Our trip began with some mild challenges. The airline called the day before to tell us our flight was delayed until the afternoon, which meant that we would lose a half-day of a precious 3 day weekend. This also meant that we would be going during C's nap, thus losing his nap for the day. We covet his naps dearly because we spent so many months trying to get him to be a good sleeper, so we go to great pains to ensure he takes a nap every day. Anyway, so this was disappointing but not serious. Our flight there, on budget Air Asia, was not bad. It's definitely a budget airline, but at half the cost of even the most respected Indonesian carrier, Garuda, and for a short 90 minute flight, it was well worth it. We arranged for the hotel to pick us up at the airport, and 20 minutes after collecting our luggage we arrived at the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel.
The hotel had an open air lobby with Balinese design and furnishings throughout. It was quite beautiful, and really made us feel like we had landed in paradise. Our room was lovely and had a nice patio overlooking the incredibly serene hotel gardens. The hotel was very quiet, and the only sounds we heard from our room during our stay were thunder and birds. There were about 10 hotel inhabitants of the duck variety, and C wasted no time in chasing him. Before I knew it, not 5 minutes after coming into our room, C was several feet away heading towards the pond, chasing the poor ducks who were squawking and waddling as fast as they could. I could hardly keep up, and poor J had no idea where we had disappeared to.
There were 2 little areas with shops and restaurants within walking distance of the hotel, so that is what we did for dinner for 2 nights. Aside from the slap-you-in-the-face humidity, the walks were pretty and quiet, unlike noisy polluted Jakarta. The best shopping in Bali evidently is in and on the way to Ubud, which is a town towards central Bali. We would have needed about 5 hours for that excursion, which we didn't really have this time, so this will be a priority the next time we go. We also didn't have any exceptional food during our stay. The one thing we forgot on this trip was our Lonely Planet Indonesia book, so we were somewhat at a loss as to what to do. We knew about Ubud, but didn't know we needed so much time to go there. We knew there were things to see in Kuta, and we went there the morning it rained, but we didn't know where to go so I'm pretty sure we missed seeing anything interesting. Anyway, next time we will not make the same mistake and hopefully we will eat better and see more. As it was we spent most of our time at the hotel, enjoying the beach and the pools, and it was glorious. The ocean and pool water temperatures were perfect and C had a great time playing in the sand and "swimming" (as did we!). J and I managed to get out by ourselves for dinner one night by hiring a babysitter from the hotel. All in all it was a wonderful mini-vacation and we are already greatly looking forward to going back when we will spend a longer amount of time.
During our stay C slept in a big boy bed for the first time ever. It was well barricaded with 2 walls and the back of a couch, so he must have felt pretty secure. The only time we woke up during the 3 nights we were there was the first night when he bumped his head on the wall. His new big boy bed is due to arrive next week so I'm optimistic that the transition will go smoothly.
We got back from Bali on Sunday and C started his new school on Monday morning. He will spend M-W mornings there and so far so good. The center requests that parents stay with their child much of the time in the beginning, so I was able to get a good feel for the center, the teachers, and how C will like it. Given all the time he spent in a daycare center back home, we are not worried about him adapting to the environment. He is happy to go in the morning and is enjoying all the activity and the other children. My only complaint with the center is that it seems a bit manic. They try to cram too much into the morning and as a result the kids are constantly moved from one activity to another and from one place to another within the center. It felt to me that as soon as C was getting into an activity or into playing, it would be time to do something else. Other than that though, it seems to be a good mix of free play, directed play, and learning. His teachers are nice and seem to manage the children well. I think it will be a positive experience for him. I think I will miss him a bit while he's there in the mornings, as I've become so accustomed to him being around. But, I am also happy that I will have this alone time with his little brother, and I think that will be good for everyone.
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