Tom: For now we can forget the Gregorian calendar - the year is now 1932, and we wish you all a very happy new year! Two nights ago Nil and I had our very first Hindu new year, and it was pretty cool. Firstly we hadn't realised that loads of effigies had been made - we had 10ft she-devils, rats, an Avatar character, and one smaller effigy which starkly resembled Brain from "Pinky and Brain". We assembled in the local football field, where the music was...

Tom: Finally managed to get something musical into this trip - Gamelan! Firstly, two nights ago we saw a traditional Balinese dance in Ubud, and to my powers of aural perception the scale of the Gilaks (percussive instruments) let's say starting on F went as follows: F, G-flat, A-flat, C, D-flat, E-flat, F. The music contained the obvious cross-rhythms I had expected and so I wanted to learn a little more about it. We found a course for $25 (2hrs in a group f...

Nilufer: Well, the night spent on the airport floor wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated! It went really quickly, and because we were both tired we managed to sleep the entire journey on the plane making our flight painless and stress free! I can't put in to words just how beautiful Bali is. It's more than a paradise, it's a haven filled with beautiful scenery - jungle, beach, paddy fields, hidden temples among the streets - and the friendliest people we have en...