Rediscovering Bali

Fast forward 2009.  It was time to head back to Bali and see if it still held the magic it did over 12 years earlier.

This time with only 10 days and a driver,  I wanted to visit some of my favourite spots and hopefully discover some new ones.

Before leaving, I arranged for Made, the driver to pick me up from Denpasar Airport.  There he was,  with my name, printed on a board,  held high above the crowds, ready to whisk me off to his waiting vehicle.

Curious to see if Ketut was still there and if it had changed much.  I headed straight for Ubud and Pager Bungalows (telephone 975433),  I called ahead before leaving Australia to ensure they had a room for me to stay.

Walking down the little laneway that leads to Pager Bunglows, just near the Campuan Bridge, and entering the familiar courtyard,  memories came flooding back.

Ketut, of course was still there,  I didn't expect for her to remember me, after all these years and thousands of tourists who have passed through since.  However, once I produced a photograph, a smile broke across her face and she did remember!  The photo was taken the day she had told me I was chantik (beautiful),  after dressing me up in preparation for my temple visit.

Ketut showed me some of the improvements they had made since my last visit all those years ago.
Even although I wanted to revisit my old room,  I couldn't resist the new beautifully appointed rooms looking down over the rainforest and river.

A little  had changed;  the pond had been filled in for fear of her grandchildren falling in.  The bale where  I ate my feast, after my cooking lesson with Made, was now in a better location overlooking the river way down below.   The honesty system for taking a drink from the fridge and writing a note on the pad provided on top of it, still remained.

Perhaps a little older and tireder, she was still the kind gentle, laughing woman I remembered.  Unfortunately and sadly, Made had since passed away.