One pound for the room; or one pound for your share of a three pound room?

Herewith, photos of modest (very) offerings from us:

A useful cat tin for putting things in:

A useful bag for putting more things in:

A box of sumptuous ‘Turner’ cards for writing thank you letters on:

We’ll try to find something to actually put in the bag and tin, later!!!

Great six pager, Tan. Nifty drawings! Talking of leeches, as you were, in the book I’ve just read, set in 17th century England, bloodletting using leeches was as commonplace as taking aspirin. Leeches were kept by doctors in stone jars and sold at a few pence each. They were placed in a saucer of milk and then attached to the neck of the person being bled. When fully gorged, they were put in a bowl of salt, which caused the blood to flow out of them, so at the end of it the total amount of blood could be guaged. Then they were transferred back into the milk, and then to the stone jar. People would commonly have a ring of twelve around their necks at any one time!!!

Of all the things you could get Mama, seeds are probably the best. The red amaranth should do well here.

I hope the camera’s a success. Any sign of the pie shop yet?

See email for loot, Jul. Possibly you need to construct an eye patch, to be worn during times of stress.

“Whilst in Bali early June we heard of 3 incidents that had happened. This was the most recent.
Basically an Irishman and friend were at the Bounty Bar (not the hotel) having a few drinks they went to the toilet and when they got back to the bar there was a line up of shots for them. The irishman sipped his and his friend knocked his back. The irishman whilst sipping his looked over at his friend and saw him pass out cold on the floor, he got his friend into a taxi and that is the last thing he remembers. He woke up on Kuta beach up to his neck in water stark naked with all his money gone – just under 1000 english pounds – passport, etc.”

It sounds as though malaria is still possible, even in Bali:

www.travelforum.org/bali/health-safety.html

My “options” advice email has been banned by Mama and Liv who say I make things too complicated and should let Jul decide for himself. (As if he didn’t, anyway …)

That hotel looks a bit of alright, Tan. I was disconcerted to discover from the hotel website that there are still travel warnings to Bali. Also, there’s some illigal gambling scam to avoid. Still, it should be okay. Remember to get your free massage after the 7th night.

According to what I’ve read, Bali is fairly cheap away from the luxury end.

The ‘going to Auckland twice’ bit is presumably because they thought you had used the Kerikeri-Auckland leg, after which you should have gone directly to Singapore, since you had already stopped over in Auckland on the Nelson-Kerikeri bit.

It seems that helpful person in Napier who failed to charge you the correct amount also failed to do what she said!

It’s as well to remember the words of Marcus Aurelius at times like these. Whatever befalls us is, indeed, part of the great web.

Just so it’s crystal clear, Jul, the rules of the ticket allow a certain overall mileage but no return to the same place, apart from a ‘not leaving the airport’ stopover. At least, that’s how I understand it. So bear that in mind concerning Singapore. Also, the flight T&G are on is
SQ146 at 1400 on 6th July; returning SQ147 at 1955 on 25th July.

The Trading Post reopened yesterday. Apart from a different building, and smarter cash registers, the goods on sale and the people in red shirts are the same as before.

Have you already had your birthday, Tan? I mean, a ‘pretend’ birthday, before you left? Did we give you something, then?