Here we go again!

So we leave for Bali tomorrow. I've wrapped up everything for the PTA, covered my neighborhood duties, talked to the schools, gotten someone to take care of plants and animals, still have to take care of Girl Scouts. . . I guess I should finish packing! Things seem kind of unreal this time. I guess it's because we haven't been in a while, or maybe because there is so much to do that isn't related to the trip, but has to be done before we leave. It will be truly wonderful to finally get back over there and see all our friends. We all need to relax a bit, and this will definitely do it!

I'll try to fight Bali time and actually post something each day. Photos can be found here. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanks for reading.

The Progress Thus Far

We leave on Tuesday! So today is the day we will (try to) finalize all our packing. Remember earlier when I said pack light? Well, with all of the gifts and donations we're taking, we will have more full baggage than usual on the inbound trip. We usually have only 2-3 large duffels to check in; each containing some extra empty bags for the return trip, along with non-essential items. So far, we have packed 4 bags full with shoes, clothing, school supplies, and more. And these are not small bags. Each one is the largest size the airline will allow us to use without paying for extra baggage. This part is pretty much done. We've been gathering these items for months.

Now we're working on packing the essentials: clothing we actually intend to wear, toiletries, books and games for the kids - you know, all those things I talked about in my last post! Each of us has our own carry-on bag (also the largest allowable size) that we are responsible for. The kids take this very seriously, and no matter how tired and ragged they get, there is pride in dragging that bag through the various airports across the world. Here you can see our guest room with everything we are taking or might want to take spread across the bed awaiting the final assembly.

It's hard to believe that in about 53 hours, we'll be on a plane headed west to visit our beloved Bali again.

See you there!

Packing for Bali

When we go to Bali, we stay in bungalows, not in resort hotels. We don't have air conditioning, and we travel paths in the dark that the casual tourist might never see. It is not luxurious, but we love it. My feeling on resort hotels is this - you can stay in one anywhere in the world (almost), so why travel to the opposite side of the earth to experience what you could back home?

Packing for Bali is similar to packing for camping. Pack light and take a flashlight. For a two week trip we usually only take about enough clothing for 3-4 days. Laundry service is cheap, and so are clothes.

A camera is a must. Bring along extra batteries though, because they aren't cheap in Bali. Film developing is available just about anywhere, for those who haven't gone digital. It's not cheap, but it is fast.

Shoes are a special consideration. They need to be able to get wet, provide good traction on wet surfaces, and be easy to remove. The custom in Bali is to remove your shoes before entering a home. This is also observed in many shops and some restaurants and temples. If you plan to visit any government offices for any reason, you do need to have proper business footwear, so plan accordingly.

What else to pack? Toiletries, of course. But don't panic if you forget something; you should be able to find a reasonable substitute in the stores. I also like to take along a good book and a deck of cards. Oh, and don't forget sunscreen and insect repellant. Although, I prefer the insect repellant available there to anything I've found in the states. It works better and smells better.

Just remember that you will want plenty of room in your luggage on the return trip to accomodate all of the wonderful things you found in the shops and markets, and don't take more with you than you need.

15 days - The countdown is on!

Now we enter the final two weeks. Making lists, checking lists. Last minute panicking about whether anything has been fogotten or left out. The first time I went to Bali, I forgot to pack my shoes. I did find a very nice pair in the Singapore airport that I still wear to this day.

What to wear on the plane? Traveling to Bali from Virginia is a challenge at this time of year because of the temperature difference. You have to dress warm enough that you don't freeze between home and the plane, but you don't want to wear anything too bulky to stuff in your carry-on when you change clothes. We usually travel eastward with a stop in Amsterdam, so we change en route to Singapore. This trip we will travel westward, so the change to tropical clothing will probably take place in Los Angeles.

Well, enough about clothes! We will have the honor on this trip of visiting the village of Baliman's (http://www.baliforum.com/) brother-in-law. We always take a selection of school supplies with us as well as appropriate clothing that my kids have outgrown, and it is a joy to be able to distribute these to families that need them. We have never been to this village before, and we are quite excited about meeting the people and seeing life away from the tourist track.

Ah, well . . . back to work!