After such an incredible week, everyone was pretty sad to pack up and acknowledge it was over! We had such a wonderful time with this sweet family and it really did double the fun.
They were flying back to Jakarta that night and we had decided to stay another week in Bali.
While we waited for a small boat to take us to the bigger boat, we met this fisherman who had enjoyed a lucky morning with a beautiful bluefin tuna.
Back on the ferry and it was a little quieter this time. I was just so thankful that everything had worked out so well for the week and we made so many happy memories.
One of Tate's birthday gifts was a trip to the escape room and we were more than happy to join him! We attempted Area 51 this time and managed to finish without a single clue!
At that point, we had to say REAL goodbyes and we headed to our new home for the week. It was a beautiful villa near the beach in Canggu.
So far, so good!
We had a very thoughtful fruit arrangement, but a little bird beat us to the banana!
This villa had the most beautiful details and gardens of any place we've stayed.
It was all very traditional Balinese carved furniture and the outdoor living was so relaxing. There was a live music bar across the street, so most nights we got a free concert. The acoustic nights were really enjoyable. The one night with a full band that played until midnight was not my favorite!
I spent many an hour enjoying books in the cabana while the kids were doing school! There was a hotel on the other side of the bamboo privacy wall but it was very quiet and we only occasionally heard people coming or going.
I really loved the bathrooms here! Most places are open to the outdoors but this one was so pretty, it felt like our own private garden.
I love a Bali sunset!
The biggest appeal of this villa was that it was exactly a 90-second walk to the waves. There are several surf breaks to choose from and Matt took the boys with him several times.
Surfing isn't my thing but I do love a good walk on the beach. Beach cows always make me smile.
We had to play around with the internet on Sunday and order two boosters off Tokopedia (hooray for being in Indonesia and knowing the ropes!) to make sure everyone could do their work during the week. We got the kids set up in their rooms and Matt enjoyed the big desk in the living room. I enjoyed the poolside lunch breaks with the kids.
After school, we'd head to the beach and the kids would play or swim. The afternoons weren't as good as we'd hoped for surfing but that's just how it goes.
We found out the villa had been vacant for months. No one had used the internet and we had a total outage on our second school day. The manager got us set up to use the wifi at the hotel next door for the morning. It was unexpected and definitely added to everyone's stress, but we were able to enjoy the pretty views from the 5th floor and spread out in the private dining room so that everyone could log into classes and meetings. By lunch, everything was repaired and we were back online.
I love all the beautiful temples on Bali.
More beach time!
We hired our friend Ketut to come cook dinner for us several nights. Lobster night was particularly delicious!
Since Good Friday was a holiday, we were able to get out and celebrate the end of the week on Thursday. We checked out the Lawn for the first time and really enjoyed the chill atmosphere.
We kept walking past Ji Japanese and decided to give it a try. The view from the rooftop deck was incredible! The food was even better.
I was walking to the beach one morning and found this handsome barefoot surfer on his way home!
Lunch at Ku De Ta
Tropical Easter decorations!
Good Friday had the most incredible sunset!
Dinner at Lacalita brought me a sweet little friend that just wanted to sleep on my feet. Didn't even want a hand out, just some company.
We naturally had to do one more Easter egg hunt!
Alex out-hunted Ben by about two to one, but everyone finished happy.
Our last dinner was prepared by the villa staff to thank us for being patient with the internet outages. When we got home from the beach, we were so surprised with our fancy setup!
Delicious Balinese dishes!
Easter morning dawned bright and cheerful! No sunrise services on the Hindu island, but we had our own little celebration.
Chocolate bunnies from Marks and Spencer that made the whole trip from Jakarta and somehow remained intact.
We soaked in our last few hours of sunshine and pool time!
Had a little fun with the panoramic photos....
Finally, it was time to pack up and head out. We were all so grateful for the extra week to enjoy the beach and a change of scenery. After two weeks away, we were all ready to get home and had missed our space enough to be happy to go back to staying home all the time.
But first, one last trip to Don Juan's! So happy that it's close to the airport for us.
