Well, this is becoming more and more like random ramblings as I go on, but nontheless, let's push on...
After finding a high school for donations and having a lovely chat with their art teacher, we pressed on looking for a primary school. The high school that we had found was up into the mountainous area inland from Amed, so we decided to head along the coast towards Seraya in search of a primary school.
Finally leaving the art teacher in peace, with his 5 metre tall statue of Ganesha in the school quadrangle, we head back towards the coast and look to push past the main run of hotels to somewhere where, perhaps, not so many tourists may venture. We ride for about 20 minutes from the hotel and have long left any tourism behind.
Lo and behold, a Sekolah Dasar on our right. Locked up of course! We ask some inquisitive local youth whether there is still a teacher here in the village and they offer (all 25 of them) to accompany us to his house. By the time that we arrive at his lane, the crowd has swelled and he has come to meet us. I make the introductions and he smiles and nods, telling me in perfect English "I am sorry, I do not speak English". He repeats this to me anytime my Indonesian begins to falter, accompanied by a broad smile. I never did quite work out whether or not he was telling the truth!
Off to the school we toddle again, which he unlocks and shows us into the Principal's office. We chat for a while and he shows us about again, after writing a receipt for the donation! I write a short note to the Principal and leave my details. As we talk about the school, it becomes apparent that, even though all Indonesian schools are supposed to teach English from year 4, language teachers are hard to find the world over and this school does not have anyone who can speak English, not even the Principal. They also have 95 children in year 2. So what? Well, they only have one teacher! The 95 kids are split into two classrooms and the teacher goes between the two rooms.
The children's faces as they saw the books and pencils coming out was priceless.
Anyway, the time too soon comes for us to pay the bill and pile into the car to head for Ubud. Goodbye again Amed. Incidently, my son seems to think that Amed is the name of one of the partners in the hotel (whose name is actually Komang!) and now wants "pictures" (read tattoos) just like Amed! We had the same problem involving a black texta last year when we left Amed.
On to Ubud and just try to find the Lumbung Sari on Monkey Forest Road! Monkey Forest is much busier than I remember and the Lumbung Sari is tucked away almost opposite the Ubud Village Hotel. I ask to see the rooms I have booked and it becomes very quickly apparent that they have overbooked and stuck us in the end, fan cooled, not so nice rooms. Exacting conversations take place with them ensuring it is an oversight and they will ensure that tomorrow night they will be able to move us to the rooms we booked. We negotiate a very cheap deal for the first night, with hubby adding the stipulation that if the room we book does not materialise, we wont pay for tonight in the other two rooms. They assure us that all will be well and we head up the "cheap suite".
The other rooms do materialise as promised the next day and I must say, from this point on, the hotel is smashing. Thanks Bluebone for the recommendation. When we get back to Lumbung at the end of the day, fridge is stocked and air con is cold. All's well that ends well.
As a small aside, exactly the same booking error happened to a German family who arrived the day before we left. They spent 18 hours glaring at us and eyeing our rooms! Someone who is in charge of bookings has a date issue methinks.
In Ubud, we have booked downhill cycling through Baik Bike tour. Great tour, very well organised, although dear Mummy baulks (loudly) when told by Wayan that the total distance is 27km; and I can assure you that it is not all downhill! But only the very last section is uphill, still quite manageable. My dear hubby was much more puffed than I, perhaps due in part to the 19kg 3 year old he had on the back of his bike in the kiddy seat for half of the journey!!
Wayan was very accommodating in organising a seat (including cushion) and we had our own helmet for Jasper. The tour was great, with us being lucky enough to happen past a temple birthday ceremony, which we were able to take part in. Wayan's crew had sarongs at the ready in the car and even put one around our son, which amused the locals no end! We were treated to full gamelan and gong orchestra during the ceremony and welcomed (of course) by all and sundry in the temple.
After Wayan's interesting commentary for a while, the child tires and gets to spend the rest of the ride in the front seat of Wayan's car, listening to reggae music. All well catered for, I think.
A deluxe lunch awaited us at Wayan's family compound, including every Balinese delight you could ever want for lunch (extra tempe please!!) Nothing was too much trouble adn Wayan's wife had been cooking since about 8am. It was really interesting to sit and talk to Wayan about starting out in his business and the directions that he hopes to take his family in through starting this venture. I would highly recommend this tour, particularly for those who have not been out of the main areas on previous trips.
Ubud mainly consists of wandering the markets and picking up more cushion covers, a teapot, bit of jewellry, the obligatory fisherman's pants and stocked up on party favours for loot bags at the 3 year old's upcoming birthday (no nasty lolly bags this year, it's all string operated toys and pencils in this house). Mum had a ball at the markets and enjoyed Ubud in general. I actually managed to buy some clothes, a few dresses and tunics, despite being assured in the first dress shop that I would have to go on diet (apparently even us 57kg size 10 girls cant shop in Bali), the second boutique comes to my rescue, assuring me that I have "beautiful body, slim body!". Well, with my self esteem intact, I head off to the pub to work once more on my beer belly!
Good food everywhere in Ubud, you really cant go wrong. Jazz Bar was nice, although horrendously pricey once you have slipped into Bali mode, along with terrific music. I must say, we were nowhere near achieving midnight on New Year's Eve.
Cooking course at Bumbu Bali for Mum and I on New Year's Eve, which wsas sensational. About 275 000rp each, including apron and a 50 recipe book, plus all the food you eat of course! Hubby takes youngster to monkey forest for his fix of monkeys climbing all over you and sharing their lice freely. Highly recommend the cooking course, by the way.
Where should we go now, after 4 lovely nights in Ubud - and we could not even get near Ibu Oka's for babi guling - a fact that leads me to a silly decision involving babi guling at a roadside stall and results in all of use rotating through a new and exceptionally close relationship with the kamar kecil!
On to Sanur for the last 4 days......