Why am I standing outside my Bali hotel at 7am in the morning, hopping from foot to foot like a little kid, instead of lying in bed drinking coffee and reading a book, or having an early morning stroll along the beach like most holidaymakers of my age would be. Here I am, waiting eagerly at the front of the hotel, with my towel under my arm, and feeling like a child going on a special outing.
As a 51 year old grandmother, should I really be this excited about learning to surf…..
I had my first lesson yesterday, after being persuaded by some crazy Australian girls I had met the previous night, that surfing was “just the best”. Well, it seemed they were right. After some frustration, and feeling that I had swallowed enough of the Kuta ocean to give me lifelong immunity to anything nasty that might be out there, I had stood up on the board and ridden the waves in to the beach about a dozen times. The only reason it wasn’t more than a dozen was because my poor surf instructor was keen to get some lunch and have some rest – I wanted to keep going all day! (My daily workouts at the gym certainly paid off at this point, because it’s definitely hard work).
So instead of a 9am start, I pressed for 7am today! I must be the only person who comes to Bali for a rest, and sets the alarm…..
The thing is, I couldn’t believe how proud I felt; and how energized. This is just so exciting. For the next four days I found myself surfing every day, setting the alarm each night, and sleeping like a baby. I hadn’t slept like that for sooo… long.
How did I come to be holidaying in Bali alone, and open to this crazy idea?
Well, in October 2006, after a couple of very difficult years, I had felt in need of a few days by a pool, reading a book and generally having a rest. Whoever I spoke to back in Perth, advised that Bali would be the place. I was told about the massages, meditations, peaceful, gentle Balinese etc. In light of all this, I duly bought my ticket to this supposed haven of relaxation. The fact that I was to travel alone didn’t worry me, as I intended to stay quietly by the pool, and read……
As it was actually my 51st birthday the day I flew out, I slightly overindulged on the flight (love champagne!) and probably unwisely found myself strolling around the streets of Kuta at 10 at night! Unwise in many cities in the world, but actually if one sticks to the main family areas, the streets of Kuta are friendly and fun at any time of the day or night.
After walking for a while, I stopped at a café for a quick drink before returning to the hotel, (as if I needed another one). Here, I met a group of friendly Australian girls, who had been having a ball during their time in Bali. This lively group convinced me that in spite of my age, I should definitely learn to surf, as they had done. They had undertaken all sorts of wonderful activities, but surfing ranked as Number One. This conversation was overheard by a local surfing teacher, would you believe, and of course, I had drunk enough by then to think this would be a good idea!
So it was that I found myself having private surfing lessons at Legian Beach the next day with the enthusiastic, and extremely patient, Ketut.
So the answer to the meaning of life? Surfing………..
And what about the book reading, massages, meditation, peaceful Balinese? Maybe next holiday?
This time, all the Balinese I met were an absolute hoot, and I spent most of the time laughing! Not exactly a relaxing holiday; but I did go back to Australia feeling invigorated and energized. The feeling stayed with me for weeks, and like many people who get ‘hooked on Bali’, I was soon planning my next trip back……
This was to be sooner than I had expected, as when I returned to my job at QANTAS, I found that the rosters had been altered. When I looked at my new roster, I saw a 5 day break jumping off the page at me! Less than 4 weeks later, I was on a flight back to Bali, with surfing lessons duly booked. However, this was to be a slightly more eventful trip than the first.
In the next issue, I will tell you why it is very important not to let go of the surfboard………
