If you’re going to be a good traveler, you must bring with you a good attitude, patience, and a sense of humor. Especially when you are going so far from home. So here’s the horseback riding story form the other day:

The tour description said we were going riding on the beach. This was really the only reason I signed up for it. We didn’t ride anywhere near the beach. It was two hours away from the hotel, and when we got there the driver said he had to go pick up two more people and would be back in 10 minutes. 40 minutes later someone in our group of 5 said lets just go. We didn’t know the other two people (or so we thought). So they assigned us horses. I got a pony, not a full-size horse. Well, I though, that’s ok. If I fall off I won’t be falling as far! But then the stirrups didn’t fit right and they were up too high and my knees were bent. Each person had a guide to guide the horse. My horse was a bit feisty so I just gave the guide the reigns. About an hour in, when we stopped somewhere I had enough, and said I would walk. So we’re waiting around and none of the guides spoke English, so we didn’t know what we were waiting for. Eventually someone on a scooter brought another set of stirrups. This was better, but still not great. So I got back up on the horse. After we rode awhile longer and stopped again, one of the other people we had been waiting for initially caught up to us. Turns out these two people were from our group and were doing other activities before the horseback riding. The one person got up on her horse and decided “no.” At some point a wild horse got swapped out and a guide was riding it. It was causing all kinds of havoc with the other horses, was eating grass and foaming at the mouth, and then got out of it’s bridle and was running loose. We’d all about had it at this point. Turns out they had just gotten that horse that day. Really? Let’s test it out on the tourists?! Finally the fun was over and we went back to the hotel. Oh, but I forgot to mention before starting to ride I got to use the “non-tourist” facilities! You read about places where you have to have your own toilet paper and there are no toilet seats . . .  Yep, but any port in a storm, I guess.

Ok, so on to day two. Yesterday was a full day tour – it ended up being twelve and a half hours! Way too long! And I’m a tour director – I should be used to long days! It sounds a lot like I am complaining, and I’m not trying to. This has just been a really different vacation from the others I’ve had so far.

It was such a long day, I hope I can remember everything we did. We started at a temple (there are a lot of them here). And it was really cool and everything, but what I photographed most was the beautiful flowers and foliage here.

 

 

 

 

 

On the way to the next place we stopped to see a bunch of monkeys (see featured photo). They were really cute – all hanging together in groups.

The next stop was Git Git Falls. It was a bit of a hike down hill and down steps to get to it, but definitely worth it (even going back up in the rain).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next was lunch at Lovina Beach. It was a buffet with traditional Balinese food. Very good, I had seconds.

Then we went to the biggest Budist temple in Bali. The grounds were very beautiful. Even by only day two I’ve seen a million structures that look like temples. That is what they build here.

The last stop (and by this time it’s getting dark out) was at a coffee plantation. I got off the bus and went into the shop, but I don’t drink coffee, so it wasn’t of much interest to me.

It had rained on and off all day, and while I had an umbrella to keep my camera dry, I still felt like a wet mess, and we had about a two hour ride back to the hotel on winding, hilly roads. Last night was the second night in a row that I skipped dinner and crashed early.

Because of the weather forecast for today – rain – our cruise to Lembongan Island got moved to Saturday and Saturday’s half day tour got moved to today. Everyone I’ve talked to this morning is not going, including me. Yesterday was just too much. I booked a massage at the spa for noon and it’s going to be a lazy day. It is pouring rain right now as I sit on the balcony writing, but I’m hoping the sun will at least peek out later. This is the tropics – the rain is supposed to come and go.