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Published: July 29th 2009
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Hello people
Just thought I'd give everyone an update on how things are going in Bali. Well up until a couple of days ago we were both having a lovely time. We've got a really cool apartment/villa on the outskirts of busy Kuta which is the tourist hub of Bali. We are much happier being here coz it's fairly quiet and has a nice community feel about it. I've been getting on with my painting as planned and Matt's been enjoying the surf with a cool break about 500 metres down the road. Sweet! Got a lovely communal swimming pool too which I've been taking full advantage of. Being a little way out we had to get some form of transportation and the roads here are crazy so a car was kind of out of the question so we settled on getting two motor bikes. I was really nervous about it at first because the last time I rode one I managed to throw myself and Matt off the back. Luckily the roads here are pretty flat and there's pretty heavy traffic so you can't go too fast even if you wanted to. So here's where my story begins...
Two days ago after dinner I decided to pop to the internet cafe about 2 kms down the road to check my mails. Matt was in the Warung (restaurant) across the road playing pool with the owners two little boys (and probably getting his arse whipped). I got to the internet cafe and it was full so I set off back home. I got about half way home when I noticed a bike behind me. Nothing strange about that, there's usually one behind you! I got to a bit in road where there are lots of pot holes and slowed down a little when I noticed the bike behind me speed up. What happened next is a little bit of a blur, one minute I was driving along minding my own business the next this bike drive right up next to me, the guy on the back grabs my bag and pulls me clean off my bike (at some speed I tell you!). Then they sped off and left me to pick myself up. They timed it well as there were no other cars, bikes or people around. My first thought was, thank god I haven't broken any bones, then
the realization of what had just happened kicked in. The first to drive by was a friendly taxi driver who stopped and picked me and my bike up. He also retrieved one of my flip flops that had been sent flying down the road. Within about a minute there was a small crowd around me, some tending to my wounds others just there to stare. There was an Austrian man who spoke good English and I asked him to ride up to the Warung and get Matt for me. Within two minutes Matt was at the scene and bringing me to my feet took me back to our home, that's where the tears began to fall. I had scrapes all over, the worst being my right arm which took the main blow of the fall then had my body wait come down on it. I have one cut on my eyebrow a huge scrape on my shoulder and my elbow, my right hand has cuts and a large bruise on the thumb, both knees are pretty worn and my left foot has many cuts on it. I got in the shower and tried to clean myself up , oh the
The Shoulder
This one really really hurts pain! I just kept thinking thank god I was wearing my helmet, even with it on I still hit my head hard enough to get a cut on my eyebrow. I dread to think what state I would be in if I hadn't been wearing one. Many people here don't.
Meanwhile...
The Austrian guy who went to get Matt for me had explained to him that I had been mugged and come off my bike. The owner of the Warung, Made (pronounced Maddie) is part of a security team which operates in this area trying to protect and prevent this kind of thing happening. Matt left the Warung to find me and Made raised the alarm to the rest of the security team (20 in total) alerting them to what had happened and to close off all roads. Genius! Within 10 minutes they had stopped a bike with two guys on it who were driving suspiciously fast and who they did not recognize. We were called over the road where there were about 30 people huddled round talking and questioning these two men. Things got a bit messy and punches were being thrown. Apparently their stories didn't tie
up. One of them had a phone on them with text messages on it from an English speaking person texting "mum" to an Australian phone number. The guys didn't speak a word of English and admitted it was not their phone. My bag was no where to be seen but these guys were now suspect number 1. At around 10pm we went to the police station to file a report, for insurance reason more than anything else, the police here are pretty useless! The two men had also been brought in for questioning. By 12 midnight we made it home ready for a sleepless night ahead.
The next morning Made was at our door explaining that my bag had been found only metres away from where the two suspects had been picked up the night before. This was good evidence for them but they soon discovered the useless police had let the two men go. The security group were livid and decided to take matters into their own hands. They blocked off the road in both directions and told the one police officer who was at the seen to disappear because he was useless to them. Within the hour
The legs
Both knees and her thigh the whole security group, 15 police officers, and a couple of army guys were at the scene. I was then called back to the police station to collect my belongings, or so I thought. I was not in any state to be going anywhere to be honest but I thought it was going to be a half hour job, how wrong I was! We didn't make it home for a whole 5 hours! I had to give a formal statement with Made as my translator then they had to get a doctors report so I was taken to the hospital. I was not at all prepared for this as I absolutely HATE hospitals in England let alone in a strange country. The doctor examined me and said that my wounds needed to be cleaned better. It was the most painful thing! Just thinking about it is bringing me out in a hot sweat! I was balling my eyes out and had to apologise to the nurse who did it afterwards. Back to the police station where Matt was told we would not be able to get my bag back for 2 months because they need to keep it for evidence.
He argued and argued with them until they agreed we could pick it up either the next day or sometime in the week. One of the hardest things that I had to deal with that day was that the two suspects had been brought in again for questioning and for the majority of the day I was having to sit in the same room as them not sure whether I should hate them for causing me this pain or not because they haven't yet been charged with it. It was horrible. Matt kept trying to make eye contact with them but they kept their heads down.
That was yesterday, and today the police have been round with my belongings. My purse, money and phone but not the bag, they want to keep hold of that. It's snapped anyway so no both! My Bali number is still in use everyone! If you do not have it then visit the blog as it is on there.
So that people is as far as the story goes for now. I am not intending on leaving the house for a few days, at least until it doesn't hurt so much, honestly it
feels as though I've been dragged off a moving motor bike or something!!!
Hope everyone is feeling a bit better than me right now,
Lots of love Nibby
xxx
ps Leis, I keep thinking about the story you told us about the time you were in Bali and had to help someone who had just had the same thing happen to them and thinking how stupid I was for not having my bag in my bike! Oh well, you live and learn! Love to you, Mat and Wallabies xx
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matrina
non-member comment
Oh my god!
What the hell, I cant believe it - oh baby girl I am so sorry!!!! What total wankers. Miss you love you, if we can do anything please let us know. Love you, sending kisses. M xx