Bali... now even if I wanted to... I could not have made that up...

when I arrived in DPS Intl airport, Bali... Ketut, the driver from my friend's wife hotel was waiting for me!
Ketut (same as Julia's I thought)...but with teeth!
I told him I did not want any palm reading and he did not insist :-)

Actually that Ketut, driver of the Tugu hotel (founded by Lulu's father, wife of Alo...please take notes, I wont repeat!) was so nice to wait for me while I was filing my report on a broken board, very professional, very kind...better when you see the size of this ex-boxer!

Of course one of my surfboard got broken on the plane so...hassle of insurances files...
One hour taxi ride, through Kuta and then the beautiful Balinese countryside... Fragrances of Frangipani bringing me right back to childhood, Tahiti, Guadeloupe...and here, like it remained untouched!

Then the magic of the the hotel of Lucienne's family: the Tugu. On the south west coast, Canggu beach.
http://www.tuguhotels.com/
and here in Bali:
http://www.tuguhotels.com/bali/concept_&_design.htm

One of the most beautiful place I have ever been to, facing a magnificent beach, left and right waves... and inside the hotel: the finest antiques, trees settings...like you would of course expect in Bali, but here with an extra refinement that I rarely experienced.

Everything here is refined, without being kitch or showing of...just soft, delicate...class

First surf around 5.30pm, with Aloisio. So happy to see him after ... 12 years, when we first met in Ilha Bella, Brazil with a rugby friend of mine from Toulouse! Then a few times in London but Bali... is another place to catch up!

Quite admirative of the dream life he managed to set for himself and his family here (Luciene his wife and India his daughter, almost 1 year old).

All good! amazing guest room in their house, mansion I should say, with Hotel service!

Yet...never go surfing after a massage! and heavy flights and night stand in airports...
I had no more arms, did not catch one proper wave (was 8 ft) and ended in the rocks, breaking Alo's fins!

So in one day: 2 boards broken and a few urchins pins in my skin!

2nd day:

This morning, no wind, waves a lot cleaner.

Time to test the Gods of the Tugu, and the magic of Echo beach in Canggu!

 
So...this time, I do surf a bit better, but on the last wave this local guy drops me (stills my wave in surfing language) and so trying to push him away while surfing, I falls in front of me... and I run him over.
Results: I have to take him to the nearest doctor in a local small hospital: 5 stitches and ... of course he tries to black mail me!
Discussing in Balinese and ... the bill ends up to be double.
Lucky enough my local friends sort me out!

An amazing fruit breakfast, and a swim with Alo and his beautiful daughter: India...

The some relaxing time at the house... good to catch up after all these years...

and finishing the day with another surf and a yoga class in a dream garden ... after a scooter ride with the 'spiritual daughter" of Ayrton Sena, good friend of Alo from Brazil, proud owner and rider of a Harley back in Brazil! perfect connection/share of passions and drives...on paper...but it felt to me that she was more masculine in her ways that many of my rugby friends... so not really my thing... as well as never really feeling good at the back of a motorbike, prefer to be in the front!

Some other time Alo!
Would be nice to have a sweet feminine, soft connection... but no rush...not like that: funny how bad feelings come in waves: he/she feeling,  she is more interested in the yoga teacher, female, and I feel like we are even chatting up the same woman at times!?!...then a harsh dinner conversation with a fashion photographer who believes that social good things have to come with beauty, have to be fashionable (to present them on TV of course) and that an american guy expropriating sumbawa tribes is doing more good than Amma hugging people around the world and raising up to 250 Mio$ per year for deprived people....building houses all around India... come on Gal, stay in your field of expertise please! ....more fashion less action... and cut the BS will ya!

Thank you ladies but... no thanks!

and to be honest I already was getting that sweet, feminine, tender feeling that I was after...from Bali itself! no need for Harley and/or Prada women!


The yoga came at the perfect time, to wash away the stress of the day and the bad surfing vibes so far, yet another masculine touch ... from that UK teacher!

Tomorrow some more surf south, Serangan, and in the afternoon some offerings in a temple near the Tugu! Time to honor the Gods to push the evil spirits away and be grateful!

That's it for now.

Sampai jumpa!