On Saturday, December 24, our driver took us from Kuta to Nusa Dua. He stopped along the way for Phillip to run into a grocery store, and he even helped Matthew to find a bathroom. We entered the gated hotel area in Nusa Dua and found the Grand Hyatt. In a word - beautiful.
View from main lobby of Grand Hyatt
We were escorted to the Club lounge to check in. We sat in the lounge and were served cool towels, drinks, and snacks. We learned that President Obama had just stayed at the Hyatt a month earlier. Cool. Then, we checked into our adjoining rooms that overlooked the gardens. We could actually see our rooms from the lounge area.
Check in at the Grand Hyatt
View of our rooms from the club lounge
We played at the pool and the beach. Then, we took showers and headed to the daily happy hour for drinks and appetizers. This would definitely be a daily event for us! The kids really enjoyed feeding the fish and ducks, especially Jessica.
We watched a crane patiently stalk his fish prey. Then he dove in to get it. He twisted the fish around in his mouth and swallowed it whole. National Geographic material! We also enjoyed meeting folks from several different countries.
The crane finally got his fish.
This guy looked like a cross between and lizard and a komodo dragon.
Matthew had been feeling a bit ill. He was very congested, and his belly hurt. Phillip took Matthew to the doctor on site at the Hyatt. Yes, a doctor at the hotel. Amazing. He confirmed a sinus infection and gave him antibiotics. He also thought Matthew's belly was likely upset because of travel and gave him some medicine. After room service, we changed clothes and walked to the Hyatt ballroom for the 11:00pm Christmas service that was put together by the Christian churches in Bali. This was a moving experience for us. The pastor started by having folks stand up by country. There were people there literally from all over the world. The service included traditional bible readings and songs, yet they also had local bells and a Balinese dance done to song. Our favorite song of the night was "Jesus, Born on This Day." This song will forever remind us of Christmas Eve in Bali. I kept thinking about how hard it can be sometimes to be Christian in the US. Imagine how difficult it would be to be Christian in a non-Christian country. At midnight, we had communion and candlelight singing. I am so grateful to celebrate the birth of Jesus with my family and in this incredible setting of God's children from all over the world.
Bell choir during Christmas Eve Service
Christmas Eve Service at Grand Hyatt
We found the next 3 days to be very relaxing. On Christmas Day, we played at the pools and the beach, met a lovely Japanese couple at the happy hour, and then went to Salsa Verde (an Italian restaurant on the beach) for dinner.
Hot tub
My boys!
My girl!
Christmas dinner at Salsa Verde
On December 26 & 27, we had quite the mix of rain, sun, rain, sun. We walked to a big open area called Bali Collections for shopping and for lunch. When the sun was out, we would go to the pool and beach. When it was raining hard, we would play cards and watch Christmas movies. When I think of Nusa Dua, I will always remember the relaxing family time. On December 27, our last day, the sun came out in the late afternoon so we were able to grab some photos on the beach.
I have said this before ... Jessica makes friends everywhere we go. On this night, she met a Chinese family that lives in California.
We so appreciate the wonderful Hyatt staff for making our stay special. One lady was with us every day, smiling and calling the children by name. We were sad to say goodbye and leave the club lounge one last time.
December 28 was a LONG day. We had a 3:15am wake up call in order to make our 6am flight from Bali to Kuala Lumpur. We then had a 5 hour layover at the KL airport. We had to get special approval to go from one area of the airport to another so that we had access to Starbucks, McDonalds, and other shopping during this time. Alas, we boarded the flight for Osaka. This flight was a little better than the original one. The food was still bad, but most of us slept for a while, and the cabin was a comfortable temperature. The bus from Kansai airport to the Kobe Bay Sheraton on Rokko Island was a welcome ride. We were once again happy to be home around 11:00pm.
We had such a wonderful Christmas vacation. Interestingly, it was a bit like having 3 different vacations. First, we were in the big city of Kuala Lumpur. Then, we enjoyed the busyness (lots of people, loud music, lots of shopping, and big waves) of Kuta. Finally, we arrived in Nusa Dua to relax and listen to birds and ducks! We are so very thankful for the many gifts God has given us, including the opportunity to have another amazing adventure. More importantly, we are so thankful for the gift of Jesus Christ.
May peace and love be with you always.
Tina
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