House plans

Money

I have to sent our Bali lawyer another $4500.00. Ouch.

Bali Bank Accounts

I just received word that our two personal bank accounts are active. One is U.S. Dollars and the other is Rupiah. We are making progress.

Back in Chicago

We are back in Chicago. 22 hours of total travel time. All I can say is that Shia LaBeouf is not an action hero. My digestive tract is behaving. No unwanted internal passengers.

Saw the architect before we left Bali. Our house has about 1600 square feet on two stories. Five bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a garage with a temple on top and two balconies.

Land, plans, materials and labor will be around $100,000 USD.We need to have an existing temple moved to the corner of the property. Waiting for priestly approval.

We bought a car

We bought a car today. A new 2012 silver Dihatsu.We also hired a lawyer and are on our way to becoming a business in Indonesia. Then we can own land and have bank accounts. Terminally expensive, but worth it for the peace of mind. On a retirement visa we would not be allowed to own land for 5 years and would get deported if we worked

I found a nice used laptop in Denpasar for 1,750,000 IDR yesterday. We also got a 1,000,000 refund on our hotel room. They had overcharged us. I'm now searching for a western barbecue grill. I want a hamburger cooked over flame. No luck so far. Will continue trying tomorrow.

Looking for Used Computer

I spent several hours yesterday looking for a used laptop. No luck. I'll check in Denpasar on Monday. Saving up big city errands to conserve time and petrol.

We are driving across the mountains today to Singaraja on the North coast to visit Gede's older children. They stay with relatives to attend school. Will be back some time tomorrow.

Earthquake Today

Today the earth shook. One quake and then an aftershock. My friend Gede chased everyone out into the street in case the building collapsed. No damage in Ubud, but some damage and injuries in Nusa Dua to the South. People here remember the earthquake of 1976 which killed over 500 people around Singaraja and caused horrific destruction.

We went and looked land today and yesterday. The land we saw today in the North part of Ubud is very nice with a rice field view. Too expensive for us. Yesterday we looked at land that was right next to someone raising pigs. They were also burning garbage.

My friend Kartika offered us the use of his land. It is spectacular, but is in Gianyar, about a 30 minute drive from Ubud.

We are still falling asleep before 20:00 and waking up at 06:00

We Made It To Bali

We flew out of Chicago Thursday at 12:30. Arrived late in Seoul and had ten minutes to make our next connection. No time to go to the bathroom or get something to drink. We boarded five minutes after arriving at the gate.

The flight to Bali was fine except for the drunk Croatians. One kept trying to sleep on the floor between the seats and once in the aisle. He also kept farting loudly and exuding a malodorous haze. Alcohol is a wonder drug.

Got into Bali just after 11:00 PM. 23.5 hours total travel time. Paulette and I were picked up by friends and went out to eat at the local 24 hour warung(like a diner). Ate a light meal of traditional local food

Made it back to our hotel and passed out.

On Our Way

We are at the airport waiting for our first flight, KAL flight KE 038. I had a full body search because I have a metal knee. The TSA agent even had his gloves scanned for explosive residue. I controlled myself and didn't make any comments.

13.5 hours to Seoul, Korea. 50 minutes to go through security and get to our next flight. Just enough time to get to the next flight and sit for 10 minutes. Then about 9 hours of flying to Bali. I bought inflatable back rests, invented by a pilot that allow you to sleep stretched straight out, just like business class. We'll see how well they work.

Getting Anxious

We are leaving this Thursday morning. I'm starting to get nervous. Still need letters from our Doctor listing the medicines we take. The Jewish holiday slowed things up.

I have too many chargers.Every camera, cell phone, computer or mp3 player uses a different one.
2 DSLR
1 HD video camera
1 netbook
1 IPOD
2 cell phones
1 flashlight
1 electric shaver
 2  AAA chargers as gifts

11 total

I wonder how this will all look on the x-ray to Homeland Security?

Going to Cedarville in the morning to pick up our dog sitter.

 

Going to Bali for Three Weeks

We are leaving next Thursday for a three week visit to Bali.Going to talk to imigrasi and look at rental houses. Trying to clean our condo for the dog/house sitter. Anyone need any plants?

Selling Everything

My wife and I are planning to move to Bali in the Spring of 2012.We have over forty years of stuff hanging around our necks like  millstones. We have an extensive collection of Asmat art that will come with us, but almost everything else has to go. Where to start? Where to start?

Our sun-porch is full of plants. They are all up for adoption. The dog is going to our daughter in New York. I have lots of 110 volt power tools. My wife is a jeweler and a lapidary. We have almost 1000 pounds of rough rock and slab saws, grinders and polishers. The Hydroflux welder is coming with.

We have to sell my beloved G35 Coupe and our high-top conversion van. My 110 volt coffee roaster and grinder will come with. I'm buying a whole house voltage converter.