Greeting from Bali

Arrived in Bali yesterday afternoon. Beautiful place, but hot. And I mean like Africa hot, but I'm adjusting pretty quickly.

The aiport was a zoo with two large planes arriving at the same time. I stood in the visa line for nearly an hour. Two seperate drivers were waiting for me outside but they had worked out who would take me to the resort. Unfortunately for me, the wrong guys won. Athough very nice, I had to listen to a sales pitch of the sightseeing tours I could buy from him while in Bali. After the long trip, the hour long wait in line, the 95 degree 110% humidty air, and the enclosed van with almost no air con, it was a challenge not to strangle him.

My one room "villa" has it's own private walled garden and 12' x 20' swimming pool just for me. Pretty easy to cool off. After 36 hours of travel, the pool was refreshing. The bed room is enclosed and air conditioned but the rest, including the kitchen, upstairs TV room and bathroom are open air.

Dave, the manager from The Villas, invited the Burgers and me to his place for dinner last night.

It was a party of expatriots, mostly Europeans, living and working in Bali. They were all young, smoked liked chimneys, and wore long pants in the hot tropical air. Not one is shorts!

Dave's house is an open air bungelow with an elevated kitchen, large living room with one wall completely open to the outside with a patio and pool. Off to both sides are bedrooms that can be closed up, but nothing is air conditioned, and gecko lizards (two very large) were everywhere eating bugs.

Got a great nights sleep and woke up completely recovered from the trip. Took a morning swim, went to breakfast with friends, and then spent the rest of the morning in the pool getting checking out the new masks I purchased for the trip and making sure both underwater camera housing didn't leak. Everything checked out fine.

We board the Komodo Dancer on Monday for a 7 day diving cruise and then I begin the long trip home.

I doubt I will post more from the trip. I'm using a computer at the resort that must be a P1. Very slow.

Denise, please let Mom know I made it fine. Thanks.