This is the general mail as my e-mail is cack at the mo!

Hi all,

well, we arrived in bali, and met up with ed and nikki who have been here for four days already, waiting with baited breath for the luxury stint in the hotel!! We went out for some cocktails for my birthday which was nice, and wondered around buying copious amounts of dvd’s!

As the hotel booking was in geoff’s name we headed there the next morning! It was pure luxury, all made of stone and set on the beach with wonderful views of the sea, a huge swimming pool, drinks bar in the pool, hot water (which we havn’t seen since home!), clean linen every day, and the hugest bath i have ever seen!!! Bliss!!!! Geoff and ed went to meet Allen and Rich from the airport, and ten days of fun and relaxation began!

Bali is hot, but not humid so we don’t sweat as much which is nice. Kuta is very built up and commercial, and is full of touts who are even more persistant than they would normally be on account of the bombing and therefore the lack of tourists. The beach is really nice, and i found it quite rafreshing to have cold sea for a change! We had a great few days doing tours of the island seeing temples and sights. We went white water rafting which was great fun, especially watching the boys in their own raft spending most of the time pushing each other out!!! Some days were spent by the pool rerlaxing, and we went to the local water park which we all enjoyed hugely. All in all a very pleasent time was had by all. Only one black mark for bali, and that was when we went to climb the volvano. The local guides charge an extortionate rate to walk up the mountain with you, so we decided to do it on our own. It does say in the book that the guides are pushe, but that was the understatment of the year!!! They were p[ositivaly agressive, threatening us and reving their moterbikes behind us, and then all ganging up at the start fo the walk. It was not that scary as we were all a couple of feet taller that them, but still not pleasent at all. We did not respond well to their threats, and would have walked on i think if geoff had not been feeling a little reponsibe for his brother, and not inclined top risk things. We tried to laugh it of, but these negative things unfortunately stick in the mind.

WE also had some very nice meals in classy restaurents – things such as steak, cocktails and wine went down a treat!!!

The inevitable day came when allen went home, and we got left with the terror, richard!!! Only joking, he has been very good company and is having a great time. We moved back into Kuta, waving goodbye sadly to ed and nikki who will be away for another year. Very sad as we have enjoyed bumping into them from time to time. Good luck in OZ guys!

The streets of Kuta and their questionable charm are begining to wear a little thin, so we are off to Ubud tomorrow to do a few courses! Hope all is well at home,

love Tanya

Hail,
well, time for a big mail i feel!! The last one was from malacca wasn’t it?? if not. malacca was great fun, but no time to dwel on it now!.

WE arrived in singapore to cleanliness and sweet smelling air. Even the underground was clean and sparkling!! lots of touts to meet us of the bus, and we went with oine called percy as he seeme nice enough and was offering a free ride into town anyay. The rooms turned out to be fine, and we settled the price for five days and moved in. It was a huge room with enough space for the bunion and it had air con, which we are not used to but found rather pleasent!!

Percy was really nice and prtovided free breakfast and tea and coffe as well as info about the town and variouse other things. he was always talking, mostly about the lady down stairs who had just opened a guest house and was stealing all his ‘walk in’ guests. A source of much amusment!! we settled in for a bit, and having checked our mails last night and everything was on scedule for jul to arrive at arround 6ish, we headed off on the cleanliness advert, the metro, to the airporte. We waited dutifully with noses pressed to the glass for jul, but no sighn! I did see a couple of pink haired ladies who i thought for a moment could be him, but it was not to be. all the people had gone, all the luggage had been colected, and no sogn of jul. Cursing muchly, i headed to the singapor airline desk where the lady informed me that a certain j. brockbank had been booked on the flight and had not turned up!!!!! Upon phoning dod to enquire what on earth the yip was playing at, it transpired that something had gone wrong with his ticket at the last minute and he had had to pospone his flight until the 5th!!! This caused geoff no end of stress as he had to try and fit the train fares into the weekly budget!!! Oh well….

We recovered from the stress of waiting for someone and drawing ablank surprisingly quickly, and headed of to enjoy the delights fo singapore.

Our first stop was the zoo which i remembered from having been here when a child and had found most entertaining. It was not a disapointment, and we had a great time! It was all really wellcared for and most of the animals were in the open air. I usually feel sorry for animals in zoos, but i would say these had an ok life. The polar bears had a big tank with seethrough sides which was fun! In comparison the night safari was not as interesting, but non the less worth a visit. The most interesting animal here was the wild pig. it had tusks growning out of it’s snout!!! Much fun and amusment had by all viewing all these animals.

The next day, after the early morning installment of percy;s vendeta against the lady donwstairs we headed of to little india. Like the real thing but much cleaner. We had a nice indian meal which reminded us of the good old days of rough travelling!

China town was full of food courts, and we spent our time wondering round these pigging out on loads of different things! Rafreshing ourselves with a pint of sugarcane juice from time to time! Orchard road didn’t go too well as it poured with rain, and geoff not being the most enthusiastic shopper at the best of times was womdering round like a drenched sheep with the botts! Good to see it though. We also had a fleeting glance at the raffles complex which was most impressive. Our relaxing activity was the botanical gardens and the orchid garden which was really tranquil and nice.

Of to the airport aain on the fifth. This time we were in comunicartion as i had finaly got my phone to charge. We spotted him at once. He looked like a reject from an indiana jones audision!!! The hat, the coat, the hair…. need i say more!! Well, we pilled onto the metre an headed homestay wards! (percy’s g/house is called chinatown homestay)

I had a great b-day at the airpore!!! geoff gave me a classy mah jong set and julio gave me and unmade bracelet!!!!

The flight to bali was unseventfull accept for julios oooo’s and aaaaa’s at the private screens in the back of the seats!

WE met up with ed and nikki and had a couple of days in Kuta goind to the beach and buying dvd which they precticaly give away here. The people are really pushy, and touting is far more like it was in vietnam. we had settled in our room leaving julio to find his own way back from the internet place. this was a mistake as he turned up with braids in his hair and polished finger nails!!! He had apparently looked on girl in the eyey for a nano second,l and a hoard of them ad leaped out bellowing ‘so hansom, so hansom’ and dragged him into their shop, plating his hair and applying polish befor he could say jack robinson!!!! we all found it most amusing as he had given them the contents of his wallet and legged it!!!! Apparently the 20,000 he gave them was not enough!!! He handed over another 20 and made his escape. It must have cut like a knife, but it was inreality only a couple of quid!!! Most entertaining non the less. He has now perfected his snear and walks past the hustlers with ease!!! well, we then headed to the plush hotel which was rather pleasent to meet up with the rest of the gang. Julio, nikki and i rested by the pool while geoff and edd went to the airport to pick their dad and younger brother richard up. to be contimued…

Love tanya

Hailall,

Well, saying cheeryo to the bunion as he is moving out of the plush hotel. He is meeting annika tonight. WE ahve only two days left in luxury and then on to the travelling again. Bali is nice, but we have not been traveling round it so have not had the same kind of experiences as other countries. WE went to a water perk which was great and we are going white water rafting tomorrow which should be great. When we move out of the hotel i will write a lopng and detailed mail about all the experiences. Sounds like it is hot and fun over there. Well done on the cheese front dod!!!! WEll, cheerypip til later. Jul will write extensivaly tonight i believe but what with coming to town with everyone and all being in a rush there has not been time to mail.

Love T

Bumps on the decrease i’m happy to say. got a small one on the chin which jul found most amusing but alls good apart from that.

toms leg looks quite nasty to me – he should have known better than to attempt such mad jumps. i abstain from doing them now!!!

WEll bali is fun and hot. Th hotel is most pleasent, and yes dod, the sea look pretty dangerous here so we have stuck to the pool which is most rafreshing and clear!!!

Well sounds like we are going t6o eb doing a few activities here!! LIke white water rafting and surfing and perhaps windsurfing as well as climbing up a volcano!!!

Looks like jul is staying here with annika for a month after we leave and then homewards for the good old uni he thinks ! also a little bit of money earning!!!

Bye
Tanya

Hail,
In bali with the nibblet now! Looks ok, and we are going for some food stuff soonest. Will check the beach out tomorrow. Flight was ok and 100 times better than air newzealand g says!

Love T

Heah Liv,

What the hell is all that stuff over you? Don’t tell me that’s just the good old Brockbank sweating problem!! Tan has it as well – in abundance!!

G

HiHi!! I say that geoff has developped dod’s goat stench and emits is in profusions every day. It is quite ranck and seems to eminate from hin neck area and work it’s wat down!!
T