Hello, beautiful souls,
Well, we’ve made it to Bali, but let me tell you, it was far from smooth sailing! If this trip were a film, it would definitely be an action comedy with a sprinkle of drama. Grab a cuppa (or something stronger!) and let me fill you in.
The journey started before we even got to the airport. First up, our cat, Kuromi, had to be dropped off at his little holiday retreat. He wasn’t exactly thrilled to be bundled into his carrier and sulked the entire short trip. But here’s where things started to get interesting! After the cold night our car door lock decided to freeze, it opened ok but we couldn’t close the it properly, the lock connector just froze. I had to sit in the back, holding the door shut, while we made an emergency trip to the garage to sort it out. Crisis averted (sort of), we finally set off to Kuromi’s hotel, already running half an hour late.
When we arrived at the steep, icy lane leading to the cat hotel at the tops of Glan Conwy, things took another turn. No matter how hard we tried, the car just wouldn’t make it up the icy, snowy lane. After several failed attempts, the very kind owner of Nev's Garage at the bottom of the lane offered to drive us and Kuromi to the top in his 4x4. Bless him! (Thank you Simon!) Cat safely delivered, we headed home, already frazzled, to finish packing and make our way to the airport.
We were hoping for a smoother experience at the airport, but no such luck. We hadn't been able to check-in online because of Indonesia's stringent security checks so had to wait for airport check-in to try to upgrade to better seats for the first leg of the journey, but these hopes were dashed on arrival as they were all sold out. We consoled ourselves with the fact that we’d already booked comfort seats for the second, longer leg.
But the challenges kept coming. The plane had to be de-iced before take-off, delaying us by an hour. When we landed in Doha, we barely made our connection to Bali after what felt like a sprint across the massive airport. Just when we thought we’d made it, the airline informed us that our seats had been changed. Despite assurances that they were still comfort seats, they weren't! We ended up crammed into standard economy for a gruelling 9.5-hour flight. It was, hands down, the most uncomfortable flight of my life, complete with seat-banging, leg-stretching neighbours behind, and a recliner in front of me that practically landed in my lap.
By the time we landed in Bali at 10:20pm, we were exhausted but relieved to finally arrive. Little did we know, the airport experience would be its own adventure. Bali’s arrival process is...thorough, to say the least. Health checks, visas, passport control, customs forms, and scans, it took over an hour just to get through to baggage claim.
And then came the pièce de résistance: our luggage didn’t make it! A battered security tray with my name taped on it came out instead, informing me my bag was missing. Perfect! We finally arrived at our hotel at 2am, hot, clammy, and still wearing the clothes we’d travelled in from snowy Wales.
Now it’s Day 1, and while the weather isn’t exactly on our side (it’s pouring rain), and we're still in Friday's clothes 
we’re determined to make the best of it. Breakfast this morning was absolutely amazing, which feels like a little beacon of hope. Today’s plan? Absolutely nothing. We’re going to relax, regroup, and shake off the chaos of the last 48 hours.
I’ll be back with (hopefully) more positive updates tomorrow, and maybe even my luggage! For now, sending love and a laugh from warm, rainy Bali.
Until next tomorrow
Jayne