Uploaded by ladyhedda.

We had to leave Bingin yesterday.

We've been at the beach for a month and staying in one place for so long was a real treat. Packing and unpacking every few days means that you never get to see what's in that HUGE backpack that you're lugging around with you! I get into the habit of wearing the same clothes for days on end - because they're easy to lay my hands on, and to find something else would require unzipping, oh, at least 2 extra zips, moving some shoes out of the way and disturbing the orginzed chaos that is the inside of my pack.

So at Bingin, I unloaded the whole lot. And spread myself out over the bedroom, kitchen and living room. My stuff was everywhere. Which was great when I wanted to find something, but not so great when I had to pack.

The walk up the cliff from the beach to the road is a steep path. Our caravan of surfboards and backpacks wound their way to the top in the midday sun. The photo, it's 8 (yes eight) surfboards in transit.

Uploaded by ladyhedda.

Look who came to visit in Bali!

It's been a busy few days. We picked Carolyn up from the airport on Wedneday. 15 minutes after her flight arrived Rich landed! So we were able to collect both arrivals in one trip.

The past few days have been fantastic! Just hanging out, taking it easy and sharing a few beers.

In Nepal I ate lentils and vegetable curry for EVERY meal. Not because I chose to, but because when you're in the Everest region they ain't got much else......
In Laos I ate beef noodle soup for almost every meal. Some were delicious, some were not quite so delicious...
In Vietnam I ate more fresh spring rolls than I should, in an attempt to find some as good as the ones I make... I make the best fresh spring rolls.
In Thailand I ate roti - for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is no way to get tired of eating at Roti Mataba...
Now I know not everyone will agree, but eating every meal out gets really old really fast.... The last time we were able to do any cooking for ourselves was while traveling in our little van.
Guess what?? The house in Bingin Beach has a kitchen - not a full kitchen, but a two ring gas burner, a fridge and a sink. Which if you think about it is all you really need.

Last night I made Macaroni & Cheese from a recipe that I have been using since I first started cooking. My first cookbook was The Pooh Cookbook (sadly now out of print), and it has the BEST macaroni and cheese recipe ever. You can find the recipe here. (The Honey Spice Cake is also a winner!)

We had most of the ingredients, but could not find flour - in ANY of the 3 markets we visited. So I sent Michael down the beach with a bowl in hand. He returned 15 minutes later with pancake mix. Ok, not quite the same thing, but maybe it will work...

ladyhedda made Macaroni & Cheese with pancake mix, and it tasted great.

Uploaded by ladyhedda.

I've been carrying around this lil' jade piggie for almost a year now! It was given to me by the beautiful Corinna - who picked it up on one of her may visits to Hong Kong & China.
In the Chinese Horoscope calender I am a Pig, this year also happens to be the 'Year of the Pig' - so this is my lucky charm!
The thing is I could never find a good place for him - so he's been stuffed in the bottom of my bag. This prime placement means that he's been to some pretty amazing places with me:
Snowed in in Everest, river trips in Laos, Vietnamese New Year in Hanoi, Angkor Wat.......

And now he can visit some more - but this time he'll be on my wrist!! The lovely ladies at 'Joy Jewelry' in Bali strung him onto a bracelet for me. Perfect!

A word of warning to all. If the water smells like poo, don't let it anywhere near your eyes, ears, or mouth! Now I know this sounds like simple common sense, but we've had some water issues at our place at Bingin recently (no water, not anywhere!). So, I was excited to have a nice crisp, cold shower to refresh myself... I didn't follow my instincts.
Now I've been suffering an ear infection the last two days. Can't hear a thing, head feels like it's going to "POP," and no surfing!
The good news is that after visiting the local hospital I feel much better. Excellent service at the Aussie clinic.
Luckily the swell has finally dropped so my reef cuts can dry out and properly heal.

I love the weather in Bali. It's always changing. Last night I woke to the sound of rain - pouring rain. Rain that could wash the streets of Los Angeles clean!
The thunder is loud. Not just a little loud, but house shaking, ground rumbling LOUD.
Lightning illuminates the fishing boats with alternating bolts and bright flashes that make it look like daylight.

And then today, beautiful cloud formations & bright sunshine.

The only think I could do with out - the humidity. It's 84° today. With 78% humidity. That's hot and sweaty.....

Uploaded by ladyhedda.

The new moon tide at Bingin beach is really extreme. It means that I can walk out onto the reef and be within shouting distance of the breaking wave...
Here's a shot of Michael pulling out of a mini tube. It's the first time I've been able to get so close to a barreling wave.
It's noisy in there!

Originally uploaded by ladyhedda.

We spent the last couple of days in Uboob Ubud (thanks to Christine & Ian I can't think of it as anything other than Uboob) - walking, shopping and eating. It's the eating that I'm going to talk about now....

This is a piggie. A very delicious piggie. He has been stuffed with turmeric, chillies, garlic and ginger - then roasted slowly over coconut husks, all the time being basted with coconut juice.

I can't think of anything more tasty (except perhaps Marmite on toast)...

Sorry for the silence. The closest internet access is a long and sweaty hike from the beach. I have a 10 minute climb up the cliff face, followed by a 15 minute 'stroll' in the baking sun. Needless to say I will not be doing much of this.

For what it's worth. The weather is perfect, the ocean blue and the skies are dotted with Island clouds.

Did I mention that we were in Indonesia?

I'm finally in the lead....

Michael and I have been playing an ongoing, never-ending game of Gin Rummy since time began. Last night I finally took the lead. By 13 points. I haven't been in the lead since Nepal. That's a long time, and a lot of rummy. And Michael sure can gloat when he's winning. Which adds up to a lot of gloating.

Now it's my turn.