Arrived home at twelve midnight last night after long flight via Singapore. Back to Mandurah by two am and up and about at work by 9am. Needless to say Jetlag is setting in around now. Anyway, as this is my first JBR I hope you enjoy it even if is doesn't sound right.
Arrived at Bali after two days in Singapore. Out of the plane, through VOA and picked up bags and out of airport by half an hour. THEN....grabbed a cab to the Bali Rani and it took thirty five minutes to get from the airport to the hotel which is about 1 km as the crow flies. Damm new shopping centre causes mass confusion with vehicles at night. Arrived and met friends who were staying there already and had the first BINTANG. How I love that first taste....
OH forgot.....one case had the chalk crosses. Out with the wet ones to get rid of them. Did a wonderful job, so I thought until the guy asked to "have look" and pointed to the case. I missed a cross didn't I, on the side and it had to be the side facing him. We didn't see it..Anyway, don't know what he was looking for because the bag was full of books, presents and lollies for the kids at the school in Soboghan where we sponsor a young girl. So he looked then waved us on.
Having been to Bali about twenty odd times, this was the first time we had stayed down in Tuban and I wouldn't go down that way again. Give me good old Legian. Far too many people from another Asian country and they are very rude and arrogant and just pay whatever making it very hard for everyone else. We did go up to Legian to visit at Bobby Boy and Ketut, and found that prices were much cheaper up that way. The cheapest breakfast we could find down Tuban way close to the hotel was around 25,000rp and for the same thing down at Legian, we paid only 11,000rp and there was NO DIFFERENCE in size or quality, just price. In Tuban the asking price was always double what was asked further down, and we just didn't like it. The hotel was very nice and the staff great. We had a great room by the pool and even though you had to be up at five o'clock to get a bench, we just sat on someone elses if they weren't there. If they came back you got up and left. No worries!!
Had a great day out at Geneva, Alpha and then Galleria. Plenty of bargins although I didn't need to buy much as I was there in May with my daughters.
Here is a good one though. My friend got "ripped Off" by the money changer near the hotel. She didn't count her money until we were having a drink later on down the road. She was livid as they had chipped her 70,000rp. Jumping up and down she said she was going to go back and tell them they had ripped her off. Anyway, she didn't get around to doing this until the next day, when after changing more money (another money changer) she said "no bugger he ripped me off and I'm going to tell him". So in she charges, tells him he ripped her off yesterday when she changed money. (This is the best part). He said "Oh yes, we were over yesterday by 66,000rp". She said well it was 70,000rp you ripped me off, and then he GAVE IT BACK TO HER. Well needless to say, she had to buy the bintangs after that one. Never known that to happen. Bali truly is a fantastic place, eh!
Found a DVD shop just left off Garlic Lane on Padma Street that sells 5/6/7 dvd's in one, for only 10,000rp. Can't remember the name but turn left out of garlic lane and its on the left only a few metres down. There is a music shop on the corner, I think another shop then the DVD shop. Good value, for kids to play with so they don't wreck the good ones. Don't know how good the quality is as I havn't had a chance to watch any yet.
Bread Talk at the new Centro Shopping Centre Mall is great for a lunch snack, so long as you don't mind lining up for fifteen minutes. If you get there as soon as it open as ten it's not too bad.
But of course you don't want to eat then and they are much better eaten as soon as you buy as they are continually making stuff all day.
If you are staying in the Tuban area, we found going towards the airport for small markets were better prices than the ones going towards Kuta Square or even the art markets at Kuta. Each to their own I guess.
The highlight of the holiday was our annual visit to our sponsored girl Made, up at Soboghan. What a difference a year makes. last year she was so shy she was nearly crying. This year, the smile when she saw us was mindblowing, and the rest of our time at the school was with Made only one step beside us all the time. The school looks fantastic and is a credit to the Rotarians who have made this happen. All the kids as so happy and don't they just love having the sponsors come to school as they usually get lollies given out and can sing and dance and play their music to us. We had a fantastic hour with them and look forward to going back again next year. Made said hello and goodbye in English and just loved the gifts we took to her, (colouring books, pencils, paints, stickers) everyday things to our kids. The look on her face. We also gave her a framed photo of ourselves with her from last year. She hugged it to her little chest. It was a very heart jerking moment.
Rest of the holiday just did the usual, eat, drink, swim, and shop. Not enough time of course, but certainly looking forward to going back again soon. Hope you enjoyed my first JBR and that I didn't bore you too much with it.