Day 4, and Yasa, our driver friend, is to pick us up early today to take us to the Bird Park, Tanah Lot, and Uluwatu, if we have time, and to find a toy shop to pick up a pool floaty, some squeaky toys and a bucket and spade for the beach, and no I haven't degenerated into a second childhood, it's just that the Family is bringing our Granddaughter over tomorrow for lunch, a play on the beach and a swim.
As it turned out the trip to the Toy Shop was a hoot, this was not a tourist but rather a locals shop, so the four very young sales girls, who spoke no English, could not stop giggling at this older Australian couple trying to use hand signs to indicate what we wanted.
Anyway it was good fun and we eventually got exactly what we wanted, the only problem was in stopping the girls, who were dead keen on pumping up the inflatable, anyway we eventually convinced then to leave it flat.
And we found a 'bucket and spade' for building sandcastles, including big plastic moulds of crabs, lobsters, fish and the like to decorate your sandcastle, you don't see too many children on the beach with a bucket and spade any more, too busy playing with their 'Game Boys', you can tell I'm of a long past generation easily entertained by such simple pleasures! {;o)
The Bird Park was our first port of call, and while we have been somewhat 'spoiled' by having previously visited the Jurong Birdpark in Singapore, the Bali Bp we found to be quite good, and you can get much closer to the birds here than in Singapore.
A note of caution here, last week the Indo Government had commenced checking all the Bird Parks and Zoos for the dreaded Bird Flu, while there was no apparent problems at the time we were there, at some time in the future they may, as a precaution, close the park to visitors, you would pay to check before going.
If you do go, there is a young Balinese chap who paints watercolours of the birds, his works are only smallish and come in two sizes approximately 160 x 210mm and 210 x 270mm, for just the painting, plus a (carved) frame if you would like, the bigger ones, framed, were what I thought was a steal at 135K Rp, the smaller ones even less, the quality is excellent and you would be proud to hang them on any wall.
Next we go on to Tanah Lot, the last time we visited was when the Japanese Engineers had the island covered in scaffolding and a jetty built out into the little bay, while the reinforced the base of the island where it had been ravaged by time and tide, and was in danger of collapse, as such we wanted to return to se it in all its natural beauty.
How spectacular it was to return to find that the work had been successfully completed, and to their credit you could not see where they had made the repairs, it looked just like the Postcards, and yes, the 'postcard ladies' are still there in force! {:o)
I must say it was to be hoped that the Japanese Engineers did a good job, as today the surf is at about 4-5 meters, and for those that have been, you know the northern point of the little bay where all the tourist go to take photos, well the spray from the breaking waves was coming over the top of that lookout.
Anyway it is just a beautiful spot, and I expect that the Temple, silhouetted by the setting sun, would be beautiful and moving sight, something for us to do next time.
Time having got the better of us, not helped by a 'just looking' stroll through the Tanah Lot stalls, so it's back for a swim before dinner at the Bonsai, we will just have to leave Uluwatu for next time.
To be continued, regards BJC.