Being a Christian I am never too happy about going to a temple. This was Uluwatu which was part of the holiday tour on Saturday. Amidst sprawling grounds this temple was home to a number of monkeys that roam freely disturbing tourists and looking for food.
I tried to avoid going up to the temple but could not help admiring the scenery from a sloping cliff. The only problem was that the much photographed scenic spot was crawling with monkeys!
Now the van driver cum tour guide told us not to wear our glasses on the head but I was shocked when one of the monkey was so emboldened as to grab my glasses right off my face! Not only my glasses but Tim's as well!
I could not see a thing when the spectacles were yanked off my face. Thank God for a kakak who offered the monkeys some peanuts. Almost immediately one of them dropped Tim's spectacles but mine was nowhere to be found!
Now all the monkeys looked like...well...monkeys! My vision was blurred without my glasses but I knew that unless a miracle happened I would not be able to get back my glasses.
So I prayed....I prayed...and I prayed some more. That was the only thing I could do. "Lord Jesus please bring back my spectacles. My holiday is spoiled without my glasses as I still have one more day to go in Bali!"
Well something miraculous happened! My son went down to the edge of the cliff to pose for photos. He came back with my glasses in his hands. Apparently the monkey who stole my glasses threw them near the edge of the cliff! A wrong throw and my glasses would have tumbled down into the sea......!
Relief was all over my face and my heart was full of thanksgiving to God!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Ocean walk
Have you ever walked the ocean?
Well on the third day in Bali we signed up for a tour package to walk the ocean. After an hour's talk on the time-sharing scheme (an Italian guy spoke to us about it) we took our taxi to a sea sports center somewhere on the island of Bali.
Now before I tell you about the walk let me tell you about the talk. The time-sharing scheme allows you up to 7 days holiday a year lodging in a prestigious and 5-star accommodation in some of the major cities in the world. After the Italian guy failed to sell us the scheme an American guy came and spoke further on it. However we told them that as I was due to retire we could not afford the USD 30 a month, they did not press the issue further. That's what I like about this group of companies, the Anantara Vacation Club, they were very professional and not pushy at all!
Anyway back to the ocean. Well after changing into our swimming suits which was actually provided by the operator (a one-piece zipped up from neck to the thigh) we took a boat out to the sea. The sea was slightly choppy and greenish. We got off at a platoon where a few more guys in zipped up swimming trunks awaited us. They gave us a tutorial on hand signals while we were underwater. The most important signal was the hand signal for trouble. Nope it was not a gesture of cutting the throat but a thumbs down sign!
The amazing contraption for walking underwater consists of a round white helmet with an airspace for us to breath. Oxygen is then pumped into the round helmet (it looked like a spaced-out astronaut helmet when put over the head) and you breathe naturally through it.
I chickened out! When they began to put the helmet over me, I literally panicked and shouted No! I even had trouble hauling myself up to the platoon.
Of course the family was not happy with me. They said that going underwater was the best experience in Bali. I could not explain the sensation. It was like an attempt by someone to choke the life out of me!
Anyway they had a nice CD to remind them about their once in a lifetime adventure walk! When I looked at the CD it was indeed stunning. All the finding nemo-like looking fish swam amidst beautiful corals and allowed people to feed them with bread underwater. There was even a pathway built into the ocean floor for people to walk! Amazing but not for me....
Well on the third day in Bali we signed up for a tour package to walk the ocean. After an hour's talk on the time-sharing scheme (an Italian guy spoke to us about it) we took our taxi to a sea sports center somewhere on the island of Bali.
Now before I tell you about the walk let me tell you about the talk. The time-sharing scheme allows you up to 7 days holiday a year lodging in a prestigious and 5-star accommodation in some of the major cities in the world. After the Italian guy failed to sell us the scheme an American guy came and spoke further on it. However we told them that as I was due to retire we could not afford the USD 30 a month, they did not press the issue further. That's what I like about this group of companies, the Anantara Vacation Club, they were very professional and not pushy at all!
Anyway back to the ocean. Well after changing into our swimming suits which was actually provided by the operator (a one-piece zipped up from neck to the thigh) we took a boat out to the sea. The sea was slightly choppy and greenish. We got off at a platoon where a few more guys in zipped up swimming trunks awaited us. They gave us a tutorial on hand signals while we were underwater. The most important signal was the hand signal for trouble. Nope it was not a gesture of cutting the throat but a thumbs down sign!
The amazing contraption for walking underwater consists of a round white helmet with an airspace for us to breath. Oxygen is then pumped into the round helmet (it looked like a spaced-out astronaut helmet when put over the head) and you breathe naturally through it.
I chickened out! When they began to put the helmet over me, I literally panicked and shouted No! I even had trouble hauling myself up to the platoon.
Of course the family was not happy with me. They said that going underwater was the best experience in Bali. I could not explain the sensation. It was like an attempt by someone to choke the life out of me!
Anyway they had a nice CD to remind them about their once in a lifetime adventure walk! When I looked at the CD it was indeed stunning. All the finding nemo-like looking fish swam amidst beautiful corals and allowed people to feed them with bread underwater. There was even a pathway built into the ocean floor for people to walk! Amazing but not for me....
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