the bom (uncut funk)

This brief post might read like a bit of an advert. Today was the girls' choice and there was only one thing they REALLY wanted and that was a visit to Waterbom, a water park at the back of Kuta. In fact THE waterpark. By some measures - such as the 2017 tripadvisor travelers choice awards - the best waterpark in Asia.

Now, I'm not a big fan of waterparks. They're fun, but they don't really float my boat. Maybe because my most recent waterparking has been wet 'n' wild in Sydney's west, which is...well...ok. Good I guess...so I was not expecting too much.

Sal had arranged to Wayan (he has a name!) to collect us at 08:30 so we'd be there for opening at 09:00. Sal had drugged herself up in order to make it through the morning and had also, of course, pre-booked tickets.

Waterbom is like a lot of places in Bali. All a bit Tardis. Not a long drive from where we are staying and at the back of super-crazy-Kuta, we pulled into the car park and went through the smart entrance and into the HOLY SHIT WHERE DID ALL THIS SPACE COME FROM park.

Sal loaded up a pre-pay bracelet - the park is cashless - so we could get food and drinks and stuff; all slides and pools are included in the ticket price. We dropped our stuff in a locker and started to wander. Because I am that sort of smart - I left my phone in the locker, so no pictures. But hey, check out their website if you want to see what it looks like.

Where Wet 'n Wild suffers from bing in the middle of a field and a bit open and exposed, Waterbom is set in lush tropical gardens. Neat paths weave between the slides and pools and gazebos and restaurants/bars...I was incredibly impressed at just how well appointed it was. We picked out some sun lounges in a shady spot near the central kids' pool and went out to play.

We had a very gentle start, floating down the lazy river. They were not kidding about the laziness. With our fins wet we started on the slides and did...well, most of them. Mats and tubes and feet/arms/crossed tubes and pipes aplenty and only a couple that H could not go on. I think this was just bad luck though, as there were a couple of others were she was allowed to stand on tip-toe to make the minimum height!

So it was a good morning and I did enjoy it. That said, I don't think I'll ever want to head back to Wet 'n Wild. Sorry Sydney...

A few observations...lots of tattoos (some very good, some not so) on display. Saw a lass walking past the kids pool at 09:45 with a Bintang in one hand and cigarette in the other. Not sure how much vive le in that difference, but who am I to judge? (answers on a postcard to...) A real mix of people there - waterparks, succeeding where religion has failed?

Anyway, if you're in Bali you could easily spend a day there, kids in tow or no.

The rest of the day has settled into a restful mundanity (not sure that is a word and neither is the spell check.) Lunch at a shopping centre that was same-same-but-different to every other shopping centre I've ever been to and now chilaxing.

That was not as brief as I'd expected.