We (me, partner and our two children) returned recently after a fantastic 17 day holiday. We spent time in Legian, Ubud and Tuban so I thought I'd split a JBR sections.
This is the last of four and follows JBR Part 1 - Legian posted Thursday, 1. May 2008 at 10:36 Bali Time, JBR Part 2 - Ubud Sunday, 4. May 2008 at 21:30 Bali Time and JBR Part 3 - Tuban posted Tuesday, 13. May 2008 at 22:23 Bali Time
This last JBR is a little later than anticipated but nevertheless -
Uluwatu:
While staying in Tuban we went to the fire dance at Uluwatu temple. We had secured one of the drivers from outside the Dynasty to take us. He was very obliging in helping get our tickets and sashes before leading us right to the performance area and told us he would meet up with us in the carpark after the dance. This driver had a very comfortable car with good aircon and if anyone is staying in the area and would like his details I'll pass them on.
We were given warnings re the monkeys on the way in after which I secured everyone's sunglasses etc. in my bag. These Uluwatu monkeys would have to be the worst monkeys I've seen. You could constantly hear people shouting as the monkeys did their best to grab anything not secured. One monkey had managed to get hold of a hat and the owner, with the help of one of the locals, was coaxing the monkey with some food in hope of getting the hat back. The monkey took the banana before casually throwing the hat over the edge of the cliff! When sitting in the raised seats for the dance performance I managed to see down the cliff face and it was littered with all manner of things the monkeys had thrown over. Later on during the dance performance I saw a Balinese man in the bushes behind the scene trying to get back what looked like a camera. It was dark where he was and I don't know the outcome of that one.
One thing that disturbed me with the organizing was that they continued to let people in even though the dance had begun. You wouldn't mind so much if this could be done discreetly, the latecomers were often led straight through the performance area to wherever there were spare seats. This was quite constant and really distracted from the dance.
The dance was good but what an amazing spectacle afterwards - literally throngs of tourists making their way in the pitch dark to the carpark and the drivers being able to identify their passengers. I don't know how they do it as some people would only have engaged the driver for that trip only. I wondered if anyone has ever ended up with the wrong driver? Note of caution for anyone going there - I would take a torch next time as the pathway leading from the performance area to the carpark is not lit up and the pathway does have the usual ups and downs. I really did not feel steady on my feet and wished I had bought a torch as a few other people did.
Kuta Galleria
The tailor we were using suggested we might find the fabric I wanted in Alta Moda but even though there are three floors of textiles I was not able to get the cashmere I wanted. I was looking for some cashmere for a jacket but there was not enough on the roll. Very obliging though; the person did phone Jakarta to see if there was sufficient in stock there as they were going to have it sent down if there was. I had a giggle when I read on the forum that the ‘boss' walks along and takes bolts of fabrics off the wall pulling off about 1 meter for you to inspect then just dumps it down for the staff to rewind and repack. We had three following our sales rep doing just that. He was very flamboyant.
While we were at the Galleria were keen to try Pica Tapas, the Spanish restaurant we had read about on the forum, but both times it was closed. It would probably be a good idea if anyone heading out there just to visit the restaurant, that they phone before-hand and make sure it is open.
I have to say the recent discussion re fireworks has had me thinking back to when I was lying in bed at night and I could here some going off at the beach. They can put the wind up you and I for one wish the practice would cease. I don't think it is actually allowed anyway. My partner overheard a woman complaining to the reception staff at the Dynasty that her sons were told by the security staff at Discovery Shopping Mall that they were not allowed to set off their fireworks on the beach. She really rude to the hotel staff saying they had spent all this money on fireworks and it wasn't fair they could set them off. My partner intervened because the staff were too polite to tell her it had nothing to do with them and to get nicked.
Airport notes:
We had a day time flight so checked out of the hotel after breakfast and made our way to the airport. As I mentioned in my last JBR the clamps my partner bought from Ace Hardware caused some consternation at the security point but other than that, and being 8 kilos over (happened to be the weight of the clamps!) we were through. We were asked to hand over a bottle of alcohol that was spotted while the suitcase was opened for the security inspection but I just laughed and said ‘no way that's my only drink'. The matter wasn't pursued any further.
Went up to the Prada lounge and was asked for USD$20 pp and didn't seem ready to drop the price in a hurry so went to the Garuda lounge down some steps and negotiated RP 200,000 for all of us. (I hope I have the names right as I seem to get them confused; either that or they have had a shuffle of lounges).
On arrival in Australia I wrote on the card that we had nothing to declare. I tell you those custom people are really on the ball. My daughter was carrying a hat that can be bought in the surf shops here but we happened to buy it at a surf shop in Bali; exactly the same merchandise. The customs officer questioned where the hat was bought and when I said Bali she said it should have been declared as it was straw. I learned a lesson here as I went through the things we had bought in my head and, as we hadn't bought any wood or any items from market stalls, I completely forgot about purchases made in ‘regular' stores. You only get embarrassed once I think.
Final comments:
Ten out of ten to the person on the forum who recommended the Twister Cola icecream. They were fantastic as a quencher and we were always on the lookout for them when walking around. There was another 'Twister' for sale but we did not find them as good as the Twister Cola.
I have to mention the Stadium Café on Kartika Plaza and my gripe with the disgusting photos on public display that I wrote about in my last JBR. Stormy kindly gave me an email contact for the Ramayana group to which I sent my concerns. I did so and a day or so later they responded saying they had removed the offending photographs from display. Still I wouldn't go near the toilets there without checking for camera first.
For Filo and Bagus1 - I won't mention the Dewi Sri or the Pantai in this JBR but can't wait to go again and am busy saving for our next trip so I can taunt you in another JBR!
Thanks heaps to everyone who posts on the forum as it is a wealth of information.