Back ground info - we're all from perth; there were 6 of us this trip - me (jess, 26, 3rd trip); gav (my partner of 10 years and now new fiancé, 3rd trip); my sister, Bj (2nd trip); her boyfriend, scott (1st to bali though he has travelled most of indo surfing); and my parents, mum (57) and dad (62); it was probably about their 10th trip. We were unfortunate AP ticket holders so this was a trip we had to make the most of!
Day 10 - FRIDAY 6th JANUARY 2006
Gav and I stayed up half of last night watching Indo television and trying to teach ourselves as much as we could in one night to really lay it on over our last few days. It sort of worked for little things but most of it really went in and out.
We decided it was time to eat breakfast out again and our first choice was banana pancakes at Café Sendok (Jl Legian). They really are delicious and worth a taste. We needed the big feed for the intense day of shopping ahead of us. With only two whole days left we wanted to get the rest of our shopping out of the way so the last day in paradise could be spent on a surfing mission.
So where to begin our final shopping spree? Poppies 2 of course! I just love the haggle and the atmosphere of the stalls down there. Everyone knows everyone and there is nothing Bali has to offer that you can't buy in this lane. We walked the full length to the beach and along and back up Poppies 1, it felt like we stopped and bought something in every shop. My sister was in her element!
What didn't we buy: perfume and aftershave 15,000ea; bags 20,000ea; wooden candle holders small to large 10,000 to 25,000ea; cotton boob-tube 40,000ea; manicure + pedicure (in shop we bought the boob-tubes from) 30,000/person and they were better than the ones I paid 70,000 in the salon; camouflage walk shorts 50,000; earrings 4,000ea; shell bracelet 10,000ea; embroidered sarongs 20,000ea; gold watches 30,000ea; more sunnies 20,000ea; satay burners 20,000ea; parachute hammock 100,000ea; lv bag 50,000; kids spiderman walk shorts (great quality) 20,000ea; beaded sandals 30,000ea; cds 10,000ea; and that was all before lunchtime!
The boys had had enough by the time we made it out of Poppies 1 and back onto Jl Legian. So they jumped a taksi with all the loot and Bj and I shopped our way back to the LPH. It disappointed us actually, shopping in the stalls on JL Legian. I can imagine that the owners would pay a higher rent for these tenancies than those on Poppies lanes but they were much quicker to give a ridiculous price and far less willing to haggle to a decent price for anything. Bj and I managed to get a couple of nice Gucci bags for 40,000ea from one guy which we were stoked about but the rest of the sellers along the way home to the hotel were no fun and we vowed to spend our pennies in the Poppies lanes next time we come to Bali, where it is obviously more needed (especially with sellers being so ready to haggle and have a good time doing it). I'm never after a price that is ripping them off, but I always consider what seems fair for both of us and will always pay more for a cheeky smile and friendly, happy attitude!
So we met Mum and Dad at the LPH for their 'last supper'. Surprise, surprise they wanted to go to La Porchetta again so off we wandered, the 50m or so from the LPH. It was delicious and very reasonable again. After the last few days it had become a second home to all of us and the staff were just hilarious!
After lunch it was off to Bali Aussie for a last binnie for mum and dad and so they could meet up with Annie and get their order for $2 aussie jewelry. They got 3 bracelets for my Nan and had a couple of rings made up for dad. It so bloody cheap and I would recommend anyone who wants them to go see Annie at Bali Aussie. She is so delightful and the jewelry is gorgeous. Bj and I placed an order with her that she was going to deliver to us the next day and we were off.
Big kisses out the front for Mum and dad and they walked off into the distance, not to be seen until we were all on home soil, supposedly.
The four of us continued on our shopping spree, a few more binnie shirts 15,000ea for some mates back home; a couple of more pairs of beaded sandals 30,000ea and about a dozen more pairs of sunnies 20,000ea. It was in the sandal shop about 40 minutes later, we heard a familiar voice. It was Dad haggling with the guy over some sandals. Mum had bought some the day before and she'd had a blow out on her way back to the hotel after Bali Aussie. It was a funny thing at the time and dad bought another pair and was off again. (I swear we bought one of every pair of thongs and sunnies that Bali had to offer - it had become a running joke)
We all headed back to the LPH, very hot and sweaty, to drop off the loot, shower and get back to it. It was already late arvo, not even time for a swim today. Gav, Bj and I left Scott to nap and were off to the Matahari for the last official spree. Gav found a great pair of dress shoes for 90,000 (shoe shop on the right-hand side of the department store) and Bj and I both bought strappy heals for 99,000ea, bargain! We got some socks, jocks and shirts for Gav at Matahari - beware the jocks and shirt sizes - the jocks were too small and he bought two shirts that were the same brand and size but only tried one of them on and the one he didn't turned out to be too small for him.
Taksi back home to the LPH to meet Scott for tea. Bj was exhausted now too so Gav and I left them to room service and went up to Acapulco on our own for what turned out to be a very romantic diner. We had the restaurant to ourselves and therefore the balcony to ourselves. There were candles lit everywhere and we dined on delicious Mexican on our own private balcony overlooking JL Legian. It was gorgeous; 150,000 for 2 meals, 2 binnies and 3 watermelon juices.
Then we took a digestive stroll down Jl Legian, shopping our way to Poppies 2 and back. You would think we had had enough but no. Did a few more surf shops, couple more candle holders and a few cds.
Back in the room it looks like we could start our own Bali shop! Specializing in sandals and sunnies!! Tomorrow is our last full day and it's of to Ulus......