Sunrise in Bali - Across the Pond Trilogy (Book 1) (2 page)

Just
as the group were turning to head out onto the street, a voice came
from behind.

“
Is
this the Bali tour group?” It was a slim blonde man, about 6 feet
tall.. He looked to be early 20s and was flanked by a bronzed and
athletic man on his right, the man Jenny had seen by the pool.

“
Yes,
yes it is lads. I guess you must be Henry and Mark?” replied Andy.
“You're a little late fellas, you almost missed our trip to the
market.”

The
blonde man, Mark, spoke again: “yeah sorry, no excuse really, just
lost track of time.” His accent was English, and well spoken. “Hey
all, I'm Mark, and this is Henry,” he said, turning to the group.

Jenny
joined the chorus of “hello's”, but her eyes were fixed on Henry.
He smiled and was polite in greeting everyone, but seemed a little
more reserved than his friend.

“
Right
all,” Andy interrupted, “they'll be plenty of time for getting to
know each other as we go along. Let's crack on to the market shall
we?”

Jenny,
Sarah, and their new tour group followed Andy out of the hotel and
down the main road, passing little arts and craft stalls and
beautiful little huts and houses as they went. Ubud was rustic and
tranquil, nestled in between tropical shrubbery and exotic trees. The
roads weren't roads, but tracks, and everywhere there was color and
happy, smiley faces belonging to local artisans and shop owners.

The
market was a hive of activity. Jenny spotted few tourists and
westerners, and was happy to see that the majority of the local
shoppers and browsers were Balinese. She wanted an authentic
experience, not the overly touristy and contrived experience you'd
get elsewhere. She wandered through with Sarah, chatting with the
other members of the group as she went. They feasted on some local
meats and delicacies, and took time looking at the local paintings,
perfumes, incense, clothing, leatherworks, and all manner of
interesting souvenirs they came across. It was becoming quite clear
why Ubud was well known for its arts and crafts as Jenny strolled
around.

There
were also stalls set up for cheap and cheerful knock off hats,
purses, dresses, and other types of clothing. Jenny and Sarah
couldn't resist getting their hands on a few bits and pieces, both of
them picking up a tacky baseball cap to help them with the sun over
the coming days and weeks. Across the market, they spotted Mark and
Henry sharing a joke with a local artisan over some fallic shaped
souvenirs and woodworks. Mark seemed a little more loquacious,
chatting away happily despite the language barrier, with Henry
content to listen and chime in with the odd comment every so often.

After
about 90 minutes they found themselves being rounded up by Andy.
“Right all, time for a drink! Let's head back to the hotel to get
to know each other.”

Back
at the hotel Andy treated the group to a round of drinks on the
house. The local lager, Bintang, seemed to be his beverage of choice,
and no-one disagreed with it. As appeared to be the custom at the
start of his tours, Andy insisted on everyone getting up and telling
the group a little bit about themselves, just to “break the ice”.
Jenny could see Henry retreat somewhat at the suggestion – he
didn't seem like one for public speaking.

Andy
himself started, giving a quick rendition of his life story that
seemed like it would be hard to follow. A history of narcotics and
alcohol back in Australia set the precedent for his move to Bali,
where he now owned his own villa on the beach and was in a long term,
committed relationship. It seemed he had kicked any drug habit he
might have had, but was willing to have the odd beer on occasion.

The
following stories were less entertaining but equally illuminating:
Eno, 3 times married and seemingly very wealthy, appeared to be in
the midst of a mini mid-life crisis following the break up of his
most recent marriage. Miley had a quiet life in Vancouver, working as
a dog groomer, while Andrew was at a crossroads in his life, changing
career and moving in with his long term girlfriend. Sarah and Jenny
then got up together to tell their story, intertwined as it was. They
briefly talked about their time at college in New York and how
neither had ever been anywhere so exotic and beautiful. Needless to
say, Jenny refrained from mentioning her current relationship status,
or lack thereof.

When
it came time for the English boys to speak, they also decided to
stand up to recount their story as a duo. It turned out they were
both 21 years old, had recently completed university that year in
England, and were traveling around the world on a gap year. They had
already spent time in India, the Maldives, and Thailand, before
arriving in Bali about a week ago. They'd been in Kuta, Bali's most
popular coastal resort area, enjoying a 'beach break' before joining
the tour. The group laughed at the idea of taking a 'beach break'
during a round the world trip – surely that's all they had been
doing so far? The tans they had certainly made it look that way at
least!

Again,
Mark did most of the speaking, while Henry kept himself to himself.
He seemed comfortable in his own skin, but just didn't say much. Was
he arrogant? Did he not like the group? Jenny kept her gaze on him as
they stood: there was something undeniably attractive about him.
Aloof, laconic, and charming with his English accent, Jenny was drawn
to him. He, however, seemed little interested in much at all, least
of all her.

After
another drink and some more casual chit-chat, the group began to
disperse. Andy had given them a quick run down of what to expert over
the next few days, and it appeared that early starts were going to be
a common thing. At 11.30, therefore, and with jetlag still to be
battled, Jenny and Sarah both made their way to their room.

Jenny
brushed her teeth and strolled out onto the balcony for one final
glance at the starry sky before settling in to bed. She looked down
to see Mark and Henry still at the table by the pool, lighting up
cigarillos with another Bintang beer in hand. The way Henry smoked,
the way he casually sat, laid back and secure in himself, drew Jenny
in further.

That
night, lustful thoughts of Henry began to creep into her mind,
replacing the memories of Trent that had been plaguing her recent
dreams.

The
following day was fantastic. Early the next morning the group spent
time on a walk through Ubud and some of the surrounding temples,
before heading back to the hotel for lunch. From there, Andy had
arranged for rental bikes to be delivered to the hotel. With their
travel rucksacks and other belongings packed into a 4x4, driven by a
separate driver, Andy guided the group along tracks; passing fields,
rice paddies, villages, jungles, and rivers, as they went. Along the
way they stopped off to explore intricately carved temples, and
enjoyed a late lunch at a roadside cafe with some authentic Balinese
food. Before long, they'd reached the peaceful and scenic village of
Sidemen, with the imposing peak of Bali's highest mountain, Mt Agung,
in the background.

For
Jenny, this was exactly what she was looking for. Something
adventurous, exciting, and completely different from her life back in
New York. Feeling the warm sunshine on her skin and the clean
unpolluted air in her lungs gave her new vigor. Screw Trent and all
his shit. This was what life was about – experiencing different
things and...meeting new people. With this thought she instinctively
glanced over at Henry. He was being photographed by Mark standing
next to his bike, with the mountain behind framing the picture. His
vest was tied round his waist, and his lean 6 feet 2 inch body was
glistening with sweat from the ride. He looked strong, yet athletic,
the sort of body that wouldn't look out of place gracing the cover
of a men's fitness magazine.

“
Found
a new fancy man have you?” Sarah popped up from behind Jenny.
“Yeah, don't look so coy, I've been watching you checking him out
since yesterday! No shame in that....he's hot! Why don't you talk to
him? A holiday fling might do you some good at the moment!”

“
I
dunno. I don't think he's interested at all. I haven't seen him
looking at me, maybe he's already got a girlfriend back home?”

“
Well,
you'll never know unless you ask....come on, go talk to him!”

Jenny
shuffled nervously. She felt a little intimidated by Henry's looks,
but also by the way he carried himself. Sure, he was only 21, a
couple of years older than her, but he seemed a lot older. Jenny
herself was also a looker, but she never really saw herself that way.
Perhaps it was a step-mother who always put her down, or the fact
that she'd been cheated on by a string of ex boyfriends. Whatever the
case, she didn't feel comfortable approaching him, at least not yet
anyway.

“
I
think I'll give it a miss for now. I'm sure we'll speak as the tour
goes on.”

With
that, she ambled her bike in the opposite direction towards Andrew,
who she'd struck up a friendship with over the morning's ride. His
Irish “craic”, as they called it (that's humor or banter to you
and me), made Jenny laugh, and that was just what she wanted right
now.

The
rest of the day and evening was spent exploring the village of
Sidemen and the surrounding countryside. Despite his jovial and
cartoonish way, Andy was extremely knowledgeable about the local
area, giving the group fascinating insights into the local geography,
its flora and fauna, and the religious and cultural customs they'd be
likely to witness. This belied his clean shaven head, muscular frame,
and tattooed skin, and the entire group seemed sucked in by his
passion for the country that he now called home.

In
the evening the group retreated to their hotel before settling in for
an early night. With Jenny and Sarah still combating their jetlag,
they were perfectly happy to oblige. However, before bed, Jenny
couldn't help but seek a glimpse of Henry, sitting out beside the
pool with his mystery book in hand. He looked pensive and deep in
thought, jotting down a few sentences every so often. Jenny turned
away and slunk into her bed, quickly entering a deep slumber.

The
next day was more relaxed. The group learned the Balinese art of
'songket', or basket weaving early in the morning at a local
workshop, before trekking the gentle slopes into the mountains for
some incredible views of the island's volcanic landscapes. At one
point they came across a magnificent waterfall cascading into a pool
of glistening blue water. Andy encouraged the group to jump in and
get behind the waterfall, taking the lead in typically gung-ho
fashion. Soon, Andrew, Mark, and Henry were following suit, stripping
to their shorts and diving in.

Once
again, Jenny couldn't help but be impressed by Henry's physique,
watching his back muscles ripple as he swam towards the falling
water. She and Sarah weren't strong swimmers, so instead kept
themselves to the shallower end of the pool, stripping to their
bikinis before plunging in.

From
here Jenny looked up towards the rocks to see Henry looking at her
from a cave behind the waterfall. His eyes caught hers and he quickly
turned away, twisting his lean torso and diving back into the depths.
Jenny continued to splash and play with Sarah, bringing an
incredulous Eno into the action by steering their water-sprays in his
direction, soaking his t-shirt. Not one to complain, he
counter-attacked by dive bombing into the pool himself, sending a
powerful wave over them, as Miley smiled, watching on from the banks.

Soon
they were all back on the rocks, lying down beneath the hot summer
sunshine, Andy and Mark engaged in a heated debate about cricket.
“Five more minutes, and then we're off,” called Andy to the
group, purposefully cutting Mark off from his insinuation that
England were now better than Australia at sport. Mark let out a wry
smile, stepping off towards Henry to gather his things.

The
rest of the morning and early afternoon continued in this way, the
group bonding and getting to know each other as they trekked through
the jungles and hills. By mid-afternoon they were back in the hotel,
packing their bags for a shortish drive north toward Mt Batur.

On
arrival the group unpacked at their hotel, a beautifully scenic place
sitting in the shadow of Mt Batur and right on a lovely expansive
lake of the same name. The hotel seemed almost like a classic motel
in America, Jenny thought, long trailer-like structures divided up
into single storey rooms. Each of these rooms stepped out onto a
large courtyard with al fresco dining just across the road from the
lake. There were plenty of tables, but very few tourists. Again,
Jenny was pleasantly surprised by how few travelers she had seen
beyond the group.

The
group gathered for dinner in the middle of the courtyard, well served
by the many waiters who seemed to have no-one else to attend to.
Jenny looked over to her room and saw Henry and Mark appear from the
room next door. Henry was well dressed in a casual blue shirt that
really brought his tan to life, and seemed to have arranged his brown
hair more neatly for the evening, swiping it across to the side in a
manner similar to superman. He sat down opposite Sarah, giving her a
friendly smile as he did.

Dinner
was quiet and relaxed, excluding an episode where Andy questioned the
state of his chicken. Having eaten half of it, he came to the sudden
realization that it might not be as cooked as it should have been
and, after questioning the group about its appearance, decided to
take the drastic measure of removing it from his gut manually using a
glass of water and copious amounts of salt. On return, he seemed
fine, and began briefing the group on the following days activities,
which would include a very early morning trek up Mt Batur to catch
the sunrise, something he assured them would be well worth the 4.30
am start.