Sunrise in Bali - Across the Pond Trilogy (Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

had found that
dolphin watching was a potential activity at that time of year for
early risers, so presented this option to the group. Eno, a little
grumpy over the last couple of days, said he'd rather sleep in, while
Miley didn't seem to enjoy going out on the water too much. Jenny and
the rest of the group were far more receptive to the idea, getting up
at 6.30 am to take a boat trip out onto the waters. For a couple of
hours they whizzed over the waves in a rickety wooden propeller boat,
but caught no sign or glimpse of any dolphins. Henry seemed the most
disappointed of everyone, but he didn't complain.

    After
lunch the group once again embarked inland, visiting the picturesque
mountain town of Bedugul. Here they explored the beautiful botanical
gardens of the region and the crater lakes of Tamblingan, Buyan, and
Bratan, before continuing their journey back to Ubud where they had
started. When they arrived it was late afternoon, and the group were
to get an additional two travelers for the next portion of the trip
across the neighboring island of Lombok. Jenny seemed surprisingly
put off by this idea: she had become really comfortable with the
group, and didn't want anything interrupting the fleeting time she'd
have with Henry.

    After
settling back into their original hotel rooms, the group gathered for
dinner in a nearby restaurant. Jenny strolled in with Sarah and
noticed that the group had swelled. Henry was sat on the far end of
the table, flanked by Mark and Andrew, and sitting opposite the two
new members of the party. One, another young Englishman called Todd,
looked to have sparked up an immediate rapport with Henry and Mark,
chatting away exuberantly about what was going on 'back home'. It
appeared he had just flown in from London, and was beginning his own
adventure across the South Pacific. The other, a young girl called
Emily, was sitting there quietly, admiring Henry. She was an
Australian, very pretty and slim, and looked to be about Jenny's own
age. She sat back and stroked her long blond hair, her blue eyes
locked onto Henry as he casually conversed with Mark and Todd. He
didn't seem to notice her, but Jenny felt an immediate pang of
jealousy with the way she was looking at him.

    When
they got to the table, Andy stood up and introduced the two new
cohorts. Todd had a much rougher accent than Mark and Henry, and
seemed to be a local London lad, but very polite nonetheless. Emily
seemed less interested in meeting Jenny and Sarah, only giving them a
passing greeting gesture before settling back down to look at Henry
and continue what seemed to be a mild conversation with Andrew.

    As
dinner progressed, the idea of a night out suddenly came to the fore.
Their morning ferry to Lombok wasn't until 10 am, giving them the
chance to enjoy a bit of fun before settling into the second portion
of the tour. Kuta, as Mark and Henry said, was great for clubbing,
something that Andy nodded his approval to. “Guys, just remember
though, we're getting that ferry at 10 tomorrow...if you're not
there, you're not there, and we carry on without you.” Andy was all
for them having some fun, but made it clear that the tour could not
be rescheduled if something happened.

    After
a bit of deliberation, most of the group agreed that a night out was
a good idea. It would take them about an hour to get to Kuta in the
taxi, but as Mark pointed out, “we can drink on the way, don't
worry!” Todd and Emily, fresh to the tour, both seemed well up for
it while, true to form, Eno and Miley decided it wasn't for them. “I
think this is one for the youngsters,” noted Eno, accurately.

    At
about 8 pm they were on their way. They'd managed to source a few
small bottles of vodka from a local shop and had brought along some
plastic cups for the journey. Mixing the vodka with some local fruit
juice, Mark and Henry were starting to take charge, inducing as much
drinking as they could from the other participants. It was a side to
Henry