By Julie Sheard

So there I was, lying on my back, stark naked and smeared in yoghurt. Not a typical Monday night for me (honest), but all part of the Bali holiday experience. After a hard day climbing the Candidasa hill to launch, flying for a couple of hours then negotiating the walk back into town across rocks dodging waves as you go, a massage and body scrub was a well-deserved treat.

Our trip had begun a week earlier in Timbis: Geoff Guest, Leanne Kennedy, Phil Savory, Terry Stanley, Rob Parker, Julie Sheard and partner Mal, Zoltan Toth and wife Lyn, Peter Whitworth, Sass (who is only known by one name, like Madonna), Gary Clarkson with wife Rita and daughter Elise, and our non-flying friend Jackie from England, had all turned up at various times over the weekend. Skyhigh club president Mal Marker joined us later in the week. A couple of days at Timbis to reacquaint ourselves with our gliders and strong wind conditions was enough to ready ourselves to tackle Candi. The first day there looked as though it was going to be too strong and also crossed, so we decided to leave our gliders behind but climb the hill anyway to erect a flag that we could see from the hotel. So off we marched up the hill carrying a five metre bamboo pole, a few metres of bright yellow silk and some raffia string. We got a few odd looks from locals, who maybe thought that this was some strange white man's ritual. Once we had found a suitable site for the flag, Rob and Phil unleashed their inner Boy Scout, and the flag was soon fluttering perkily in the wind. I was relieved to note that it was indeed too strong and too crossed for flying - I would not have been at all happy if it had been perfect and I had climbed the hill without my glider!

Fortunately our sacrifice to the wind gods paid off and we had some wonderful flying over the next few days. Some of us had the experience of flying in clouds for the first time - not our fault Mr Safety Officer, the clouds just formed around us as we were flying. By using radios to warn each other when we were in cloud, and GPSs and compasses to navigate by, we were able to keep safe. Personally I enjoyed flying above the cloud rather than within it; it was awesome to see my shadow on the cloud with a rainbow-patterned halo around it. I knew I deserved a halo for being on the Skyhigh committee all these years! It was fun trying to walk on the clouds as well, although nobody seemed to understand what I was doing. Probably thought I had a cramp.

Meanwhile the non-flyers had been amusing themselves scuba diving (Mal and Sass), extreme snorkelling (Pete and Jackie) and shopping (Lyn - why do laundry when it's cheaper just to buy new clothes?). Apparently the diving was great, but the snorkellers found the two metre surf a little challenging. The dead rat spotted floating down the street during the lunch stop at Padang Bai was off-putting as well apparently. Can't think why - would a live rat have been better?

On one of the non-flying days we were privileged to be invited to visit the home of Elizabeth, one of the staff at the Prima Resor Hotel where some of the group were staying. On the way we visited the market in Amlapura, the nearest town. Geoff spent most of the trip worrying that he shouldn't be driving because he had left his licence in his room, then ended up doing a U-turn in the forecourt of the police station! Don't worry, the bribes aren't much even if you do get caught! Elizabeth lives in a very smart house in a village in the hills behind Candidasa. The house has only just been built and as yet doesn't have much furniture, but they do have a pool table. Got to get your priorities right!

On another day we witnessed various cremation ceremonies in and around Candidasa. This isn't as ghoulish as it sounds. When someone dies in Bali they are buried in a temporary grave until the family can afford to hold the cremation ceremony. This may be several years later, so the cremation is a celebration rather than mourning. A day is selected when all the families in a village or area will hold their cremation. Everyone turns out in their best traditional dress, including the kids, and visitors are invited to join in. The family gathers around the grave while whatever remains of the body is dug up, then the remains are discreetly covered and paraded with much pomp, ceremony and colour to the cremation site. The cremations we watched were all held under trees, which didn't seem to be a great idea, but I didn't hear any reports of bush fires.

I would thoroughly recommend Bali as a winter destination to blow away those flying cobwebs and feel the sun on your limbs. The organised trips such as those arranged by Ted Jenkins or Lee Scott are highly recommended, especially for new pilots, or you can arrange a DIY trip. The winds are extremely reliable from July to September, and there is plenty to do for non-flying partners and on the (rare) non-flyable days. You'll probably get most flying at Timbis, on the Bukit Peninsula between the Bali Cliff Hotel and the Nikko Hotel, but do check out Candidasa for a more challenging but rewarding experience. This includes the forty-plus minute walk up the hill (with willing porters to carry your glider for a small fee), the "Oh my God" launch and the landing - wait for the tide to go out to reveal the pocket hanky-sized but convenient beaches near the hotels, or land on the bigger black beach and face a long hot walk back involving a scramble over the rocks in between waves. No worries, after that you definitely deserve that large Bintang waiting for you in the fridge.

And if anyone fancies the yoghurt body scrub, I highly recommend the Dewi Spa in Candidasa.