Lovely Lovina – loving life with life long friends

Weaving our way through numerous fish attracting devices (FADs) of all shapes and sizes and scores of colourful “spider” boats returning from a night’s fishing, we sailed away from Amed Bay just after sunrise.

 

 
The early start was mostly to get away from the ghastly swell but we were also anxious to get to Lovina Beach as soon as possible to meet my friend of 50+ years (how is that even possible?) Jackie and her husband Dick.

 

 
Funny thing about old friends – you might not see them very often but when you do, you just pick up where you left off and it is all very easy. And so it was with Jackie. Although we have only met Dick once, 23 years ago, it was also very easy with him too and we had a brilliant couple of days together.

 

 
They spent the first night at a hotel (Villa Agung, Lovina Beach) belonging to a friend of theirs, Gus, who turned out to be extremely hospitable and helpful. Jackie and Dick were his first guests and on that occasion – around 15 years ago – managed to break their bed the moment they arrived! (They assured us that this was not due to any untoward activities!) 

After meeting up for a drink at the Bingtang Bar we had a delicious dinner at Villa Agung and then met up again the next day and had a ball catching up on Bali Hai.

 

  
 

 
 Jackie and Dick very graciously took us around in their car to find a much needed Honda generator which will allow us to charge our batteries without putting the engine on and will also allow us to run power tools and other devices that require 220 volts e.g. Hair dryers etc! 

 

 
Anyone thinking of cruising take note – the Chinese equivalents run on “dirty” power and don’t do the job as they are not compatible with the boat’s system.
Gus very lindly took Jonathan to pick it up a few days later which was an amazing help and so good of him

 

 
  
After a great night and recovery day on the boat and before Jackie and Dick left for the three and a half hour drive home we had a late lunch/early dinner in a lovely beachside restaurant. 

 

 
   

 The day ended with a music and dance performance which also marked the end of the Lovina Festival. 

 

 
  
Earlier in the day we had watched one of the festival events – a spinning top competition where two teams of young men “launched” their tops at high speed with aim of knocking their opponent’s top to slow it down and at the same time achieve the maximum thrust for their top. 

 

 
 

 
 

 
The festival was wrapped up with a beautiful firework display – a lovely end to a great few days