyepi Day is held on March 11 at 06:00 to March 12 at 06:00. All the lights are switched off for a 24-hour period. All Balinese remain in their homes celebrating a day of silence, fasting and meditation. No one can leave their homes except for the police and emergency. There is no traffic on the roads. We asked our hotel staff what happens on this day at the hotel. The reply was if you are working, you must stay at the hotel the night before. Any guests can remain, but they can't venture off the property.