01/08/13

It's 13:31, I'm in Hanoi airport, my flight leaves at 13:35 and I'm on the wrong side of the airport. I'm still landside. I don't really feel like writing right now, following my failure as a Borland.

Okay, now I have everything under control, I can write about the only time I have been late for a flight, nay, late for anything important in my entire life. I'm assuming if you're reading this, you know me somewhat and you know that I'm not a late person. So what went wrong? How come you're sat in the airport and someone has an extra seat to spread their stuff out on a flight to Singapore? Well, to answer that, I'll need to take you back to a coffeeshop in Hobart, Australia in February. I booked my flights in bulk, all of them planned and organised perfectly. The booking confirmations were all filed neatly in a folder on my computer, assigned numbers according to which section of the trip they were. The flight route, flight numbers and flight times all written down in an extremely organised spreadsheet. I'm assuming that when I was writing them up, my finger slipped from the 3 on the keypad to the 6, now costing me £178. This changed the time from 13:35 to 16:35 making me late. The funny thing was, the hilarious thing in fact, is that I was at the airport at 10am. I got here so early because: "I'd rather wait for 5 hours in an air conditioned airport than in a city I've already explored, in the heat, humidity and whilst having to look after my 18kg bag and my 6kg backpack". Don't get me wrong, I checked the departures board when I arrived, and had it been bigger, I would have realised there was no flight to Singapore at the time I had written down, but this wasn't the case. It only went up to 15:10 and so I sat down and watched a film. Idiot. I'd love to say I stayed calm, got my head in the game and focussed, but I was late. For something important. My body is not used to this kind of stress, I was actually shaking. I ran around the airport like the kind of people I usually laugh at, sighing 'dumbass' under my breath. I got down to the information desk, already knowing my fate, but she didn't help. She just sat there half using her phone. This is when I snapped into the right mode. The organised mode I am known for. I assessed the situation: I don't have any credit cards to buy a flight because my wallet was stolen; I have a phone with a sim card, but no credit. There wasn't any free wifi anywhere, so what was I to do? I sat down in a panicked state, took a few deep breaths and decided it was time to do the thing I hated doing; asking for help from home. I topped up and got on the blower to my Dad. He gave me a couple of flight options and I decided the quicker, cheaper one was the best (obviously) and that was that. All sorted, all set. Bank account a bit lighter back home, but that is why I still have money back home, for situations like this. It was sorted. I would still reach Singapore and make my connecting flight to Bali. All I had to do was make my flight to Kuala Lumpar. When check-in opened, I was there. I wasn't taking any chances. I stood there as their system booted up, she looked at my passport, typed something in, waited, went to her friends computer, looked confused and then said "Sorry, just having a few problems". After about 10minutes of nervous waiting, she handed my boarding pass, passport and said "I've given you the exit row seat" - "Why, thank you!" I replied, surprising myself with how British I sounded. I boarded the flight and it was nice to have that little fiasco over and done with.

I got food on the flight, which I wouldn't have gotten on the other flight. I also opted for beer whenever the airhostess happened to walk past. My change over in Kuala Lumpar was 1 hour 30 minutes. I had plenty of time to get to my gate, and I did. I sat there, used the free wifi and got chatting to people online when my sister pops up; "Started boarding yet?". I had changed my watch to KL time, but not my laptop, what time was it? What time are we boarding?! No time! Laptop closed, I must have looked like a right k*** running over to the gate. There were 3 flights on the board, but now there are only 2. Neither of which were Malaysian Airlines. Has it gone? Am I too late? Panic rushed back through my blood. My hands shaking again, moreso this time! Then the airline rolled around, it was a joint airline flight. I felt sick with adrenaline. This is worse than a bungee jump. It was half an hour before the flight leaves, so I joined the queue and boarded as normal. Calm and sat on the plane, we only received nuts and orange juice. I arrived in Singapore 6 hours later than I was going to, and I had mixed feelings. Sure, it meant I had 6 hours less to waste, leaving me with only 11 hours instead of the 17, but I was also on landside, where there is nothing to do during these ungodly hours. Nothing apart from the free internet access, so I skyped with a few people. But due to my tiredness, and the aforementioned flight missing, I probably seemed a bit tired, that and I'd been up for 19 hours by this point.

I discovered that Tiger airways opens for early check-in at 4am, giving me only a few hours to waste before moving into the best departure lounge in the world. What did I do when I got through? I found some comfy seating and slept. I got about 4 hours in total, in the cinema room, waking up to a documentary about a woman who adopted a chimpanzee. Very surreal experience! I made my way to the gate when it appeared on the board and there I found some incredibly comfy seat/beds. With about 45minutes until the gate opens, I set my alarm and nodded off.

02/08/13

I got another emergency exit seat. I don't know whether I have the face of someone who would stay calm in an emergency, or if I get them because I (usually) check in really early, but 3 out of the last 4 times I have had the emergency exit seat. Not complaining at all! Very little happened on this flight, I don't even remember it really, I just slept. I woke up before we landed and filled in the arrival customs form, 'Food substances', I do have something, so I'll leave that. 'Weapons or knives', well, I have my Leatherman in my main bag, I'll leave that one too. We landed, views of blue water and beaches from the windows I could just about see. I got off and things started to get more interesting, a lot better and a lot more luxurious.

Following the stream of people through the tunnels leading to baggage claim I saw him, a man stood with 'Mr Stephen Borland' written on his sign. This is the first time I have ever seen my name on a sign at an airport, a funny feeling, and I couldn't help but feel I should have been wearing a suit. This would be a lot more awesome in a suit. I told him about the food & knife, he seemed quite interested in the knife, I described it but he didn't ask any more questions about it. He headed me towards customs, bypassing the stream of people held up at the dam which is the queue for immigration. He was a very friendly man who had an infectious laugh and a big belly, a proper 'Native Islander' look. He wouldn't let me pick up my own bag. The bag I have been carrying myself for my entire trip, it's not as heavy as it used to be, and it's what I'm used to doing. But no. He carried my bag out of the airport, away from the crowds of taxi drivers, hotel collectors and the other 100 people with signs. Sat at a table, just outside the airport were the first family members I have seen in the last 13 months. Nana, and her new husband; Ron. I'll tell you something, I was very surprised on my emotional reaction, not externally, I didn't break down or anything, but internally I felt an emotional reaction I wasn't expecting! We headed to the car and I was told that the man who collected me inside the airport was the chief of police in Bali. So I guess that's why he was asking questions about my knife! Dewa, the villa manager, drove us to the Villa and I caught up with Nana and Ron. When we arrived, I was greeted by one of the villa staff, hanging a Lei of flowers around my neck. You have got to be kidding. My bag was taken to my room, again, against my wishes. Any attempt to argue is futile. I can't begin to describe it, you will have to rely on the pictures which I will inevitably take. But just to give you a few key ideas; Pool, Staff, Gym, Huge bedroom. I haven't eaten since the first flight, besides a pastry in Singapore airport, and that was around 18 hours ago! So when Nana said they were going to have a sandwich soon, I jumped at the opportunity to eat! More catching up and settling in to this luxury villa is how I spent my afternoon. I went into the bedroom, where my bag was already awaiting my arrival, on the bed, a Sarong as a welcome gift, flowers on the pillow, on the towels and even on the toilet roll in the bathroom. This kind of luxury I haven't experienced since I have been travelling, the closest I can compare is Thala, but I was working for it, and the staff were my friends, they were not there to treat me like a guest. I lay my head on the pillow to read a text, my head sank slowly into the cushiony softness, and I struggled to fight sleep.

Dinner was arranged in the villa for 7pm, the whole place, littered with candles to create an ambience which can only be described as 'Tranquil'. I dined like a king, certainly a king of backpackers! Soup to start, Sirloin Steak for main and a chocolate torte for dessert. This wasn't real, surely. I always wanted my trip around Asia to be different, hitting places like Oman and doing things like eating a beating snake heart, but this. This is something VERY few backpackers would experience!

03/08/13

I awoke from this luxury a little later than I had planned this morning. Around 9am, I got up and sat out in the garden to write my blog. I was greeted with Dewa offering me a coffee. I never usually drink coffee in the morning, but decided it would be a nice change. It perked me up 100%, I understand why people do it. Buzzing and alert, I hit the gym again. I'm serious about this, I have lost some weight, so why not try to gain some muscle whilst I'm here with weights to use? I was walking to chill with Nana and Ron and I was approached by one of the staff asking "Good morning, sir, what would you like for breakfast?". I had no idea what they had or if I fancied anything, I was ambushed. I stuttered and followed his suggestion. "Eggs maybe?" he asked. "Eggs are good!" I responded, hearing the echo of what I just said. "An omelette then sir?", "Sure!". I got to the table, chatting away, my breakfast arrived. I have an omelette, with bacon, sausages and mushrooms. Now, I am trying to be as low maintenance as possible whilst I'm here, but this, this was lovely! The day was only going to get better. I decided to go for a walk, setting off about 12ish, I intended to be gone for a couple of hours, just walk down to the beach, find out the cost of renting a board and explore the area a bit. I walked the 3 minutes to the beach, and turned left, towards Kuta. Walking, walking, along a massive stretch of beach, walking, nothing, walking, BAM! There she was. The future Mrs Stephen Borland. She is what I can only describe as 'Hot Australian Surfer Chick' and she was stunning. It was clear that this is a huge Aussie holiday destination as I walked further and further along the beach. Eventually I stopped, right in the hustle and bustle of the beach, I saw them. Waves; and people riding them. I sat and watched, excited and enthralled to get back on a board, I asked the price. 50,000 INR for an hour. If you've been working, like me, with Vietnamese Dong, you just double the Indonesian rupiah to get it in Dong. So 100,000 Dong for an hour is very pricy! I walked further down and stopped where there were more boards in the water, a spit of water which was hosting many people trying to catch a wave. Many people failing, but nonetheless, decent, manageable waves. I couldn't resist, I asked the board renter behind me how much, and at 50,000 for 2 hours, there was no point resisting. I hit the waves, being honest to myself and renting a big fat board and not pretending to be good. The first 40 minutes were getting back used to the timing, paddling and consisted mainly of me getting beaten up by the sea. I came out, exhausted, gasping for a drink and needing to get out of the sun for a bit. I inhaled 2 bottles of water, chatted to a pair of Austrians and went back out. I don't know what it was, but it clicked. The first one I caught and popped up no problem, the second the same. The third, I dropped in like a pro, falling off shortly after, but that was a new step for me, dropping in on an unbroken wave. I think I'm getting the hang of it again! Considering I haven't surfed since last year, and considering I never achieved the status of 'I can surf', I'd say I wasn't too bad. I headed back to the villa, via the inland route. I had an hour before dinner and this time we were eating out! Taking Dewa with us, we went to a French restaurant. The food was delicious, even if Ron says it has gone downhill, I still enjoyed it!

05/08/13

I have missed a few days. But it's only 12:22, so there's only really 2 days to catch up on. Sunday (4th) I left the villa. Whaaaat?! Crazy! Why would you leave the luxurious life?! Well, I had been in contact with a friend I met in Cambodia, Carolyn. She's in Bali with her sister and it gave me the opportunity to see a different part of the island without being alone! I was initially going to rent a moped and ride up to Ubud to meet them both, hang out, go to a temple and then ride up to Mount Batur to climb it myself the next day. This all changed. Dewa insisted on driving me up there as I'd probably get lost, and rightly so, I would have! I didn't climb Mount Batur alone as Carolyn's sister, Aidy, also wanted to climb it! When I arrived, she came and met me, the 3rd time we had met and it was equally enjoyable as the other times. She was staying with a family she knew from her studies here a few years ago. I met them, a real Balinese family living in a real Balinese village. We headed down to Samoa Tigga, a relatively unknown temple (according to the limited results on google search), but it was good. Really quite untouched and genuinely used by the locals. Carolyn told me about a few ceremonies here that she has attended. Packed with locals, dancers, music and festivities. We walked around this large, empty temple. I love how the moss is growing over sections and how it doesn't look quite as well kept as some of the other temples I have seen. We sat and chatted a bit, Carolyn's sister seeming quite bored or quiet, but that all changed on the climb up Batur. We headed back up to the house where lunch was prepared and waiting for us. It mainly consisted of vegetarian food with 1 fish dish, but it was all very nice! I know, me, liking vegetarian food, what's that about?! Thanks to the tuna dish though, I got my fix. After lunch we went to Goa Gajah, a temple which is more well known, thanks to the cave with the typical Balinese carving around the entrance. The cave was a small T shape with alcoves on the top two ends for offerings, but other than that, there wasn't a lot inside. The rest of the grounds were very nice, although a little bit crowded compared to the temple before. But rightly so! It had a waterfall, a pond, incredibly large trees and all in all, it was a very tranquil place. I could spend all day there by myself, watching people come and go. But as there were 3 of us, we headed off to a restaurant for a spot of dinner. It was on a rice paddy and the food was pretty spicy, but it was alright. When we got back, the family offered us food again and despite how nice it was before, I couldn't be that cheeky. We had a chat and eventually hit the hay at about 8pm. I had a mattress outside Carolyn's and Aidy's room, I was outside with a roof over my head and I love it. I had my sleeping bag so I wouldn't get eaten too much by mosquitoes and it was all grand. Until I was wrong about the last bit. I now have about 10 bites over my torso and back, but a couple of them have swollen up quite a bit, so I'm guessing they're not mosquito bites.

This morning, at 2:30am I woke up. I woke up to climb an active volcano. This experience was tiring, exhausting and aggravating at times, but it was all worth it to experience sunrise at the top. The first 3rd was like walking up a hill, overtaking people and making a mission out of it. The 2nd 3rd was a bit steeper, a big hill with big steps where you needed to use your hand occasionally, Carolyn was starting to flag and told me and Aidy to go on. We protested, but she insisted. The last bit, was like climbing an active volcano. Ash, loose sediment and porous igneous rock slipping under our feet. This was by far the most challenging bit, but I made it to the top, maybe 5 minutes before Aidy after loosing her on the last bit. This wasn't due to me rushing to the top to be first, but because if I stop, I'll loose my mental momentum. It was extremely cloudy at the top, so me and Aidy decided to descend for the sunrise. It was during this descent that we met Carolyn and our guide, so we climbed back up. The sunrise itself was less than spectacular, but it was the landscape the light revealed which really gave you a sense of accomplishment. The steam vents rising up, the area of black rocks where the volcano erupted in 2000, standing on the rim of the crater, being able to see the orange sea lit up by the sun and the blue lake, still in the shadow of Mt Agung. That's why it was worth it. We climbed down, saw monkeys and headed back to Ubud where Dewa picked me up.

06/08/13

Yes, yes, YES! So the highlight of my day wasn't almost drowning this morning, or eating a fried breakfast, it definitely wasn't walking around a mall, and it wasn't quite getting data set up on my phone, but the thing that takes the biscuit was surfing the sunset. In 1 hour I surfed more than 3/4 of the waves I went for and dropped in a couple of green waves and surfed them until they died, giving me enough time to practice my balance, foot positioning and weight distribution toward the front and back of the board. I was allowed 90 minutes with the board, but after the 2nd long ride, I decided to leave it. I'm a firm believer of leaving on a good note. When I go back to it, I can do so in a positive manner.

I can only imagine my next blog will play host to many more surfing stories and an event of which I will be proud to be a part of.