Did you know the Last Paradise in the World is the Denpasar domestic airport in Bali? Here’s the proof!

We’ve got our faces turned towards home now. Adam and Elijah joined Rosie and I at the hotel for breakfast together this morning. It’s very, very slow food service so while we all waited, Elijah patiently  observed a bug slowly crawling along the window sill, and updated us regularly on the bug’s progress along the sill.

We spent the morning with the Martins. Adam took me for a tour of Charis Academy where he works. It’s near to where they live. Charis has 750 primary and high school Indonesian students. And taught by Indonesians. And in the last few years they’ve started training teachers at university level so these students can go back to remote villages throughout Indonesia to open and teach schools. It’s a wonderful vision and lots of hard work. It helped me get a clearer picture of the work they’re involved in.

Adam and Elijah took Rosie and I to Malang airport through the crowded jostling streets of Malang. We sang lots of nursery rhymes as motorbikes and trikes, vans and cars whizzed around us. Elijah didn’t want to say Goodbye to us. He’s a very happy, gregarious boy who really loves his Auntie Rosie.

We had a long wait at the airport. We waited in line for a while. This photo doesn’t show it but there’s eleven workers waiting behind the desk. Not doing anything. But the sign on the desk says “Open for boarding at 12.30pm”. And so even though no-one had anything to do, and us as customers waited patiently in line for 30 minutes, we all had to wait till exactly 12.30 before we could be processed! Rosie and I thought it very funny.

And we ended up leaving an hour late anyway. But Adam and Felicity have had delays there of 5 hours! So one hour’s delay is quite reasonable And because we knew of this possibility, we didn’t even try to book a connecting flight back to Perth tonight.

And now we’re in Denpasar overnight. Staying at a backpackers type hostel. But we’ve got our own room and it’s clean – and cheap! But also very noisy! Rosie really bargained the taxi driver down – drove a hard bargain. But she knew what the ride was worth and he laughed and laughed as he bargained with her.

But I find Denpasar oppressive. As we were driving along the narrow Denpasar roads, trying to find our accommodation I noticed right in front of us a little girl on the back of a motorbike. They turned into a very high end hotel and the little Bali girl trailed along behind the man. My heart broke at what I’m imagining her life is most probably like.

We’re up at 5am tomorrow morning for the last leg of our mini-adventure. I’ll finish with some of the “interesting” and fun signs I’ve noticed on this trip.

This is our toilet roll holder in our room tonight!