Sanur, Indonesia

Another alarm call beaten by a body already awake, so up I get, and the usual routine of breakfast and a couple of hours work is followed by a 10.30 check out. Unfortunately it seems that the pre-agreed payment by our travel team has got lost in the translation and I am expected to settle the full bill which is 18million rupees!!!

Obviously with London fast asleep I can't get hold of them to query this so dial the emergency helpline which connects me to Sangeeta in India. She investigates and it transpires that the photocopy of the EMI credit card that was faxed through became illegible somewhere down the telex line and no-one had thought to check until now. So muggins here has to flash his own plastic and pray to the god of expense accounts that it'll get approved before the bill comes in.

With only minutes to spare until the band convoy departs for the airport we race downstairs, surrender our luggage and hop into a waiting people carrier. Accompanied by yet another police escort, complete with wailing sirens, we stream out of the hotel with outriders ahead of us clearing the way, and are at the airport in record time.

Bruce is flying this leg of the trip so has arrived much earlier and carried out all the pre-flight checks along with the other aircrew and as we board, First Captain Dickinson says hello and whisks Matt off for a tour of the plane, showing him where all the equipment is stowed in this specially-modified 757 and chatting to the road crew who all travel with us.

I've been seated with Nicko this time and we have a great chat as we rise high above Java and head south east across the Indonesian archipelago towards the exotic climes of Bali. Matt is ensconced with Steve for most of the flight conducting his interview, followed by another with Adrian and they're still going as we fly over beaches and land to be greeted by scores of waving airport staff, a fleet of limos on the tarmac and, fabulously, a red carpet unfurled down the steps and to the waiting cars. They obviously know I'm on board!!

"Welcome to Bali where the outside temperature is 30 degrees", announces our captain, although sadly not followed by "Scream for me Indonesia!!" He's having a laugh though. There's no way this is 30 degrees. As we step out of the plane it's like walking into a furnace; this is properly roasting hot with humidity through the roof. It's an effort to just make it down the steps into the waiting vehicles.

And so we find ourselves in yet other convoy, another police escort, this time with plenty of fans following on motorbikes. It's about a 20 minute transfer to the airport, through typically tropical scenes. But the bustling chaos evaporates as we pull into the tranquil grounds of the hotel.

John leaps out ahead to take photos of the band being greeted with bows and garlands of flowers as Matt and I look around with a gaze of amazement. This is properly special. The lobby is a wooden, thatched long-hut with ceiling fans and bamboo furniture. Smiling staff in sarongs give us iced drinks, cool towels are proffered and a Balinese trio play songs of welcome on traditional instruments.

We all check in and are taken to our rooms before reconvening later in a garden restaurant for dinner. This is a band affair where Nicko charges our glasses and toasts Matt and myself, as guests on the road with the band. The food is magnificent. An array of Balinese dishes with fabulous names are unveiled - lumpia udang, pesan wong, ayam panggang bumbu Bali, daging rica rica, ikan kakap kukus, sambel be tongkol and more. Everything from mushrooms in banana leaf to snapper, chicken , duck, beef and prawns in various spices and sauces. Local Bintang beer is served and the Balinese musicians serenade us.

A midnight dip in the lantern-lit pool follows to wash away the heat of the day and then slumber beckons its way to bed.