Glamp Nusa

Glamp Nusa, is a new Bali resort which specializes in weddings.  They pride themselves on exceptional 5 star service and certainly deliver just that.  This was my first experience with glamping, it's a long way from any previous camping I've done.  This was the venue for the wedding that 40 of the happy couple's closest family and friends had travelled to attend.

My tent was beside the koi pond, opposite Jami, my granddaughter on the other side of the pond and with my son and dil  my closest neighbour.  It came in handy having Jami so close when I decided to walk around on the lush grass barefooted while I took photos and got stung by an ant.  Jami is a seasoned traveler and had some cream to sooth the sting.

 

The resort was next door to a paragliding business and the colourful kites (is that what they're called?) as they glided past added a lovely splash of colour.  

 

Here there were no stepping stones to negotiate but a little bridge to cross.  Obviously this is where the koi are fed as the minute one approached, the fish swarmed to the bridge.

My grandson and his lovely bride chose a cliff top as their wedding location.  

My younger daughter going to inspect the set up.  

The flowers were glorious.  See those yellow-orangy garlands?  They are also fresh flowers. 

The guests were asked to not take photos so I don't have any to share except this quick snap I snuck in after the formal photos, of the happy couple having a quick refreshment.   I have received a lovely video of the wedding but can't link it. 

 

The paragliders had been asked by the resort people to not come past during the ceremony but after it was finished they did what looked like a fly-past.  A wonderful sight. 

 I hadn't been looking forward to having dinner outdoors but the minute the sun dropped below the horizon, the temperature dropped to something approaching comfortable.  

 

 

 

This is my shot of the day.  As all the guests were enjoying pre-dinner cocktails I looked around and noticed in a back corner my son, younger grandson and father of the groom enjoying a catch up.  Goodness knows what they had turned to look at!

Sanur sights

The entrance to a home along our access road in Sanur, Bali.  I think the sign said, "Please use the side door", so this one must have been purely decorative.

Something else purely decorative:

 

Icon shopping mall

I think perhaps it is ICON in capitals but can't find out if that stands for something or if it was built 2 years ago to be iconic.  It is 4 floors of all things bright and shiny, a mix of international brands you can find in any mall world wide and a few local products.  I think the most Indonesian thing in the place was this installation.  I don't know how else to describe it.

 

 

The night markets, in contrast, were all things Indonesian, a sensation of sights and smells - and smiles. We only ate what my grandson, a regular visitor to Bali, recommended.  I have no idea what it was but it was very good.  And I enjoyed every drop of the cold  beer we had to go with it.

 

 

Family discussions about what to eat.

 

 

The bike parking lot outside the Arts Market at Sukawati. And. below, canang sari near the road entrance to the parking lot.  They are small, handmade daily offerings placed on the ground, doorsteps, and shrines throughout Bali to express gratitude and maintain cosmic balance. 

 

This alleyway, in full sun, to a beachfront restaurant seemed endless.  

The flowers

Our first accommodation with the bride's family in Sanur was a large Balinese style villa that easily slept 12 of us.  It sat in spacious grounds with lush, colourful trees and shrubs, a long way back from a service alley that was always busy with cars and bikes - and friendly foot traffic. 

 

The service alley

 

 

There was a small pond to be negotiated which proved something of a challenge for me as I've had a bit of vertigo lately and looking down can send me into a spin.  But I found if I stood still for a few minutes then looked down and waited a tic or two before looking up again I was fine. (I'm not too old to learn new tricks!)

 

The lady of the pond

Bali

A hint of winter crept into the air here at home while I was away in Bali and, oh, how I would have appreciated just a touch of it while I was there.  

Along with learning a lot about growing rice, I learned that humidity changes the perceived heat, that air loaded with water prevents our body's sweat from functioning and it clogs the pores of our skin.  The more humidity increases, the less our body sweats.   When there is no sweating, there is simply no cooling system for our body to rely on, so we quickly overheat.  I didn't know that.  I do know I often felt overheated and I started to suspect that they measured temperature differently to us here in NZ.  31°C (87°F) felt more like 41°C (105°F).

I wonder if the humidity has anything to do with the way all the trees and flowers I recognised grew taller but sparser than here at home.  Like these Bird of Paradise which would have been 8 feet high but allowed light in amongst the leaves.

I will post more in the coming days.  For now, I am recovering from a severe dose of Bali Belly.  I have no idea how I got it, I was super careful around what I ate and drank.  I avoided ice in all drinks until the night before I came home when a cocktail in a very popular restaurant came with a large ball of ice. I was told Indonesia now has a national standard for edible ice, and food sanitation guidance requires ice used with food and drinks to be made from water that meets drinking water standards. There is also a formal hygiene sanitation framework for restaurants.  

I was in Bali for my grandson's wedding and we stayed the first few days with the bride's family in Sanur.  It was a lovely time of two families coming together.  One of the bride's sisters had been in Bali for a week and was recovering from the same thing.  It must be hard to avoid for those of us who come from countries with high sanitation standards and few opportunities to develop resistance to those bugs.

 The groom relaxing with two sleeps to go before the big day.

A funeral and football

It's not every day I get to attend a funeral and watch a game of rugby on the same day.

Once upon a time I rarely saw children at a funeral but I will remember this funeral for a long time because of the children who were there.  They were the grandchildren and children of the nieces and nephews of Liz who was being farewelled.  Honestly, I can't remember ever seeing so many beautiful children in the one place.  Ever!  All  beautifully dressed and extremely well behaved.  I couldn't take my eyes off them.  It was just as well I'd left my phone at home or I may not have been able to resist taking photos of them.  I think that would have been quite bad form.

The rugby game was the first of this season and also the wedding day of last season's team captain.  One of those "best laid plans for men and mice" situations.  The day had been chosen to fit in with the farming calendar and the rugby calendar.  Normally the rugby season starts a little later in the year but for some unknown reason, I think it may be because this year there are a couple more teams in the comp than usual, starting date was brought forward. So the team was short of eight of their usual players (guests at the wedding) and included six young men having their first game of senior rugby.  My son coaches the team and he was also very involved with the wedding as the groom and his partner are sharemilkers on his farm.  Heather, his wife was also catering for the wedding.

I only knew one of the young men making their seniors debut but felt immensely proud of them all.  They had a good win.  I have just seen the team for this weekend's game and was thrilled to note at least three of them are included again this week.   Maybe one or two more as there are a couple of names I don't recognise.  I really enjoy the start of the season, learning who the new players are. And remembering the older hands.  It's a bit alarming how quickly I can forget a player's name if they aren't around for a while.

 I'd never make a sports photographer.  I tend to get totally engrossed in what's happening in front of me and put the camera down to have a good look.

I am now totally settled in my new abode.  During the week the last of my "must dos" happened.  There was an overgrown and messy bird of paradise plant right outside my front door which blocked my view of the front lawn and trees.  One of the village residents came with his trusty tractor, dug it out and took it away.

 

I'll get a photo of the view without it when it's not quite as bleak as it is today.  Winter must be on its way.

 It's been a long time since I posted any photos from the farm.  I am perfectly happy living here in the village but I sure do miss the farm and the forest.  I'm sure C and C won't mind me sharing a couple of photos from their wedding.  I was so happy when I heard they were getting married on the farm.  It's like a second home to the groom who first came to work on the farm when he was 16, I think he must be around 30 now.  He's been like one of the family.  They chose a paddock between the lake and the creek.

 

After the storm

It wasn't much of a storm here although there was a bit of local flooding but we were the lucky ones .  Those who live further north really felt it.  

However, we did have a lot of wind and rain.  Enough to deepen my appreciation for the sunshine today.  I thought it would be nice to have my morning coffee sitting on my seat under the trees but the seat is still too wet so I sat my coffee on it while I wandered around enjoying the sunshine peeking through the trees.

  

 

Trees again

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

These are two lines from the poem I shared a few days ago and below are photos of "my" trees lifting their leafy arms to the sky.  I'm calling them my trees because to just call them "the" trees doesn't do them justice.  I honestly believe no-one can own a native tree that has chosen to grow in its natural environment.  And I give thanks to the trustees of this village who made the decision to retain this area of native bush when they were developing the area.   

I've been waiting for that blue sky.

  

The trees dwarf my little car and the village van.  

This tree is my nearest neighbour.  When I first see it in the morning, the trunk is bathed in sunlight,  it wears dappled light during the day until finally it is in full shade.  Even when the sun isn't shining it is beautiful, it has lovely patterned bark.  I think it's a Taraire but am not sure.  My plant ID app doesn't recognise it.