We had arranged with Wayan, the driver we had to Amed, to be our driver from Candi Dasa to Ubud, he told us different car but it would have rear seat belts nice and new. Yes it was a very nice car but also different driver. Our new driver, I can't remember his name(I was sick still), was only young and very funny, he told us how he had learnt to drive on a soccer field, and when we passed the soccer field he pointed it out and made jokes about when he was learning. Hubby found out our driver liked punk music and much to my dislike he tuned his ipod into the radio and put on a play list of punk rock, our driver loved it and said this was the kind of music he like to drive with if he had no passengers in the car and he was driving fast, I said ok but no fast driving!
We had a great trip to Ubud, we got stuck in temple traffic at the bat cave for about 30/40 mins, but it was great for the kids to see this chaotic side of Bali and all the families dress in their beautiful clothes with their offerings.
We got to Alam Jiwa and it was every thing I had hoped for, when we checked in they were very curious as to how we found out about the hotel, and said they rarely had Australians stay with them. The grounds, the staff and the rooms were so beautiful here I can't recommend it highly enough, although it wouldn't be for everyone, as it is quite and a bit out of the way for us and our kids it was heaven.
First thing was free hotel driver to the doctor, going to Ubud clinic was an experience, they were lovely and as all I needed was antibiotics it was fine, but if I had a choice and the kids had been seriously ill I would go some where else. Bill for visit, and medicine was about RP 500,000 well worth it as after a couple of doses and a good nights sleep I started to feel better at last.
After the doctors we got the driver, who had kindly waited for us, to drop us off opposite the markets and had a quick look around the shops, I found a metal statue, the dark green type, that I wanted it was two frogs dancing together holding hands, about 40 cms high, the guy wanted RP 1,400,000!! ha ha I said how about RP200,000, this went on as it does he wouldn't go any lower than RP 600,000, I would come back here twice more, I think he had the only dancing frogs in Ubud(make that Bali) and he knew it!
Back to the real world have to go and get the kids, I'll finish Ubud soon.