Tuesday - this is our last morning at the Sofitel as we are heading to the Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel for the rest of our stay. Had a final breakfast in the company of the ever present lizards and had another walk along with beach with her indoors. It's a lot calmer today, the suns out and it's a lovely walk up past the Legian and back, when we get back to the hotel I think that I might have a swim in the sea as it's the first time since we got here that the danger, danger flags aren't flying. Apparantly, so the story goes a Sofitel hotel guest drowned outside the hotel once. Don't know if strictly true, but I wouldn't have ventured out before today as it gets really rough, but it really is quite calm, so I wade out, its really shallow, so you have to go a long way to get past the break and I gave up to be honest, but enjoyed a bit of a swim and some bodysurfing. It wasn't until I did some body surfing that I realised that one of the many hotel life guards had followed me out and was shadowing my every move. Reassuringly freaky! Maybe the rumour was true then. I get out now so that he can get back to whatever life guards do when no one is in the water and I go to help out with the packing. So far, so good, everything fits in the case, wonder how much it weighs?
We go down to the Kartika with T and C who are flying to Sydney today to meet up with some friends for an anniversary party in Noosa.
We check in and my first comment to the wife is 'I want go Sofitel' in my best Lou and Andy voice. As I write this it's Wednesday afternoon and I am getting a bit more used to the Kartika and am starting to appreciate it's good points, but at first it seemed a little run down in comparison the Sofitel. Plastic pool chairs instead of day beds. It looks a little tired, which I think has been commented on before on this forum. After a couple of days though, I am starting to see that it has a really down to earth comfortable charm. The Sofitel is a real classy joint and the Kartika is more relaxed. I love the fact that the pool and room service menus are affordable, for instance club sandwich (which is huge) works out at around 65k or $8, whereas 100k or $12 at the Sofitel. The Kartika also has free wi-fi internet access, that I can get onto from my room. This is great for me. It was ridiculous in this day in age that the Sofitel didn't have wi-fi and it cost 80k per hour for cable access. So after a couple of lunches on chairs on the grass overlooking the beach and I am enjoying myself. The only thing I will say I can't get used to is the afternoon 'activities' around the pool. Today's was a demonstration on how to cut fruit into the shape of flowers. This is fine if you are into this kind of thing, but they use a microphone and speakers so that you can get a blow by blow commentary throughout the hotel. When I first heard this yesterday while trying to have a kip in my room, I ran out onto the balcony looking for the Redcoats. Maybe by this you will see what I mean when I say 'down to earth', it's almost an old fashioned holiday resort place.
We have done a little bit of shopping at the Discovery/Centro shopping place. The wife is getting a bit stressed by the shop assistants who stalk you, constantly holding things out to you and repeating you. 'yes, large size' etc etc. We have bought a few bits though, including another box of Krispy Kreme's - We actually had a box yesterday too around the pool in the afternoon, we couldn't finish off the whole box so we passed them around to our poolside neighbours, who needless to say took the box off us in a flash.
We had a quick meal on Tuesday evening at Café Batan I think, just past Discovery shopping plaza. J and I both ordered the Beef Rendang and immediately to J's great consternation I (and everyone else as they all wanted a taste) was comparing it to Poppies version. This is a quite different dish, it's a dry curry, but boy it was good. J insists that you can't compare it to Poppies, as it's so different (the Poppies version is famous of course and is a soupy type curry). I think it was just such a surprise as we just kind of went for this place as it was close by. T and C were heading of to the airport. Sad to see them go but I'm sure they will enjoy Noosa too. After saying goodbye to T and C we did manage to walk up to Kuta Square for an ice cream, stopping in at a few shops along the way of course.
Wednesday - After breakfast this morning, J and I went undies shopping (not together of course) and then went for an excellent massage at the Melasti (again not together, although we were there at the same time) We had lunch around the pool again and this afternoon the girls both headed off to Carrefour I think, bringing back some cheap undies ($1.20) etc. J and I took to the gym instead of going to Carrefour. The Kartika has quite a good gym actually, with a great sauna too, if you feel the need for even more sweating. Think we are going to Kori's for dinner tonight, they apparently have a band on.