OK, I admit it, we've been back for 4 weeks and this is my first 'just back report.' But in my defense, the minute we hit Aussie soil I got the dreaded flu and have been miserable ever since, although I think part of that is just me missing Bali, my 'second home', combined with the fact that my rotton computer had a major meltdown! Excuses over, lets get started.
We did the usual trip to Brisbane, ( 2 ½ hours drive) and stayed overnight right near the airport, but of course you don't sleep all night, the excitement of the next day and the fact that you need to be at the airport for the Garuda flight at 6.30am makes you 'watch the clock' all night, however, when that alarm finally goes off, we were in the shower and out the door in minutes. Couldn't believe how cold it is outside at this time of morning. Oh well, just a few hours and we will be in tropical sunshine. Yipee! ! !
OK, bags checked, immigration and passports ok'd and we are in duty free heaven, so I go in search of a you beaut digital camera. Had checked them out before , so knew what features I wanted, just had to bargain a bit to get the price I would pay, and ended up with exactly what I wanted with all the bells and whistles etc, a little holiday bonus treat for me and something I had wanted for ages.
The flight was great, left 20 minutes late and arrived at 1.05 local time. Out the door, to the right to the taxi office, got a ticket to Kuta/Legian for 20,000 and in no time had checked in to Istana Rama, on the beach road, 5 minutes walk from the sweeping corner to Jalan Melasti and Sammy and Suzy's. Dumped the empty bags we brought over, ( guess it won't be hard to fill them up ), put passports etc into security, and took off for our first walk around to the main drag of Kuta.
Couldn't resist to stop in at Aroma's, for some fabulous baguettes, and iced coffee, ( plane food is not great) and Aroma's is that little piece of heaven tucked away off the main street. ( 2 baguettes with salad and 2 iced drinks, 60,000 )You can duck in there and escape the heat, and hustle out in the main street. And the fishponds and garden setting is beautiful. Stocked up at Matahari Legian for water, and some goodies to nibble, checked out the sports shops etc and found fixed pricing fairly similar to home prices. Stopped in at Kopi pot for coffee and the best Lemon Meringue Pie.(2 serves of each 35,000 )
OK, now reality has hit and I feel a pang for home so thought I would search out for an internet café What a joke, here I was worried about finding one, and there are literally hundreds. Emailed the kids, and to my delight there was one waiting for us as well. Prices ranged from 300 to 500 per minute in different places, some are slower than others, but most are great. To print was between 500 and 1500, depending on the place. Still very cheap.
Back out on the streets walking , looking, checking out prices, and end up at bemo corner, so walk on up to Matahari Kuta, go to the Body shop ( prices about the same as Aus, ) and be careful, some things are labelled with prices, others not, so they tend to make up some prices as they go along. Heaps of more up market shops in this area compared to 3 years ago, and the street is all dug up outside and the traffic dreadful. Finally back to the hotel, a late night snack of Mie Goreng and Crème Caramel for 2, some ice cold Green Sands, The Terrace Café at Istana Rama has good food and the view fabulous, with the ocean high tide across the road. Back to our room, it is now 1.30am and we are exhausted.
Ok so that was day one, and if I keep writiing this day by day you'll be really bored, so will change the format a bit.
Day 2
Although I love them heaps, banana pancakes, that really are flat and a little greasy, have to be part of the traditional bali breakfast for me. Explored Poppies 2, and found a great tailor, organised to have 2 dresses made, and delivered to our motel in 24 hours, 100,000 rp for both, material and sewing. Excellent value and superb sewing.
Checked out all of Poppies 2 and then Poppies 1, then down to Kuta markets, bought t-shirts for 15 – 20,000, and while chatting to a couple of the local girls at a stall, heard a statement that made me laugh out loud. A young watch seller at a stall had said to a young blonde girl, 'you buy one from me, please you steal my heart, part of me must go home with you! If not me, at least take a watch with you!' The funniest part about this was 3 years ago, the same young guy said the same thing to my blonde teenage daughter, we laughed at the time, chatted and took his photo with her, and here he was , 3 years later still using the same line! I guess time stands still for some !
Down to Sammy and Suzy's for an afternoon Bintang, and had a ball chatting away to these two fascinating characters. Sammy immediately put out his best stools, ( plastic that sink into the sand) and got the forum photo album to show me. He is so proud of this book and loves to hear stories of the net and forum friends. While my feet were killing me by this stage, Suzy offered one of her famous foot massages, and along came Melissa and Kim to help, as well as Harry No 1 to sell me watches. We had a great time, took photos, and left well into the dark of the night. They still had to ride their broken down motor bike back to Denpasar for the night, yet it was no bother to stay late.
Dinner at TJ'S excellent mexican and a really wicked key lime pie! Back home for a midnight swim, we move on to Sanur tomorrow.
Day 3
Bali Aussie for breakie, excellent value for 9500 rp, and took a cab to Sanur, 30,000 rp. We found the white , light blue and green cabs all the same, as long as you insist on the meter before you get in, no problems. Got to Sanur and checked into Puri Dalem, just one block from the beach and great value, a smaller type of place to stay, extremely friendly, good restaurant, and 2 pools. Linda the resident masseur and manicurist gives a worthy massage, for 40,000 and manicure about the same. Gege was my contact there, I met him here on the net, and he is just lovely. Just 5 minutes walk to the beach road and markets, this place is really worth a look. We hadn't really seen much of Sanur before, and really liked it. The café's along the beach offer wonderful views, just sit down and relax, feet in the sand, order yet another mouth watering meal, ice cold drinks, and enjoy. Le Pirate at Segara Village had the best pasta with cream mushrooms and bacon I have ever tasted. Even went back for seconds the next day! The women in this area can be a bit overbearing, 'come to my shop, you promise yesterday' even though we were not here yesterday ! We found our way to Tootsie Shop, spent more than an hour there, talked to the girls and felt right at home. The prices they offer are great, and a give you a fair dinkum idea of what to pay for things all over Bali. We stocked up on everything, t-shirts, shorts, kids clothes, sarongs, scarves, bags, shoes,.......you name it , they sell it. You can also pay by credit card, which came in really handy.
More swimming and then to dinner at Mango Café Restaurant in the main street. Michael is a local 19yr old there and a real live wire. Loves to have a chat, and tell the story of his life on Bali. Then off to Mango Café on the beach, offers live music nightly, and is sort of the nightclub of Sanur.
DAY 4 was spent beside the pool in the morning, another trip to Toosies, ( more on the credit card) another massage, this time at a small healing clinic, just up from the beach road, and had a superb dinner at the Gazebo smelling of aromotherapy oils and feeling wonderful. Great live music here, and a woman singing a lovely rendition of 'killing me softly', ( showing me age now ! )
Day 5, we move to Ubud, driver 70,000rp and book into Pande Permai, at the bottom end of Monkey Forrest Road. We have stayed here before, and believe me, it is just lovely. The new rooms are beautiful, and the old rooms great value and very 'rustic' and comfortable, all with verandahs and views. The pool is clean and the café basic, but the staff exceptional. It is really lovely to have breakfast on your verandah and watch the squirrels and monkeys playing in the trees only metres away from you.