Recent years have left us concerned about the amount we pay for excess freight when going to Bali, an increasing burden that means less to spend on the local Balinese when we arrive.
This year I thought we would get things under
control a bit as we had organised a garage sale on the weekend before we left.
For those not in the know a garage sale is when you clean out all the
stuff from stores, wardrobes and so on as well as garages, put an advertisement
in the local paper and a printed poster and a few balloons on the nearest power
pole and set everything up on tables in your front yard and driveway. Selling
prices are on the low side as the aim is more on clearing stuff out than
making a profit. Shortly after dawn the ravening hoards begin to arrive and the
frantic shemozzle begins.
We had let all our friends know that the proceeds of this sale would all go to
the Bali orphans and their generosity saw a huge increase in donations of stuff
for us to sell.
Want a working colour TV for $5; a novel for 50 cents; a fishing rod and reel
with line for $2; a skirt and top for $2; last years watches for a dollar????
We had them and they sold.
At the end of 2 days we had taken $1,200 and had
two lap-top computers and a multi function printer to take to Bali.
Bloody good I thought.
Bloody hell I was wrong.
When we got to the airport we had enough excess,
on top of the allowance that Garuda Airways had given us for the excess bill to
be just $1,200 and so the weekends work was gone before we left home shores.
Each of the 2 wheelchairs alone, at 24 Kgs each cost us $345 in freight at the
new cost of $15 for each kilogram. We later found out we could buy new ones,
admittedly not as strongly constructed and without puncture-proof solid tyres,
for 1,300,000 rupiah or a tad under $200 at the prevailing exchange rate.
One of two trolley loads at the airport. The two wheelchairs were already down at the unaccompanied freight check-in and Number 1 daughter was in charge of the Coopers home brew kits.
Clearly there has to be a better way and I think that more garage sales are the way to go. If we can run more at intervals throughout the year we might have more cash and fewer costly kilograms to carry over.
10 year-old Kadek, with her grandmother and her wheelchair which was specially modified for her little body by the workers of the Largs Bay Rotary Club in South Oz.
I think we will always find the freight money for this sort of project. The gratitude of Kadek herself, as well as her family, makes it very worth-while.
I always find the trip over to Bali an endless
source of entertainment as I try to plot our course over the ground on a map of
Australia that I take just for this purpose. Inevitably, as we cross the
featureless spaces of the interior deserts of the country, I lose my way, even
with the help of the little aircraft icon that regularly pops up on the
in-flight TV screens. These times are an excuse for a walk up to the front
asking for help from the Navigator. On several occasions this has brought an
invitation into the pointy end where Captain, Navigator and Flight Engineer lock
their limited English into my limited Indonesian.
Its fairly futile but amusing for all and helps pass the time.
The feature-less red centre of Oz. The coast (bottom centre). Now where are we?
Cotton-wool clouds over the Indian Ocean south of Timor. That wonderful wing. Where would we be without it?
The fixed-price taxi price board at the airport in Bali
The prices behind the flash flare are 65,000 (Denp.II); 80,000; 80,000 90,000 and 85,000.
The links below will take you to some other photos of other parts of our holiday.
Not all will be ready and active straight away but they will evolve as July rolls in to August and so on.
The pillow case run to the NEGARA ORPHANAGE.
Silver jewellery and bead shops, Handbags, woodcarving and leather.
The orphanage for children with handicaps, Panti Asuhan Kesa Yanikang Papa in Gianyar.
Friends including the girls on the beach, little Kadek, the feet and fingers, driver Made and family including the newly-weds, waitresses and food, and of course the old boat builder of Jimbaran Bay.
The Baleka Beach Resort and the Baihai.
Rice and the Subak Museum at Tabanan.
Pura Luhur Batu Karu, north of Tabanan.
Food, glorious food.
Kintamani and the crater and lake of Mount Batur.
Kites and batik quilts, tea/coffee/spices plantation.
Back to the 2006 contents page, 'The Year of the Pillow Cases'?
Right back to our home page for the shoppers Cheat Sheet, the first visit to the Negara Orphanage, a long Bali story (the 2003 'Rushed Trip'), the details about Bali's peoples, rices, religion and culture or history or things to do and see in Ubud as well as many others.
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