“You want to go back to Bali again, been there done that, why?” This was my response to Son who wanted to return to Bali after our previous visit 3 months earlier. She had met someone and wanted to see him again; ahh young love and the trap of holiday romances.
Whilst I had enjoyed our first trip, I wanted to move onto the next place and was heading to Queensland but was convinced by Son to meet her over there.
Getting off the plane at Denpasar airport the sounds, smells and sights greeted me with a familiar warmth, or was that just the heat! I was not to know what lay ahead and the journey I was about to begin.
Arriving back with Son at Palm Beach hotel (where we had stayed previously) I was welcomed with open arms like a long lost cousin and immediately dove into to the holiday spirit. Another couple, Jason and Marianne had joined us and we we soon out swimming, body surfing, bartering, touring and partying. I was now an old hand in Bali, the smells, sounds, taste and sights starting to become familiar.
We met up with previous acquaintances and made new friends, people I still know today. But it was in the first hour back in Bali where my life changed and went on an unexpected path. Son had met several locals and enthusiastically introduced me to them. I soon learnt that she had moved on from her first love. Never to be overwhelmed, I took it in my stride.
Among the group of locals Son had been hanging out with was Benny ‘Tim Tim’. Benny was a cute young guy with long hair and swagger. He was known as ‘Tim Tim’ as this was the name of his cousin’s Kuta leather shop where he hung out. ‘Tim Tim’ is local for East Timor. As I found out, Benny was half Balinese (mother’s side) and half Timorese. His father’s family were one of the oldest in East Timor who had moved to West Timor (Indonesia) to escape Portuguese persecution at the turn of the 19th century. Traditionally from a royal line, Benny did walk around like he owned the place.
Short version, within a week we were engaged and within 3 months we were married. Hence Indonesia became my second home as we travelled there regularly and lived there for a few years in the late 80s.
Travel and Life Observations 