There was an article in the Sunday Times about the top ten snorkeling sites, worldwide.

Here the Bali bit:

THE LIBERTY, TULAMBEN, BALI
Most shipwrecks lie in deep water, but part of the Libertyís stern section rises to within three metres of the surface, just a short swim from the beach. In fact, the abandoned cargo ship rested on the shore until 1963, when the nearby volcano, Gunung Agung, exploded, pitching the 6,000-ton ship into the sea and splitting the hull in two.

The wreck attracts a great deal of marine life, including a friendly school of bigeye trevally ó streamlined silver fish that group together in impressive twister formations. Visibility is changeable, but is usually adequate to view the tangled topography of the wreck from the surface.

I based myself in Sanur, a sleepy resort town in the south of Bali, staying at the Sativa Sanur Cottages (00 62 361 287881), a friendly little hotel, for £44 a night. English-owned AquaMarine Diving (00 62 361 730 107, www.aquamarinediving.com) will pick you up at your hotel and take you to Tulamben and back for £44, including snorkelling and lunch. They can also arrange trips to Baliís other great snorkelling site, Pulau Menjangan, on the northwest coast.

EQUIPMENT
A snorkellerís most important tool is the mask. In the shop, try one on, breathe in slightly, remove your hand and lean forwards: the slight suction should keep the mask in place if it makes a good seal with your face.

SAFETY
There are plenty of poisonous creatures in the sea, but none of them seeks to attack people. The golden rule is not to touch anything: if an animal is moving so slowly that you could grab it, the likelihood is that it has a formidable defence mechanism.

If you plan to snorkel from the shore, buy fins that can be worn over neoprene booties. Even with protection, it is advisable to shuffle through the sand so that any stinging beasts have the chance to flee. Sharks in the tropics are wary of people and only eat fish. The exception is the tiger shark, which sometimes stalks pods of dolphins. Tigers hunt in the late afternoon, so never swim with dolphins after 6pm. Flailing snorkellers look too much like injured dolphins.

Have you replaced the citronella with something???????

Talking of hairbrushes, mine says ‘whalebone’ on it. Which bit is whalebone: the handle or the bristles; and if it’s the bristles, what part of the whale are they from?

Yesterday, we went up to the Trundle to see the Ladies hat day at Goodwood. We we sat in the free section and ate our lunch while watching a few races. Many punters present; but most of the hats were in the nob’s enclosure in the distance. There was one very large, extended table with a load of City blokes around it scoffing food and quaffing drink who didn’t even look up when the horses did their bit. A team of minions must have carried their tables, chairs and sustenance all the way up the hill from the car park earlier in the day in order to have it ready. Such was their lack of interest in the races, they could almost have done the same on a non racing day. That would have looked really weird.

Overall, a pleasant festive occasion on a warm if overcast day.

People “calling out g’day left right and centre” who “are always smiling” must remind you of Barnham. No wonder you’re missing the homestead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a bit disappointed reading about Bali there is no superlative like the best, the biggest, the highest, the longest in the world like Borneo or excitingly full of dangerous wildlife like in Belize (jaguar, snake …) But I’m sure you will prove me wrong and tell me all about the fantastic sunrise from the top of the mountain, the busy market at dawn and bicycling through the paddy fields. I am waiting for the descriptions and details that will convince Daddy to book the next plane.

Remember to use your mosquito net every night, citronella oil and water, and wear long sleeves and long trousers in the evening.

Love Mama

English mulberry

Balinese snakeskin fruit

Relax, Liv, all is in order. I had Outlook open for a few days until I realised your computer stayed online without it.

I have installed a new 20gb disk and am looking forward to bidding goodbye to this hyper sensitive glide pad.