Today is our last full day left in Bali, so we set out the make the most of one of our last days of relaxation. 
Apart from buying the things on the shopping list that was emailed to us from mumbles and pops, we managed to get quite of lot of relaxing done today.
Marvellous mango juices and a traditional breakfast at our local was a great start, and later on we had lunch at another fancy restaurant along the beach. 
During our shopping expeditions, we enjoyed watching everyday Bali life, where people sell all kinds of things in all kinds of places.
We passed many temples adorned in glorious colours where the devoted lay colourful offerings. 
But the Balinese don't confine the offerings to the temples alone, and on every corner and at every house / shop these beautiful baskets are a sign of their devotion.
We passed many temples adorned in glorious colours where the devoted lay colourful offerings. But the Balinese don't confine the offerings to the temples alone, and on every corner and at every house / shop these beautiful baskets are a sign of their devotion. After chilling out with our books on our balcony we decided a few aches and pains needed addressing and headed off for a full body massage for the price of a coffee in NZ!!
Utterly relaxed from our massage we decided we should probably indulge once again in another upper class dining experience that we're unlikely to be able to afford back home, and once again capped off the night with a sublime stroll along the beach.
Adlibing meals and massages.
Once again both Balinese and tourists were out in force, enjoying the warm waters and the colours upon them. Adam couldn't resist diving in for a swim, and was eyeing up the surfboards that line the beach. 
Hopefully he'll have enough energy for another surf before we leave summer and return to the cold climate of New Zealand. 
We just hope we're able to carry on our fragile stuff, and don't have to wear too many of our clothes on the plane to cut back on weight!!
In the evening just the two of us had a romantic dinner at our favourite sea side restaurant, where we indulged in dishes that are expensive by Bali standards are a pittance of what we'd pay in New Zealand for a nice dinner out. 
The further into our 2 and a half hour drive we got the more rural and beautiful it got – soon we were climbing through small villages based around rice paddies.
While this gave it a surreal feeling it also meant that we couldn't see the volcano we were about to climb, nor the views down over Bali. 
In the meantime the rest of us were shown around Gianjar by Putu – the eldest daughter of Made and Niluh. 
It was great fun submerging ourselves in a non-touristy market and enjoying the colours that caught our eyes from all directions: fruit and veges in one corner, bright flowers in another, and then all the temple clothing and offerings one needs to led the Hindu life that most Balinese follow.
This is Niluh's part time business, and the day after tomorrow she had an order of 25 chickens to cook – all on wood fires and a clay oven. Made continued the education by showing an interested Adam how to carry 50 litres of water to the cows each morning, and having a good laugh as Adam attempted to be a Balinese waterboy. 
Depsite our own personal detour on route to Gianjar to a black sand beach, Made insisted on showing us new bungalow developments at the water's edge, just in case we were interested in buying some Bali land! The beach was lovely, and watching the families collecting shellfish at the tideline was enjoyable.
After an eternity of getting smashed by waves on his way out beyond the breakers, Liv ended up missing Adam standing up and riding the very first wave he paddled for!! Not to worry though, there were plenty more after that, and soon Adam was riding in exhausted after less than 2 hours in the water. 
Adam strutted on the walk back home, blending in with everyone else with a board under their arms, and finally met up with Liv at the JK pool. The hours by the pool drifted away while the sun gently dried us between dips in the water. 
In the afternoon Adam and Pops headed to a bar to watch the All Blacks play Italy – as most tourists in Bali seem to be Australian is wasn't surprising that they were the only 2 in the whole bar! At least they got their drinks quickly, and Adam's first All Blacks game in 2 years was a victory!
The vision is that the final product will soar 150m into the sky with a wingspan of over 60m! Obviously this vision isn't going to be realised any time soon!! Oh well, it was a nice drive out there, and after navigator Pops took us on a wrong road, we ended up with great views out over the ocean and the volcano looming in the distance.
We soaked in some rays with our feet submerged in the soft sand and gazed over the waters towards our home at Legian beach. 
Even though the temperature in Bali is much better than the furnace of Malaysia, there's nothing like diving into the clean and clear waters of a swimming pool before lazing on a deck chair and reading the afternoon away. 
In the evening Carly and Rita helped us order some tailor-made suits – a process that can do anyone's head in: choose the tailor, choose the fabric, choose the style (from an 80s magazine) and then negotiate the price!!! Then walk away with fingers crossed that it'll all work out ok!
It doesn't really matter that our new cheap place doesn't have a pool, because we just headed over to the JK where were found mumbles and pops by the pool, with chairs and towels already reserved for us! Thanks Jayakarta!!!
As we ate up the sandy distance we tried to avoid walking on the mini crab villages dotted out of the sand - it's really cool to see: the crabs make tiny little balls of sand as they dig their holes deeper, and as the sand balls roll on the surface they create neat little patterns. 
We made it back to the JK in time for the sunset, which was amazing!
It was almost like we got treated to 2 sunsets, as it reflected in the thin layer of water still lazing on the flat sand. 
It was really cool to see everyone (locals and tourists) out and about, making the most of the cool evening - football games with mixed local/tourist teams, tennis, running, and even a father out teaching his sons karate and stretches. 
After some refreshing ales and chips on the balcony we went out for dinner down the road. Even though the men asked for their food spicy, it came out pretty mild and had to be spiced up with bowls of freshly chopped chillies - Adam learnt the hard way that you shouldn't touch your face after handling these red-hot chillies!! We figure that other tourists come in asking for spicy food, but can't actually handle it, which is why the meals came out mild - little do they know that these guys love their chillies!!
When we arrived at Made's family home, we were greeted by all his family of brothers, sisters, (and their partners), mums, dads, and uncle and aunties - and then of course all the kids!!! All in all there were about 30 of them, so with the 11 of us it was a real party!
In the 2 years we've been travelling there have been only a few occasions where we have had the honour to join in with a real local family and see how life really goes on outside of the tourist towns.
After a few gifts (including a bag full of second hand clothes from NZ) were given to the family, Made surprised us all with gifts made in the local woodcarving village where we works. We enjoyed cold drinks before being led on a group excursion into the rice fields to see the 3 cows the family owns. 
Along the way we really saw how Made's eldest daughter had grown - taking care of her younger sister Gemma Olivia. 
After wandering the palm-shaded fields, where farmers buzzed about their work, and learning all about looking after cows, we returned to the Bali-NZ compound for the feast and an afternoon of fun. 
The meat-eaters had the privilege of trying Niluh's ceremonial chicken - a rare treat!! But everyone's taste-buds were on overdrive as flavours from all the meals made a dish at a restaurant look like a microwave meal!!
The glistening dome of the National Mosque soon drew us towards it, and even though we couldn't enter we could appreciate its modern, geometrical designs from the outside. 
If it had been any other day we would have been able to enter for a look, but today is Friday - the most sacred day for Muslims.
After 2 hours in this glorious museum we were forced to leave or else freeze to death - on the way out we glanced at the thermostat. It was a chilly 25 degrees!!! We're not sure how we're going to handle the NZ winter if we find we're freezing at 25!
As the drizzle arrived we relaxed in our room, and then set off to explore the many tea shops around China Town - picking up our favourite Jasmine Pearl tea from home!
When darkness came we were drawn like moths to the light of the sparkling Petronas Towers. Looking up from the ground, we found them much more dazzling by night, than the views they gave us from the skybridge during the day. 
Adlibing the twinkling towers.
We made it to the Pertronas Twin Towers still early enough to get in line for the limited free tickets available each day and headed up to the 41st floor where the footbridge joining the two towers lies. Although the buildings are 82 stories high, making up 452m, we were at 170m and got great views out over the city - although the pollution and glass meant there wasn't a crystal clear view. 
With our high altitude sight-seeing completed for the day we headed back to the hustle and bustle of China town for some cheap roti and coffee for breakfast. As KL is a compact city, and most of its sights being close together, we made a vague plan of where to go and what to see.
We went for a stroll through Little India, where it seemed that the only things for sale were headscarves by the millions, rip-off dvds, and of course lots of curries!
These old buildings from the early 1900s retain some of KL's heritage, most of which has been lost to the growing modernity.
Finally, on our walk back to the hotel we passed through the streets markets, full of fresh fruit like these spiky delights - our favourite rambutans. 
Tonight we spent hours wandering through the lively night market in the centre of China Town, though that was only enough time to see one side of the jam-packed market street. We'll have to do the other side tomorrow ... 
