We go over what's been achieved on this trip and make a plan for improvements and missions before my next visit. Bondan's wife works for a marketing company in Denpasar city not far away.. she managed to escape early and joined us just as the fish was served. After we take the 10 minute trip from there to international departure's.. and it's good bye hugs and best wishes all round.. I feel so grateful to be working with lovely people, say goodbye and I'm on my way to KL..

The flight was delayed (of course) and I arrived in Kuala Lumpur airport very late at night.. but Mr Sugar my regular driver was waiting for me in KL arrivals and takes me to my regular hotel on Bukit Ceylon. We chat on the way into the city.. he updates on his family news and asks me about Coco and how business is. Mr Sugar is a South Indian guy and a like most people in Malaysia or Indonesia (or in Asia generally) he is super nice, very gentle and always happy to help. We arrive at the hotel at about 1am the night porter is waiting.. welcome back Mr David..  lovely people everywhere.

Next morning I have breakfast with Raul (our IT wizard) he lives with his family on Bukit Ceylon in a very pleasant apartment. And we catch up with all the projects under development.. I explain my ideas in detail, I have some ideas for our Aromatics business in Sheffield. And over the next couple of days we plan it out.. and with a little gentle persuasion he agrees to come to  Europe in a few days.. 

On Wednesday evening Mr Sugar takes me back to the airport. Turkish airways via Istanbul to Malaga.. it's more than 24 hours journey from Bukit Ceylon to my house in La Cala de Mijas. But I enjoy the travel and always meet interesting people along the way. The business lounge in Istanbul is huge.. but it was very busy, it was hard to find a seat. A lot of Russians - wealthy ones I guess - going somewhere. Istanbul is one of the few airports they can still fly to, so a major escape hub right now. From Istanbul it is a 4 hour flight to Malaga.. it's not busy in Malaga, and I'm through the airport and in my hire car pretty quick. 

Tomas is here in Spain, and comes round to visit with some friends.. we go to eat at local beach restaurant just as the sun is setting. Tomas and his friends are lovely people.

Coco.. made it back to Yiwu.. last week I was telling you how difficult it was to get back into China. She had to do a final three days quarantine in Yiwu.. and as I sent last weeks newsletter she was about to get free.. and they cancelled on her and told her because there were new cases in Yiwu, she would have to stay longer.. She was so distressed poor girl, just when she thought she would see the grandkids, rug pulled. I told to start shouting and argue.. surprisingly despite Coco's doubts.. it worked and they let her out one day later. The regulation was that a bus would take that days batch of released people directly to their homes.. where they are expected to do more home quarantine (it's obsessive no?). It was going take hours driving round the city dropping people off one by one.. She called me from the bus.. I told just to get off when it stops and get a taxi home.. she asked the driver, and he basically said he was sick of this stupid job.. and yes everyone could get off now.. So Coco's son came and picked her up.. and she was finally home.. about a month after I said goodbye in Jakarta. 

Now she is teaching the kids the yoga moves she picked up in Ubud..

It seems like an age ago - that Toni and I went to Morocco and visited our supplier in a small town in the middle of no-where in foothills of the Atlas mountains.. It was in April actually.. here is a link back in time.. to: In search of dream stones. Regular readers will recall..