COMPLETION

TIME TO LET THE PHOTOS DO THE TALKING

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE FOLLOWED OUR JOURNEY IN THE BUILDING OF THESE VILLAS. WE HOPE THAT YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS BLOGSITE AND WOULD LIKE TO EXPERIENCE THE VILLAS FOR YOURSELF. THE FEEDBACK FROM OUR FIRST GUESTS HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGING. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE VILLAS AND LOVINA PLEASE VISIT THE WEBSITE http://www.villateman.com/

CHEERS FROM JAN, KEITH, LEE AND MICK (JKLM)

FINAL TOUCHES

THE PATHWAY LEADING TO THE ENTRY OF EACH VILLA HAS NOW BEEN COMPLETED AND PLANTED OUT. YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE THE PLANTS GROWING IN THIS TROPICAL CLIMATE AND SOON THEY WILL BE OVERHANGING THE PATH. THE ENTRY TO VILLA 2 (THE DELUXE VILLA) IS SEEN HERE ON THE LEFT

PREMIUM VILLA 3 LOOKING PAST THE MEALS AREA TO THE PLUNGE POOL. HOW INVITING DOES THAT WATER LOOK GIVEN THAT IT IS 29C IN THE SHADE TODAY. BANQUETTE SEATING IS ON THE EXTREME RIGHT OF THE PHOTO

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A PLACE WHERE YOUR AIM IS TO RELAX BY SITTING AROUND YOUR OWN PRIVATE POOL SURROUNDED BY TROPICAL GARDEN, COOL DRINKS AND READING A GOOD BOOK FROM THE TEMAN LIBRARY THEN PHOTOSHOP YOURSELF INTO THIS PICTURE OR BETTER YET GET ONTO THE WEBSITE AND MAKE A BOOKING
http://www.villateman.com/
AND LET OUR TRAINED STAFF LOOK AFTER YOU - SO GOOD OUR FIRST GUESTS DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE

NEARING COMPLETION

PLACEMENT AND PLANTING OF THE GARDEN POTS, INSTALLATION OF SOME EQUIPMENT AND FILLING OF THE POOLS - NOT MUCH LEFT TO BE DONE NOW IN THIS VILLA (VILLA ONE). 

 NEWLY PLANTED GARDEN AREA IN VILLA ONE. IN THIS TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT THESE PLANTS WILL BE GROWING BEFORE YOUR EYES. THERE IS AN OUTDOOR SHOWER IN THE CENTRE OF THIS PHOTO

 THE PULL DOWN BLINDS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED, OUTDOOR LIGHTS ARE DONE AND THE WORKMAN PUTS THE FINAL COAT OF STAIN ON THE WALL LIGHT FOR THE BATHROOM. BUT DON'T DIVE INTO THE POOL JUST YET...........

 FINAL STAIN IS BEING APPLIED TO THE TIMBER FEATURES IN VILLA TWO ABOVE THE BAR AREA, THE ALL IMPORTANT CEILING SWEEP FANS ARE IN, OPERATIONAL AND VERY EFFECTIVE. THE UPPER AREA IS A MEZZANINE AREA WITH DAY BEDS, BEAN BAGS AND TELEVISION WITH SATELITE TV AND DVD - SOUND LIKE THE PLACE FOR THE KIDS?

THE FRONT ENTRY AREA IS THE LAST SECTION REQUIRING PAVING, LANDSCAPING AND YOU PULLING UP FOR YOUR WEEK (OR TWO) OF R&R. NEWLY PLANTED FRANGIPANI TREES CAN BE SEEN ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF THE CARPORT.
OUR FIRST GUESTS ARRIVE ON THE 22ND OF THIS MONTH AND ALL WILL BE READY.

BALINESE CEREMONY

OUR BALINESE TEMPLE AND BUILDING CEREMONY WAS HELD ON ON THE 29TH SEPTEMBER WHICH WAS THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW MOON CYCLE.

THE CEREMONY INCLUDED A CELEBRATORY FEAST WITH A SUCKLING PIG AS THE GUEST OF HONOUR (APOLOGIES TO ALL VEGETARIANS FOR THE CONTENTS OF THIS PHOTO)

THE LOCAL HOLY MAN CONDUCTS THE CEREMONY WHICH INCLUDES SEVERAL SECTIONS. THE CASTING OUT OF ANY EVIL SPIRITS, BLESSING OF THE BUILDING AND SURROUNDS, BLESSING THE FEAST AND TEMPLES.
IT WAS IMPORTANT TO US TO HAVE THIS CEREMONY AND SHOW RESPECT FOR THE LOCAL TRADITIONS, THE BELIEFS, THE STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY.

OUR STAFF FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ARE MIRA (HEAD HOUSEKEEPER), PUTU, KOMANG AND SANDRA (THE HOUSEKEEPERS FOR EACH OF THE THREE VILLAS).

SPOT THE OWNERS - THE ONES WHO DON'T LOOK COMFORTABLE SITTING ON THE GROUND!!!

THE CEREMONY WAS HELD IN THE TEMPLE AREA ADJACENT TO THE ENTRY TO THE VILLAS. THERE ARE TWO TEMPLES (THE ALMIGHTY AND THE SECURITY AND BUILDING TEMPLE) WHICH ARE FULLY DECORATED WITH BEAUTIFUL ORNAMENTS AND UMBRELLAS WHICH ARE ADOPTED FROM THE LOCAL CULTURES.

WORKING HARD

IT TOOK SIX GUYS TO UNLOAD THIS BUDDHA HEAD OFF THE TRUCK AND PLACE IT NEXT TO THE RECEPTION AREA. THE SMILES ARE MORE ABOUT COMPLETING THE TASK AND RELIEF THAN SMILES FOR THE CAMERA.

CAREFUL FINAL POSITIONING OF THE WATER WALL IN THE POND OF VILLA 3. AGAIN IT TOOK SIX GUYS TO MOVE THIS SLAB OF CONCRETE INTO POSITION. THERE ARE MANY OTHER STONE FEATURES AROUND THE VILLAS WHICH YOU WILL SEE WHEN YOU ARE THERE !!!

TIME TO UNLOAD THE FURNITURE. THIS IS THE FIRST OF TWO TRUCK LOADS OF FURNITURE WHICH TRAVELLED UP FROM THE CAPITAL DENPASAR. APOLOGIES TO ALL THE TRAVELLERS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT BEHIND THIS TRUCK AS IT TRAVELLED SLOWLY OVER THE MOUNTAIN RANGE

A BIT OF FUN

AND THE WINNER OF THE FUNNY HAT COMPETITION WAS THIS GUY WHO CUT A HOLE IN AN OLD FLOOR TILE BOX AND CREATED HIS OWN WIDE BRIMMED HAT - INVENTIVE

NEARING THE COMPLETION OF THE 500 PIECE JIGSAW PUZZLE 
PUTU - "NOW WHERE DID THAT CORNER PIECE GET TO?"
KOMANG - "DUNNO, BUT I KNOW I SAW IT YESTERDAY"

NOT QUITE SURE IF THIS LITTLE FELLA HAD ENTERED THE FUNNY HAT COMPETITION OR THE SHORTEST WORKER OR THE SMALLEST LOAD COMPETITION BUT HE WENT CLOSE TO WINNING ALL THREE 

THE GUARDIAN OF THE COFFEE CUPS. IF A CUP GOES MISSING THE WORK GRINDS TO A HALT - NOT LIKE THE COFFEE WHICH IS NOT GROUND AT ALL AND IS SERVED WITH A SPOON STANDING STRAIGHT UP IN THE CENTRE OF THE CUP - NOW THAT IS THICK AND STRONG 

LAST PLACE IN THE FUNNY HAT COMPETITION WAS THIS UNORIGINAL ENTRY. HE WAS ALSO LAST IN THE SHORTEST WORKER ON SITE

SOME OF THE THINGS WE DID IN LOVINA

WE DRANK ICE COLD BINTANG BEER ON THE BEACH WHILE WATCHING THE SUNSET (DOES KEITH HAVE EYES IN THE BACK OF HIS HEAD???) 

...............AND SOME OF US ACTUALLY TOOK PHOTOS OF THE SUNSET FROM THE BEACH WHILE SIPPING THAT BINTANG. DID I MENTION THAT IT WAS ICE COLD???

DID EARLY MORNING BOAT BUILDING, REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE 101 (WELL WE SAW THIS GUY DOING IT AS WE STROLLED PAST LOOKING FOR AN ICE COLD BINTANG - NO LUCK AS IT WAS 6:30 AM)

SNORKELLED THE SHALLOWS AND SURVEYED THE IMPROVING REEF AND CORALS NOT MORE THAN 100 METRES OFF THE SHORE IN VARYING DEPTHS OF WATER. 
TAKE IT FROM ME, A CAMERA IN A PLASTIC BAG JUST DOES NOT WORK.

SNUCK UP ON THE LOCAL FISHERMAN AND TUGGED THEIR LINES.

WATCHED THE EARLY EVENING BALINESE DANCING WHILE ENJOYING A WELL EARNED BINTANG AT THE END OF THE DAY AND YOU GUESSED IT - IT WAS ICE COLD 

DRESSED FOR DINNER AND PADDLED OUT TO SPEAK TO THOSE LOCAL FISHERMAN TO SEE IF THEY SOLD ANY ICE COLD BINTANGS. NO, THEY ONLY HAD FISH, SO WE PADDLED BACK.

OPEN LIVING AREA

 ENTERING THE PREMIUM VILLA YOU WILL SEE THE LILY FILLED POND AND WATER FEATURE (ON THE RIGHT HERE) AND THE SEATING AREA OPEN ALL ROUND FOR THOSE COOLING BREEZES AND THEN THE BLUE OF THE SWIMMING POOL BEYOND. TEMPTED TO STAY A WEEK?

SAME VILLA SHOWING THE MAIN LIVING SPACE. THE DINING TABLE WILL BE IN THE FOREGROUND AND OFF TO THE RIGHT (OBSCURED) IS THE BAR AND KITCHEN AREA WITH ICY COLD BEERS IN THE FRIDGE.

SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS

THE ANNUAL LOCAL SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS FROM SINGARAJA TO LOVINA HAVE ONCE AGAIN BEEN RUN AND WON AND THE BOATS ARE DERIGGED ON THE BEACH AT LOVINA. GREAT CELEBRATIONS WILL BE HELD TONIGHT AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE REGATTA. THE LOCALS WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE YOU OUT FOR A SAIL ON THE BALI SEA.

PREMIUM VILLA

THE VIEW FROM THE BEDROOM ACROSS THE COURTYARD TO THE OPEN LIVING PAVILION. FINISHING TOUCHES ARE NOW BEING ADDED TO PAVING, POOL EDGE, INTERNAL PLASTERWORK AND GARDEN AREAS. PLANTER BOXES ARE YET TO BE INSTALLED AND THEN THE ALL IMPORTANT PLANTS

LOOKING BACK THE OTHER WAY TOWARDS THE BEDROOMS. THE POOL IS DONE. TREE PLANTED, PAVING COMPLETE, WHAT IS MISSING? LOOKS FINISHED TO ME - OH HANG ON - ONE BEDROOM IS STILL AN OPEN AIR ROOM. I HOPE THE CHIPPY IS COMING BACK TOMORROW.