Short Getaway

It was a quick retreat over the long weekend.

We took a 30-minute ferry ride laden with gambler aunties and uncles, who transferred to another boat headed for the open seas. After dumping our backpacks in the resort, we hopped over to town, where we had Indonesian food, shopped at the supermarket, played arcade games and watched Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs at the XXI cinema.

Meatballs was pretty nice, but the cinema was even better. They had bag deposit services, cozy orange lights and muted background music on a great sound system in the lobby, and even food served to your seat in the newish theater. Best of all? No rowdy crowds.

Massage and a quick seafood dinner later, we headed back to the room for TV watching and face pampering with Korean mask sheets. My unique brand of holiday experience.

Breakfast the next day was followed by a quick dip in the pool, then an open-air Indonesian massage mere steps away from the beach front. It was sublime to be kneaded in the airy hut, all the while listening to the birds chirping, waves breaking and rustling of the surrounding bamboo plants.

This is the life.