Leaving via the airport was a task in itself! Once through the terminal's front doors, the entrance area had only one small seating area and an expensive food stall. To check-in at the counters, one must first produce proof of a ticket to pass the security guards. Luckily, John had a pdf on his phone. After check-in, we paid $40 departure tax. ($25 to enter + $20 to exit = $45 for Bali's government. WOW!) From there, we had several more checkpoints before we headed for the gate. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough seating so people were sitting all over the floor! It was a terrible event to get onto the plane as passengers were once again searched before heading through the gate. We lost the water that we had purchased at the stand right beside the gate. We proceeded to wait an extra 20 minutes for their shuttle buses. I can't say that this International Airport was very efficient. It was probably one of the worst airports we've been in.

As I prepared for Bali, I visualized colors of purple and gold, unique textures and patterns, cultural dances with complex hand gestures, and tasty unknown Indonesian foods. We went to a couple of Indonesian restaurants in Calgary to prepare our taste buds. Now having experienced parts of Bali, the exotic images on the movie screens and travel books are more concrete and personal. The names of food are more recognizable. Of course, we have seen the disparity between the rich and the poor.

The biggest shock of Bali that we weren't really prepared for was the hordes of tourists! Of course, we should have figured Australians, particularly 'bogans', would need a cheap beach destination.