It's Bloody Cold Living In England

Well we're back. We flew out of Bali and landed in Singapore, where we had to wait 4 hours for the connection back to England. When we finally landed in England it was as miserable and grey as I remembered. It's May for god's sake, and it's bloody freezing. The sky is overcast, and it's so depressing. We just wanted to turn around and get back on a plane to anywhere but here.

So it's back to miserable faces walking down miserable streets in a miserable over expensive country. Great! Oh well, we spent a few days in London seeing Sam's family down there, and then headed up to North Yorkshire to our new home. we are living and working with alex in his new pub, the Arden Arms. It's in South Cowton, which doesn't really exist as a village. South Cowton is the pub and a couple of houses, on a big hill, that's it.

So here am I the city lad, living in the middle of bloody nowhere. It'll give me the incentive to find work and get a life back on track. At least we have the space to consider the future, and what we want to do. I know that we don't want to be living in England, and that the ultimate aim is to escape to another country, wherever that maybe.

Snorkelling in the coral reef 

Sam dressed up Bali style 

Wil and I dressed Bail style 

A evil ghost at a Hindu drama on Lombok 

Odi cooking up a storm 

Madi and Ami at the family home in Lombok 

Cava Cafe, Gili Trawangan (Now twinned with the Arden Arms in North Yorkshire) 

Sam with Wil (Doctor Feel Good!) 

Sunrise over Lombok 

Not Quite The End

In Bali now, for a few days before we fly back home. Staying in Kuta, which is the most tourist part of Bali. We managed to get a deluxe suite to stay in cheaply. When we arrived we stayed in a standard home-stay guesthouse for the night. That night we ended up talking to a Aussie guy called Rod, who had this suite that he rents out. We got it for $15 a night, bargin!

We have AC, TV and DVD, Fridge, hot shower, a balcony and even our own kitchen area! After staying in all sorts of basic accomodation, it is nice to stay somewhere really decent.

Driving through Bali from the ferry terminal was lovely. I'd been asleep on the journey there I think, as I don't remember seeing such countryside. As I've said before, Indonesia is somewhere we would visit again and again. There's still a lot to see.

Well going to leave it there for now. It looks lovely outside, so it's time to hit the beach and soak up some sun.

The Last Post

This will most definately be the last post from overseas. There may well be additions and comments, and likely that the blog will continue in some sporadic form. But for this trip, this is the end.

Back to England, hard to think about. Only a week away now. In fact we'll be sitting on the riverside of the Thames this time next week, at Auntie Jane's. Back to jumpers, back to feeling the cold. Back to reality!

It's been great. We've been on what we can most definately say is an adventure. We've had ups and downs, good times and indifferent times. Overall it has been a trip of a lifetime. We have been places and done things that can never be forgotten, and never be repeated. From doing the 'usual' tourist traps, to living and working in Laos, from spending time with Mum and Dad just hanging out 'at home', to discovering we had a second family we never knew about on Gili Trawangan.

We have thousands of memories to match the thousands of photographs we have to bore the pants off everyone when we get home. Oh the stories we can tell, people will run a mile when they see us coming, CD's of photo's in hand and a skip in our step.

We're glad that we are coming back to the UK as summer is about to start. It would be much harder to deal with otherwise. Off to live in the country, working for Alex. It should be good, and in a way another chapter to the whole adventure that started back in July when we finally packed up and left Hull.

Hull! Now there's a one. We've heard from friends that much has changed. Which is suprising! I suppose much has changed with us in the time we have been away. It will be interesting to see friends and family.

Anyway, there you go. The end of and era. It's been great!

Gili Trawangan (Welcome Home)

Well this entry could very well be the last, or the penultimate at the very least. It's been one hell of a journey, that is now almost at an end. We've been here on Gili Trawangan for nearly 3 weeks, and with about 10 days left before we head back to England, we sit in reflective mood.

After the incident with Sam hurting her leg, it meant that we couldn't go to Komodo. So we um'd and ah'd, and decided to just stay right here. What a good and fortuitous idea that was. For here we have found our paradise, new friends, and a place we could call a second home. We will be back, everyone can be assured of that.

We have spent many a happy time with Will (local wide-boy) and his family. His brother Madi and his wife run Cava Cafe, a small resturant close to the boat landing. It was Will we turned to when we needed taking to the hospital. He has become our protector, Sam's bandage wrapper, and a very close friend.

We have spent a lot of time going back and forth between Lombok and Trawangan, spending time hanging out with his family. We've dressed in full Bali costume for cerimonial purposes. They being a family of good Bali Hindus. We have met many, many good people, and had many, many a good night sat around drinking and chatting.

There is also our friend and landlord, Ode. Another person we have spent a lot of time with. It was so nice yesterday, as we landed back in Trawangan (after being at Will's parents). As we came out of the darkness (the electricity cut-out again) up the beach, there was Ode arms out-stretched to greet us with a big hug.

As I say, we've had a wonderful time here. There is so much more to say. There's Kelly (she lived in Hull for many years) and her boyfriend Ping. There's all the other guys we have met, sat with, and had a great time just hanging out with. There's the nice lady at the shop in front of the Homestay we are living at. There's Dil, who has watched out for us. And everyone else, the list goes on.

Thank you to all our friends and extended family on Gili Trawangan, you are all very special people. We will most definately see you all again. It maybe in 1 year or 2 years, but rest assured. We will be back.