Waterfalls, rice paddies and coffee

Our time at the villa had come to an end.  Instead of leaving back home immediately, I had arranged for us to go somewhere else for a few more nights.  We had the leave and the flight from Hong Kong wasn't that short, so it seemed like a better use of time to stay a bit longer.  I arranged for a van to pick us up and to take us to our next location.  It was a long drive, so it seemed convenient to do some stopovers on the way.  Our first stop was the Tegenungan waterfall.  It was relatively short drive without too much traffic.  One of the great benefits of this part of Bali was that was far from the intense Uluwatu to Seminyak region that was full of crowds and jams.  Everything over here was far more relaxed and calm.  Arriving at the waterfalls, we quickly found a nice vantage point for some pictures before we started the hike down to the water at the bottom.  It was a well paved and scenic walk, though I wasn't looking forward to the hike back up after.

 

The hike down was a bit unexpected.  Rather than walking through hidden and untouched jungle, this seemed to be quite a built up area.  The jungle vibe had been well maintained, but reaching the bottom we found hotels on both sides of the water as well as several stalls selling snacks.  The hotels were beautiful and built into the surrounding nature, but it was still a bit surprising.  Down at the water level, the temperature also dropped.  It was cool and comfortable, and when the breeze blew the water spray at us, it almost felt a bit too cold.

 

The excitement and the walk down to the waterfall was clearly tiring for baby Pickle and he fell asleep in Veronica's arms as we walked around near the water.  I took over from her and cradled him in my arms as I carried him back up the stairs.  The walk and jolts did nothing to wake and he slept soundly as we got back in the car to head to our next destination.

We asked our driver if he could recommend any nice places for lunch.  He didn't disappoint and took us to a nicely renovated restaurant overlooking some rice paddies.  It was a modern restaurant that catered to the tourist crowd, but it was a peaceful and comfortable place for a lunch.  As we ate, baby Pickle seemed happy to sit in the highchair looking out at all of the new and interesting sights.

After lunch, the driver took us to a coffee plantation.  This is one of those locations that screams "tourist trap".  Tour groups are brought in, the drivers get paid, then the hard sell is made to the tourists to buy whatever it is they're selling.  I remembered back to when I was young and the shock of my parents with us being dragged from shopping location to shopping location, full of stuff we didn't want and full of touts pushing their wares on us.  None of that was an issued here and e were fully aware of what we were getting ourselves into.  It was a tourist location, but there were still things to see and coffee for baby Pickle to grab at.

   

After walking through the grounds of the coffee plantation, we were taken for a coffee tasting.  There was nothing exceptional on offer, but it was still all new to us so it was nice to try to different flavours on offer.  Some were nice, others less so....

Baby Pickle seemed to be enjoying everything.  All the new sensations, the colours, the things to touch.  It seemed to engage him and he seemed amazed by it every part of it.

Relaxing in Bali

Life in the villa was good.

Maybe a little bit too good.

It was fancy living, with all of our needs catered for by the professional and friendly staff.  This wasn't my first trip to Bali, but it was the first time I had experienced this type of villa living.  The previous trips had usually been in hotels near to the wedding locations.  Those hotels were all lovely, I had enjoyed the stays immensely.  Yet this was something a little bit different.

Staying in these villas was comparably priced to staying at the big hotels, but they came with an additional privacy and enjoyment that you didn't seem to get at a hotel.  It was a very nice way to spend a few days.  With Lico and Chris, and the babies both being well looked after, we were able to all properly enjoy our time off.  

As we were all staying a little bit further away from the main busy areas of Bali, we also had the benefit of much more space.  We even had direct beach access, which seemed to be a level of luxury beyond what we could have imagined.

We took our meals together, all prepared with care and skill by the villa staff.  We were able to spend our time together lounging by the pool, wandering the grounds of the villa or playing with the kids on the grass and in the shade.  Each day, Veronica and Lico had massage therapists come to the villa to give them massages up in the private massage therapy area of the villa.  At the end of each session, the staff even set up the spa baths in each of our rooms so the girls could soak and relax after the massages.  Whilst the girls did this, Chris and I played with the kids, or when they napped we went and explored along the beach, admiring the long coastline and the impressive neighbouring villas.

This stay in the villa felt more "Bali" than any of the previous visits.  This was the Bali that seemed to capture the dreams and thinking of so many who visited.  It was a seductive way to live and to holiday.  It felt like a perfect blend of relaxation whilst still getting to enjoy the best of the island.  I wasn't sure when I would return to Bali (likely the next wedding whenever that may be), but this type of stay would be what I would want to experience again. 

Bali wedding once more

It was another Bali wedding.  You would think I would be getting tired of them, but that wasn't the case at all.  Every wedding had enjoyed a beach and tropical vibe, so there were certain things that didn't change.  That didn't seem to make any of them less enjoyable.  They were always a happy occasion, with everyone in a good mood, with the holiday vibe adding to all round good spirits.

 

This wedding had one extra special element compared to the previous Bali weddings I had attended.  This one was full of children.  There had been kids at all of the previous weddings, but nothing like this.  There were babies, infants, small kids, bigger kids all running around as the wedding was about to start.  Ryan and Jess were well aware of the crowd, and had even arranged a large room at the back for all the kids to rest and relax.  It added an extra family feel to the entire festive mood.

The wedding was lovely and it was amazing to see Ryan and Jess so happy together.  A lot had changed for them since we were all together in Hong Kong.  We were all happy to see them after they had moved, so this wedding had been the perfect opportunity for a reunion.

After dinner, as the wedding continued into the night, those of us with kids arranged for the kids to be taken back to the villas.  Veronica took Pickle back to the villa to be looked after before she came back to join in the rest of the party.

Everyone was drinking and dance.  It was a great time, but I felt is harder than any previous wedding.  Life with a child is an energy consumer.  Even as other continued to enjoy the party, I could feel my strength waning.  We stayed just a little bit longer, before we decided it was time for us to go back to the villa to sleep.

Off on a tropical adventure

We were off again on another trip.  All our trips with the baby Pickle had been a success so far.  Many had looked at our trips with shock.  Others with admiration.  Maybe we had become overconfident and arrogant to travel so much?  I didn't really care so much.  For me, the difficulties had all been worth it and I felt it had given us time and opportunities to bond that were invaluable. 

Sitting in the lounge as we waited for our flight, Pickle was curious of everything around him.  I went and got glasses of champagne for myself and Veronica.  This piqued his interest immediately.  He looked at us intently as we drank and decided that surely it was time for us to share some of this with him.  

When we boarded the plane, he was already tired.  Once we took off, the flight attendants promptly set up the bassinet and I was able to carefully place him in to sleep without any disruption.  I lay my head down as well, trying to rest.  This didn't last long though as the baby Pickle woke after only a relatively short nap. 

Refreshed and reenergised, he decided that now was the time to start exploring.  He couldn't really walk yet, but that didn't mean he couldn't crawl or climb around.  With this skill, he decided that what he really wanted to do was to say hello to pretty Japanese girls seated in the row behind us.  He scraped and crawled over me, stepping on my shoulder and face to get his head above the row of seats.  Perched up high, he smiled and laughed as the girls cooed at him and exclaimed "kawai", all the while encouraging him further....

When we arrived at the airport in fairly good spirits.  Everyone was well rested enough and it wasn't too late. We expected there to be a long wait at immigration and customs, but instead we found almost no lines.  With baby Pickle in tow, we were also directed to the "short" line which meant we were able to get through even quicker.  Outside there was a car waiting for us.  A short drive later and we were at our villa for the next few days.

Baby Pickle soon found himself comfortably settled in one of the rooms as the staff immediately came to provide us with all the comforts we needed.  

All of the staff seemed to be incredibly happy and excited to see us with the baby.  A few hours before we had arrived, our friends Chris and Lico had also arrived with baby Luca.  It would be a nice few days together, with parents and children all able to enjoy the surrounds.

Tanah Lot

We had gotten back to the hotel very late.  Somehow, I had managed to wake the next morning feeling very rough and regretting the last few drinks of the night.

I had booked a tour for us, which now seemed to be a very brave and foolish decision.  Veronica hadn't been drinking, so she found my suffering to be hilarious.  We got in the car and the driver started our journey towards the water temple at Tanah Lot.  As we were staying in Jimbaran, we had a long drive of about an hour and a half.  I decided to treat this as a blessing and quickly fell asleep in the backseat for most of the trip.

We arrived at Tanah Lot with the tides up.  We stood near the cliff edge and looked out at this famous water temple.  With the water lapping around the island, it was an incredibly picturesque sight.  I was starting to feel myself again, the strong breeze helping to cool and refresh me.  We walked around the whole of the area, taking photos and just exploring. 

Further down the coast to the South, the whole area opened up.  The denses forests were all replaced by wide open lawns.  It seemed like it was part of some resort, though there didn't seem to be any golf courses in the areas that we were walking.  We kept wandering further South until we could see nice uninterrupted views back towards Tanah Lot.

On our way back, we decided to stop for lunch.  The whole area seemed heavily built up for mass tourism.  There were restaurants everywhere, with the cliff area completely lined with tables and chairs.  Further inland, there were rows and rows of shops selling the random tourist items you would expect.  There seemed to be a complete lack of tourists on this day though.  The tables were largely empty and the staff also seemed to be bored with the lack of action.  We found ourselves a nice table with a perfect view of the water temple.  We were in no rush so we ate our lunch in a relaxed manner, slowly eating and chatting.  As we ate we noticed a small uptick in clientele as the tables around us began to fill.   Looking out towards the water, we also noticed that the water had quite suddenly subsided.  Whereas when we arrived, it was an island, the seabed around temple was now becoming very clearly visible.

Our timing had inadvertently been perfect.

We finished our lunch and we walked down.  Most of the water was gone and the tourists who had gathered were now walking around on what was previously the seabed.  It was a surreal experience.  There were small rockpools everywhere, some still filled with marine life.  We walked up to the temple.  Reaching the upper levels required undergoing a traditional Balinese spiritual ritual that I wasn't comfortable being part of.  So instead, we remained at the lower levels.

After exploring the lower levels near the temple we walked back up and towards the Northern coast and part of the complex area.  Looking back down the coast, we once again had beautiful sweeping views of the entire area, this type with the "island" being art of the mainland.

I was tired.  The previous night and the trip had taken its toll on me.  I was still glad we had come.  The walk had been refreshing and the temple was indeed beautiful to see.  Now we had our long drive back to contend with.

Another Bali Wedding

This was my third trip to Bali.  Like all the previous trips, this was also to attend a wedding.  There was one slight difference this time, that Veronica would be joining the wedding as one of the bridesmaids.  It meant a little bit more to do for her, but for me, I was free to do as I wanted.

This was Veronica's first trip to Bali.  We took some time before the wedding to not just enjoy our surrounds, but also to explore the island a little bit.  The wedding was in Uluwatu, so we headed down to Uluwatu Temple for Veronica to experience some of Bali's culture (or what was presented as its culture in any event).  We arrived at the gates, put on the saris we were required to wear and walked down towards the temple.  In our rush to get down, we hadn't put on any sunscreen and the heat of the day was getting intense.   After we entered, we walked over to a shaded area to put on some sunscreen.  With my sari on, I couldn't access my pockets and had been holding my phone in my hand.  I placed this phone down on a ledge.... What a horrible mistake that was as a monkey came running across to grab the phone and to then run away. I chased after the monkey.  It didn't run far.  Instead it sat just out of arms reach, snarling at me and chewing on the phone.  I grabbed a stick and started to poke at it.  I needed that phone and I contemplated whether it would make sense to run at it and to try and snatch it back.  Veronica ran off and found one of the local guards in the area.  This was a common occurrence it seemed.  He asked for a "payment" and then brought out some food which he threw towards the monkey.  Once it had been given enough food for both hands, it dropped the stolen phone and ran off.  It may not have been the case that this was a coordinated effort between the monkeys and the local guards, but they were both certainly created a symbiotic relationship from all of this thieving! 

The temple area was busier than I remembered.  The views were as sweeping and as grand as before, but things did seem to be falling into a worsening state of disrepair.  Cracks in the temple and the walls were getting bigger and there seemed to be a general mess everywhere.  The monkeys were also on full rampage, with screams and cries being frequently heard as they tried to steal all manner of thing from the visitors.

We left after a few hours.  It was a good visit, but the story of the thieving monkey would probably be the highlight of it all.  Veronica needed to get ready for the wedding, so we went over to the hotel where the reception would be.  It would be many hours before the wedding, so I dropped Veronica off and went to do some exploring.  Close to where we were was Bingin Beach.  This partly secluded, partly isolated and yet strangely busy part of Bali seemed to have grown organically out of the cliff.  Access to the beach seemed to only be possible by walking down a long and narrow path down the side of the cliff.  Once at the beach level, you could see all of the small warungs and guest houses that had been built up over the years.  The beach itself was full of surfers and revellers sunning themselves.  It was all very Bali.

I swam around for a bit before laying in the sun.  I found a warung and had some lunch with a smoothie.  The AFL grand final was on, so I even pulled out my phone and started to watch the game for a bit.  I felt every bit the Australian in Bali....

After this period of relaxation, I made the slow hike back up to the path to the waiting car.  I was now a bit late and so I needed to race over to the wedding location.  I arrived as the bride and her bridesmaids were all nearly ready.  They all jumped onto little golf buggies and sped off to the wedding location as I borrowed the bathroom to shower and change.  As I walked out, I realised I didn't know how to get down to the wedding area.  At that moment, the sister of the bride and one of the flower girls reappeared, having forgotten to grab some small items.  I was able to hitch a ride on their golf buggy down to the wedding. 

It was a beautiful wedding.  The location was grand and immaculately prepared.  It was a bit of a strange Bali wedding.  With such a high end location, I hadn't been so sure what the "attire" would be.  There was clearly a similar confusion amongst the guests as the choice of clothing ranged from extremely overdressed (like myself) all the way through to the extremely underdressed.  This disparity in the approach to clothing only seemed to add to the Bali feel.

With the formalities of the wedding completed, the reception and the party began.  With all the kids in attendance, games and a large jumping castle had been prepared.  They soon began running up and down, climbing all over the jumping castle as all of us adults enjoyed drinks and canapes.

Dinner was then served.  Traditional Balinese food, all prepared with care and attention to detail.  During the reception, the bride and groom all performed a further traditional Korean ceremony for the benefit of the family of the bridge.

As the evening wore on, we all migrated towards the inside ballroom.  The DJ began to play and the drinks continued to flow.  The kids were now gone, safely in bed as the adults all continued to celebrate the newly married bride and groom.

Bali sunset

For such a popular destination, the Hong Kong flights to and from Bali are at an inconvenient time.  They take off neither early nor late and it means you largely lose both days to travel.  

With that in mind, I wanted to rescue part of the day on arrival.  Arriving at the airport, the immigration processing was quick and we were soon at the hotel.  I had arranged for us to be close in a hotel in Jimbaran.  The location was close to the airport, but I also wanted to enjoy an evening on the beach.

We quickly dropped off our bags, changed and I dragged Veronica quickly over to the beach restaurants.  We were just in time to see the last of the light as the day faded away.  Another hour earlier would have given us the nice sunset, but this was still amazing.

As the evening progressed, the small lights on each of the tables began to shine and the smoke of all the BBQs filled the air.

With all the incredible places to visit in Bali, a beach dinner in Jimbaran continues to be one of my favourite experiences.

Kuta is gross

Bali is almost certainly the most visited location for Australians outside of Australia due to its cheap prices and close proximity to Australia.  As a result, it also has a reputation in Australia that swings wildly between positive and extremely negative.  Bali has become famous for tropical beauty, cheap prices, partying and easy access to a foreign culture.  Depending on the perspective, this could all be for good or bad.  To add to this confusion, the sheer number of Australians in Bali creates another point of enormous divergence as some love the ability to holiday overseas in more familiar surroundings, whereas other people see this as a scourge on this poor island.

For me, the trip to Bali had been extremely positive.  I had gone in with a bit of trepidation, worried about the rumours of what Bali was and what too many Australian tourists had done to the place.  I had heard stories about the terrible behaviour, the mistreatment of locals, the cultural insensitivity and the general destruction of what was once a pristine landscape.  Living in Australia, stories about disastrous trips to Bali involving injury, arrest or illness seemed to be a regular staple of the news.  All of this fear had been muted a bit since I had moved to Hong Kong though.  In Hong Kong, the attitude towards Bali is a bit different, as Bali is one of the premium flight destinations, whereas for Australians it is still very much a discount airline destination.

Thankfully, my trip had been nothing but positive.  The forests of Ubud were relaxing and made me feel embraced by nature.  The coastline out to the east of the island were untouched.  Jimbaran had offered us all one of the most beautiful sunset dinners I've ever had.  The cliffs in Ungasan were truly spectacular.  Renee and I had been lucky.

We were approaching the end of our trip and Renee wanted to do some shopping.  We asked the concierge at our hotel about where the best locations for some markets.  She considered and then suggested that we go into Kuta as there were some larger markets there.

Kuta has a very interesting reputation for Australians.  It was probably the "first" place in Bali that was discovered by Australians and the entire of Bali's tourism structure probably grew from the locals servicing the needs of those early surfers on Kuta beach.  These days, Kuta is known for being the centre of "bogan" Australia and is meant to concentrate the worst of all tourism that arrives in Bali.  Renee and I got a cab and headed off towards Kuta which is only slightly north of where we were staying in Jimbaran.  From the moment we stepped out of the cab, I knew we had entered into somewhere uniquely disturbing.  I could hear the sound of AC/DC blaring, but I was confused because the sound was moving.  It was "approaching" us.  I couldn't work out what was happening until I saw a strange flatbed truck drive past.  It was a portable bar that had a large group of what I'm assuming were Australian tourists drinking, screaming and punching the air, all the while the AC/DC screamed out into the surroundings.  I later read that this used to be a "cycling" bar where the bar would only move if everyone pedalled ... but since no one was capable of pedalling, they shifted it onto the truck.  No one around us seemed to flinch or respond at all, so I assumed that this awful sight was a regular attraction in the area.

We kept walking through different parts of Kuta.  We found the large markets as promised, and they were filled with all the usual trash and nicknacks you would expect at these types of tourist market.  I looked at all the Bintang beer singlets and wondered who would actually pay money for these.  I suddenly had a wave of images in my brain of all the times back in Australia that I had seen people wearing the singlets and realised.... oh, that's who buys these.  We walked past a few people who were desperately haggling over what would have been less than $1 back in Australia.  I'm in two minds these days about this sort of bargaining and haggling.  On the one hand, there's always the principle of ensuring you get a fair deal, but then there's also a point at which it seems to be verging on some sort of a game, where the need to "win" the bargaining duel is necessary for a story to be told back home.  For the price of a story, the poor local is deprived of much needed money that would go to supporting their family.  I've now generally settled on the idea that bargaining should still always be conducted for the principle, but that there is still a limit on how far to go.  Thankfully, there were places with some nice dresses and handbags that Renee was looking for, so it wasn't a total waste.

We walked closer to the beach and all along the water.  Under the shade of the trees, there were thousands of tourists.  They were all seated on various types of plastic chairs and being brought countless beers and drinks in buckets and tubs.  Children were running around screaming and there was rubbish everywhere.  This was it.  This was the centre of the rumours and stories I had heard about Bali.  It's been a while since I have been truly shocked, but this did it for me.  I found the combination of the loud music and intense drinking on this otherwise beautiful beach to be a strange sight.  Were it not for all of these tourists and the binge drinking, this really would be an incredible beach.  I looked up and down the beach and even now, I could see the beauty and the consistent sets of waves.  The surfers who discovered this place must have truly thought they had discovered a paradise.

Most of that paradise now seemed to be gone.

As we walked further back and away from the beach, there were dirty shops and streets.  Fast food franchises and bars dominated the area.  To me, the whole area was an example of the worst parts of cheap Western tourism.  It may have brought more money into the region, but the cost seemed to have been the loss of the positive things which brought the first tourists to begin with. 

Recovery day

The wedding had been great fun.  The location had been stunning and bride and groom looked great.  The next day, they had arranged a recovery day for everyone back at the villa.  They set up an incredible lunch and relaxation session for everyone on the grounds which rivalled the events of the evening before.  I think I actually liked the food at the lunch even more than the food at the reception!

We had been told it was going to be more of a pool and lounging day, so Renee and I arrived dressed for that occasion.  I dressed like a homeless person who lived on the beach.  Renee decided to simplify for the pool and came in a bikini and a sheer wrap.  When we arrived, we had clearly gotten the message wrong as everyone was far more dressed up.  Renee didn't seem to mind and she turned heads as she strode past everyone at the tables and straight towards the most comfortable beanbags set out on the lawn overlooking the ocean.

I grabbed some food and drink before making my way over to Renee.  The lawns were well manicured and it was a nice sensation to be able to walk on it barefooted.  It's something that you don't think too much about living in Hong Kong.  You don't have access to that many lawns, and certainly not lawns like this.  It's not that you miss it as such, but it's something you notice when you are around it again.  Standing here in the tropics, next to the ocean, the feeling of the grass under the feet felt slightly incongruous.

It was hard not to have a good time.  Everyone was relaxed and happy to be together.  The wedding had been incredibly fun, but this was now an opportunity for everyone to socialise without the formalities surrounding the wedding.  The suits were gone and everyone was free to lay down, talk, eat and drink.  On top of that, the bride and groom were both able to now enjoy themselves as well.

After a little while, Ed and I were feeling a bit restless, so we decided to go down to the beach to try and swim.  When we got there, we found it full of people lounged around on beanbags, but no one was swimming.  We ran out into the water and then realised that with the tide out, the water was at knee height going out far into the distance.... we tried our best to swim out a little bit and then realised that almost all of the ocean floor was teaming with spiny urchins.  We did our best to avoid them as we swum in this shallow water before giving up and returning to the comforts of the villa.

Tropical wedding

The day of the wedding had arrived.  Renee and I got dressed up and headed down to the Ungasan Clifftop nice and early.  I had read a lot about how bad the traffic could be in Bali and I had experienced it first hand when I nearly missed my flight the last time I had been here.  Even on this trip, the traffic we had seen on our first day up to Ubud made us both nervous about being late.  So rather than risk it, we decided to go extra early.  This decision of course meant that there was absolutely no traffic at all and we arrived we ahead of schedule.  We walked around the wedding location, took some photos, and then with nothing else to do Renee played with her phone whilst I got a coffee.

Other guests started to arrive and so we all moved to the lawn which had been set up for the wedding ceremony.  It overlooked the water, the bridal arch looking small with the background of blue stretching towards the horizon and the sky.  The colours of the place seemed a world away from a traditional church and seemed to give everything a life that a wedding should have.

All the guests seated themselves and soon the music began.  The bridal party all entered and smiles were on the faces of everyone.   A close family friend of Alan presided over the wedding and gave the ceremony the formalities required in this casual setting.  The strong breeze which had been blowing calmed slightly for the ceremony itself, and so the bride's veil gentle floated in the air as if that had always been its purpose.  It was a happy affair and the smiles on the faces of the bride and groom beamed towards us all.

After the ceremony, there was some time for all of us to socialise before the reception.  Some decided to relax with a drink, some played games on the lawn, and others decided to look out into the distance from the clifftops.

It did feel like we were living a charmed existence out of a modern fairytale.  Everything looked a little bit too perfect.  Everyone dressed up in their formal attire, walking with glass in hand around the manicured gardens and lawns of the villas.  The blue ocean framed the entire vision we were experiencing.

As the sun set, we made our way to tables which had been set for our dinner.  The winds were a bit stronger than expected and so the tables were moved slightly in from the cliff side.  It wasn't a noticeable difference and it opened up more space on the side for people to dance later.  The bride and groom came in to rapturous applause.  The drinks flowed and the speeches were made.  People didn't seem to pay too much attention to their food and were soon mingling amongst the tables and laughing. 

Soon, no one was seated at their own seat anymore.  It was a truly happy time and as the music started to get louder, more and more people moved towards the dance floor.  It all continued into the early hours of the morning.

Dinner on the beach

After our grand tour around Uluwatu, Renee and I went back to the hotel.  We had arranged to catch up with everyone for dinner on Jimbaran beach.  We had been told that dinner on this beach was one of the "highlights" of any trip to Bali.  It helped that our hotel was right next door to it.  We arrived early to get the table we booked and we arranged it lengthwise to ensure that everyone would get a nice view.  I didn't want anyone with their back towards the sun and the water!  The reviews of the beach were on point.  We sat and watched the sun slowly set over the ocean as everyone started to arrive for dinner.

Everyone's gaze was transfixed on the horizon as the sun slowly made its way down over the water.  The haze in the air was helpful in this instance, as it shielded everyone from the most intense glare of the sun and provided a glow across the sky.  As the sun fell further, the shallow waters along the beach captured the last of the light and sent a pillar of fire towards us along the sands.  It was a lovely image and everyone jumped up to take photos.

Once the sun had fully set, the scene of the beach changed dramatically.  Candles were lit on each of the tables, and the entire length of the beach was filled with the warm glow of their lights.  Dozens of these tables stretched out into the distance, each with their lights shining out in the darkened sky.  It was an exceptionally beautiful scene.

We moved onto ordering food.  We were on the beach, so we would have a seafood dinner.  Jess did the ordering and we had plate after plate arrive on the table.  Everything was as fresh as you would expect and was barbecued for us at the other end of the beach.   It was hard not to be contented.  It isn't too often you are able to gather such a large group of friends in a foreign country and we were making the most of it.  I stood back to look at the scene and I looked towards my friends who had arranged themselves in what appeared to be a Biblical like scene along the length of the table.

After we had finished eating, we moved back to the rooftop of the hotel for more drinks.  We looked out across the beach from our improved view and saw all of the lights dotted across the distance, each representing a table full of happy diners.