Flight to Bali

Yesterday I caught PacificBlue (operated by VirginBlue) Flight DJ4195 from Adelaide to Bali. My aircraft was a Boeing B737-800 with registration number VH-VUF "Hobart Honey". I've travelled on several VB aircraft but not before in Hobart Honey's embrace.

The "Hobart Honey"

Luggage checkin went smoothly and I made good use of all the additional baggage allowance granted me by VirginBlue (again - thankyou).

The flight got away about 10 minutes late as a passenger loading his duty free liquor purchase into the overhead locker managed to break a 1 litre bottle. Cabin crew removed a saturated laptop bag (explain to your boss why your company laptop drowned in gin or vodka), other pieces of luggage and the broken bottle and tried to mop up the liquid before it spread further. The air in the cabin was quite heady as cleanup work progressed.

After that delay we took off across the city and turned north west for a smooth flight to Bali.

After clearing Immigration and Customs I left the terminal building and was met by a driver from the college who took me through crowded roads filled with new sights to the college.

Paul in Bali

Double click this link to see more pictures in the Web Album:  https://picasaweb.google.com/110038041647560744460/AdelaideToCollege#

Day 2 begins in Bali

My room has no dark blind so I was up with the sun soon after 6:30.  Ah well, I didn't really need to sleep in.  It's been a long time since I've heard roosters crowing at dawn

The flight from Adelaide to Bali was quite smooth, but fairly extensive cloud cover meant views were limited.  On arrival there was immediate sensory overload!  The temperature and high humidity hit me immediately, and the views from the car during the hour drive from airport to college were fascinating.  I've never seen so many small motorcycles and scooters packing the roads.  They were everywhere, and most riders were without helmet.  The bikes swarmed around the cars, and made crossing intersections particularly interesting.  I've not worked out the local "give way" rules, and my driver said the key was to look at the driver and decide if s/he will give way if you move.  Along the roads there was a curious mix of traditional and recent building styles, and a mix of commercial and domestic architecture.

Dalung is on the north-west fringe of Denpasar and was until recently a small rural farming community.  In sections the rice paddies separate the shops and buildings and come right up to the main road.

Last night's dinner at the home of a friend of my host was delicious.  Only the fiery sambal defeated me, but I recovered after extra serves of plain rice and cool water.

Before turning in last night I was able to speak with Judy and David via Skype, so distance is not quite the great separator it once was. 

Now for a shower and  a hunt for some breakfast.  I have access to the staff kitchen, but no provisions on hand yet.  The college is fringed by small food stores (called "warung") which cater to the student population, so I'll see what I can find.  Most important thing to remember:  "don't drink the water".   More later.

The Adventure Begins

Dad flew out of Adelaide this morning heading for Indonesia where he will spend the next 3 months. There have been months of preparations leading up to this moment not to mention the condensed final packing and other arrangements over the past week.

Whilst there were a lot of nerves and still a few unknowns there is also a lot of excitement for this new challenge.

Dad, we wish you well as you make your way to your temporary new home. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We look forward to having you back online in the coming days.

VirginBlue assists with baggage

Yesterday I received the good news that VirginBlue has granted me an additional free baggage allowance to permit me to carry my rather weighty collection of resources - teaching material, DVDs, dictionary, grammar book etc.  This is a great help, and a great financial relief as excessive baggage charges are quite steep.   It's a one-way offer, so I may need to seek further assistance to bring back some of the more valuable material, but I'll do that once on site.

Thankyou VirginBlue

Unitingworld Experience Volunteer Profile

My volunteer work at the Dhyana Pura Tourism Training Centre and Management College in Bali, Indonesia, is featured on the Unitingworld web page.


I encourage you to visit the Unitingworld web site to learn about and support the work I will be undertaking over the next 3 months.

20 days and I'm there

This morning I spoke at church about my project, showed some images, and passed out a few leaflets. Less than 3 weeks to go, and still so much to do.