Destination Bali

We left Bangkok early yesterday for about a 4 hour plane trip to Bali. We did business class this time and it was great. No elbows in my side and Dick had some leg room. My Bose headphones and MP3 player are a god send.

At the airport in Bali we were met at the gate by a representative of the
Four Seasons Hotel. He escorted us through the back VIP passages and took care of customs and immigration. The poor guy at security looked in my carry on bag which contained my knitting and lots of space. He looked puzzled and I explained that I planned to shop in Bali--the ikat and batik textiles are famous.

Our driver took us to the hotel in a Land Rover land cruiser. At the entrance to the compound he cut the engine as menacing security guards with machine guns looked in the engine, at the baggage, and ran mirrors under the car. Apparently my knitting needles are safe here. (Note to Hilary Clinton: I don't think I want to run for president or be any sort of celebrity. The security detail is a bit over the edge for me)

The best part was checking into the resort; we were greeted by a nine year old Balinese girl with a fragrant nosegay. The rep gave us a cool cloth and drink as Dick went through the check in procedure.

Our private ocean front pavilion is like out of a movie set. We have a plunge pool that I have already spent half my time in. I also took advantage of a tub full of frangipani blossoms and sea salt. Dick took a shower. We lazed on the day bed in our pavilion and sampled the exotic fruits of Bali.

Today is Valentine's day so we get a dual massage later today, entertainment is Balinese dancing by the resort pool and a private candle light multicourse dinner served by our butler in the pavilion. The only other time I was this excited on Valintine's Day was in third grade when Jerry Ryan slipped a paper valentine in my box signed "love, Jerry." It is soooooooo romantic here. There are about a dozen Japanese honeymoon couples and Dick and I. I haven't seen too many westerners. We were invited to a cocktail party at one of the special estate homes in the compound where Dick was thrilled with the Wild Turkey bourbon and I drank champagne. The ho rs d oeuvres were Balinese and delicious. The resort personnel chatted us up and gave us a tour of the villa.