It's only in Singaraja so I should be home by elevenses. We (that's me and the 2 Ketuts) leave at 6:45. Now I realise we are going to run a few errands on the way, that's what the Ketuts do. About a mile down the road Pak Ketut starts peering strangely and waving frantically at every oncoming truck until one finally stops a little way off. He leaps out of the car for some discussion with the driver. It takes only a few moments of chin scratching and head shaking before a final wave we can move on. This, it transpires is how to buy sand for the new building. "Better we get it before it reaches the builders' merchant" says Ketut and looks pleased with the deal.
Next stop Seririt, Ibu Ketut has to stand in a queue at the bank for an hour for apparently no reason. I amuse myself left alone in the car watching with disbelief (pun intended) as a young girl spends the entire time on her daily task of making offerings - at least a dozen different mini shrines outside the bank to be fed fruit & honoured with a prayer. Then we stop in Lovina for the photocopy shop to make the papers for Ibu Ketut to hold while she stands in a queue for 1/2hr at immigration before we leave her in the 4 hour queue at the tax office in the centre of Singaraja.
I'm dropped off at Doktor Gigi a mere 3 hours after we left home. I'm number 10 and they are currently working on number 3. Mmmmm, should have brought "World Without End". I admire three famous toothy smiles beautifully framed on the reception desk.
I turn my attention to the mayhem showing on the telly, I think it's a youth talent show, you know that kind of Japanese lunacy Chris Tarrant used to find - I've no idea what's going on!! But it makes the time pass until it's my turn with Hilda, the chinese lady dentist. To my relief she takes an x-ray which reveals that there is in fact nothing wrong - no holes or infection just floss user-error. I leave Rp200,000 poorer, armed with a tiny tube of Sensodyne.
On the way home we stop at Hardy's for essential supplies. Discover Sensodyne is only Rp10,000. Much more importantly (and more expensively) found pure unadulterated live yoghurt. Essential for the new addition to our household. No, not a small person, a yoghurt maker. We are indebted to Balvine for this inspired belated wedding present. After a miraculous 8 hours of continuous overnight electricity we have a pure, heavenly, creamy white, blanket smothering our fruit & muesli for breakfast
Speaking of white blankets, we forgot it was Christmas time until the card arrived - That to Pete & Hannah - but we heard it was a bit of a white one in Europe. If Geneva & Schiphol can't keep their airports open what chance do Heathrow & Gatwick have?
Chicken Rice & vegetable have new interest with jipang - not sure what family it comes from, grows on trees looks a bit like a smooth avocado, behaves a bit like a turnip when cooked, and tastes like... well nothing really.
