Hi Gram!
This was our last day in Nusa Dua and the Hyatt, so I got up early to enjoy as much as I could. I had a small apple to get some energy, then packed most of the way before heading to breakfast with David. Matthew popped in briefly, just returning from his run, before heading back to clean up. David and I chose from an enormous spread, and I once again ate a little more than I should have. The food here is so sweet and savory and it hits all of the taste buds like a symphony. It’s really difficult to eat in moderation when the senses are begging for more.

Once we let the symphony finish its performance, we headed back to the rooms to pack our things. I played a good game of luggage Tetris, rotating this here and cramming that there until I got everything to fit. Dash and I each scanned our rooms one last time for errant doodads, then we all navigated the Hyatt maze for our final attempt. Our friends slowly gathered and checked out, where we said our goodbyes to friends who weren’t going on to the small islands with us before boarding the bus. The stack of luggage was a sight to behold as the driver piled everything we had into the back of the van.

I was glad that I wasn’t the one driving as he narrowly missed the cacophony of cars and scooters around us by mere inches. After a quick stop to buy tickets and cool drinks, we found ourselves at the port and ushered onto a speedboat. Some of us laughed and chatted for the whole ride while others held their heads and hoped for the waves and bouncing around to cease. Luckily nobody lost their lunch and we soon pulled into port. The clockwork-like movements of these workers, loading and unloading all of the passengers and luggage, was a sight to behold. Before we knew it we were divided into groups based on which hotel we were destined for. Some were whisked away immediately while a few of us were served cold water or tea while our transport was arranged.

A short wait later, we boarded an extended golf cart and found ourselves bouncing down narrow streets and around sharp curves. I was the last to be dropped off, wondering where I was and what awaited me. A pair of old wooden doors pushed aside to expose a narrow walkway that bent back and forth between buildings until I found myself at a small desk with a sign that read “reception”. I didn’t see anyone around other than some people lounging by the nearby infinity pool so I gave a quick “hello? Excuse me” to nobody in particular.

A gentleman appeared from seemingly nowhere to ask “hello, are you Keith Nugent?” Following an affirmative head nod, he took my bags and asked me to have a seat. He reappeared soon with a blended fruit delight, asked me how my journey had been, and insisted that I follow him. The waves were crashing against the rocks just past the infinity pool, sounds of the surf lulling me into a peaceful happiness. After a short walk, we arrived at the front porch of my cabana overlooking the crashing surf. He led me inside, where I found a picture-perfect bed with a swan towel sculpture and netting tied back to the four post bed. I looked around and sighed an audible breath of gratitude that this is my life.

Once I got over the shock of my surroundings, I unpacked my bags a little and changed into my swim trunks. I’m not the person who usually gets into a body of water on purpose, but something about the pool and my exhaustion tempted me to give it a try. I haven’t seen many infinity pools in real life before coming to Bali, but I don’t think I’ve seen any finite pools since I’ve gotten here. Every pool is filled to the brim and overflows at least one edge to give the impression that the water goes on forever. In some cases, it goes on forever into a garden or patio, but this pool looked out over the ocean, so it really looked like the water just went all the way to the horizon. I dipped a toe in and found it to be bathtub warm, making it that much easier to immerse myself. I swam up to the edge and stared out at the waves crashing on the cliffs to either side of me, wishing my friends could be here to share this moment. After a few paltry attempts at swimming laps, I got out and lounged under the umbrella to dry off.

Realizing that I don’t enjoy drip drying with a breeze, I headed back to my room to shower and dry off properly. It was a successful attempt at getting in a pool, but let’s not be ridiculous and stay wet any longer than necessary. Dash awoke from their nap, so we met up and walked down toward the devil’s teardrop. The devil’s teardrop is a section of cliff where you can stand looking out on the ocean while waves crash with varying intensity. Sometimes you see waves crashing down below, sometimes the waves crash up and over the cliff and douse you with seawater. Seeing and feeling the intense power of the sea was really an experience to behold and I’m glad that I got to share it with David and Ashley.

The rest of our friends were at Dream Beach and lingering a little longer than they’d planned. We decided to wander over and connect with them rather than just sitting at the cliffs to wait. The path connecting the two tourist spots followed a winding sidewalk that wove toward the cliffs, then away. We spotted them down on the beach below and tried signalling them with the YMCA dance before deciding we’d need to get closer to gain their attention. We had to step over a low rope, past some rocks, and walk down a set of very steep stairs before arriving on the beach, but soon we were walking through the warm sand. We hugged and said our hello’s, then David and I headed up to grab a drink from the bar nearby.

No sooner had we ordered our drinks when the herd got tired of lounging and announced we were relocating back to Devil’s Teardrop. As everyone put their bean bag chairs back and collected their belongings, we canceled our drinks and started back up the hill. Cheers went up about the cool bar, beautiful view, and easy vibe as we passed through the shops and bars on the way back, then the rest of the group lined up to pay their admission fees. The flock shuffled along the sidewalk, ooh-ing and ah-ing at the crashing waves. We took turns getting photos and commenting on the intensity of the waves, a few people getting close enough to get wet, while more people arrived. Once we had the whole crew, we decided on a restaurant and split into groups to walk or motorscoot over there.

Sandy Bay Beach Club did not disappoint, living up to our expectations of gorgeous views and delicious food. Seated at a long family-style table, we chatted and dined for hours as the sun set, broken only by laughter and picture opportunities. Once dinner was long behind us and the talk started winding down, we walked up and got a few scoops of gelato to sweeten the evening a little more. Eventually, we walked back down the road, our group dwindling in numbers as each person stopped at their hotel until I was a group of one enjoying the surf crashing from my front porch, fighting the urge to sleep and wishing the fun evening could have gone on forever.