O.K. So we're still at Sanur aren't we.
Found this brilliant shop behind the Spirit Café with assorted jewellery, clothes, nick nacks etc. Its fixed price and its called Sumadi design. They have a 2nd shop on Jl Danau Toba. Their prices are extremely reasonable and on the last day, she offered 20% off. We bought a few bits and pieces over the days.
WWR (mainly for BF to experience) with Telaga Waja again, rp 250 000. We figure we have never had a problem with them in 3 times, so why change. As usual a great day out. Moi fell out twice to be retrieved just in the nick of time. I have decided the steps up to the restaurant are far worse than the steps up to the street. Anyway, like I say, a good day out with everyone enjoying themselves.
When we had dropped other folk off at Ubud, the driver was very happy to drive us around the shops in Ubud for the rest of the afternoon, so that was great. We also found a little back street shop that sold all the stuff for ceremonies, so we bought up big there. The kids slept like little lambs all the way home, bless their little shopping hearts.
One night we walked all the way from Shindu to Sanur Beach Hotel. Far out those street lights would see us coming and just go out. What is that? We wanted to take the kids to the Bamboo Bar that we had enjoyed years before. Far out they were expensive, glad it was only 1 round. I had to use my Visa and the guy was walking away with it thru the garden. No no no no, I don't think so. I trotted after him so I could keep it in sight. Nothing amiss here, just using the register of another bar, but you can't be too careful kiddies.
Feed at Cat & Fiddle. Still overpriced in my view.
Avoided Maggos as per previous poor performance towards friends.
Over to Uluwatu for the Kecak Dance of course. BF wanted culture, and with the temple added in, this was one more cultural event for him. I just love it and was always going to go again. I just love how ‘good' reigns over ‘evil'. Monkeys, temple, another fabulous sunset over the cliff. We were starving and so grabbed a packet of nasi to nosh into while we were waiting for the dance to start. Far out, they squeezed so many people in, they had to bring in extra chairs, and had 2 rows of folk kneeling on the concrete around the edge. I thought that would get interesting when they started kicking the fire around near the end. I saw it as most unfortunate that it didn't leave room for the men to move back from the fire. They were still letting people in more than ½ way thru. What gives here? I think it spoilt the performance with them walking around and around getting seated, and I felt sorry for the men because they were clearly unable to get back enough from the fire. Same price rp3000 sarong & rp 50 000 entry. Something out of the ordinary happened ! I recognized the guy tying on my sarong as our guide from 2004, but he didn't recognize me ! That has to be a 1st in Bali hey ? Remembered his name and everything.
Hadn't gotten around to getting contact lens so while we were doing the groceries at Hardys, popped into the optometrist. No worries. 10 minutes and rp175 000 later, I had lenses for 6 months. Too easy.
Also the eatery here was really cheap and we did lunch a couple of times when we were shopping. Lunch x 4 rp 86 000.
Clinique lipstick rp 40 000.
We rang Made from the Helen Flavell Learning Centre, and he popped straight over to take our donations. All small bras ( for teenagers only) and other secret womens products. Such a lovely man. Glad we could help. That is the last of the donations now.
I noticed in the shops in Sanur they wanted way more than those in Legian. When we would tell them what we paid, they just let us walk?
Also, the beach market ladies, very insistent. Buy one, buy more. You look in her shop, now look in mine. It was getting hard to politely extract ones self from there. Have they ever considered if they let you freely browse, they might sell more? Just a thought.
Saw way more dogs around Sanur than Legian.
The weather in Sanur was really hot. That was the locals saying that. I think for that reason we didn't get out and about very far, preferring to read, snooze, and swim at the Bungalows. After our 5 nights there, we were pretty happy to leave. We were missing a decent shower, flushing loos and privacy. Beautiful bungalows, intimate area with pool and kitchen, but we had reached our limit for this style of accommodation I think. They kindly gave us a lift to our next and final destination, Tanjung Benoa.
Well, if you think you've died and gone to heaven - this is it. This turned out to be our holiday from the holiday. No broken footpaths, no dust, no hawkers, just sleeping like a log, swimming and eating. No laundry to worry about, just enjoy. The joint is Benoa Quay Harbourside Villas and out of about 11 villas, we were in one called Villa Segara. O.K. Brace yourselves here kiddies. Beautiful garden, complete with turtle in the pond, so I guess that made it 5 of us ! Bale ready to go with towels and trashy mags. When the kids found out they 5 bedrooms to choose from, they went crazy running from room to room to pick which one was ‘the best'. We just stood back by the pool and enjoyed the moment. Its refreshing to see 2 cool 16 y.o. behaving like kids again. Yes, we have 5 bedrooms to pick from. What to do? Hubby & I went straight upstairs to the Master suite. OMG. Kingsize bed, A/C, huge, I mean you could fit 6 king size beds in there wall to wall. Bed made up with posh covers and flowers just waiting for you to collapse into. Big bathroom which when you lay in the bath, you could see right out across Benoa Harbour. This room had its own entrance and balcony where I whittled away hours and hours just watching the goings on of the harbour, the tides, boats, and off in the distance was the airport. I just loved sitting there at night with my drinky poo, hearing the splashing in the pool below and watching the planes with their lights, lining up to land. There were so many of them, it made me realize thousands of people must arrive and depart Bali each day. This villa is literally at the edge of the harbour. If you had watched Titanic, you could spit from the balcony to the water. Also upstairs was a big lounge with a flat screen telly, DVD player and those surround speaker things. (Tech heads need to help again here.) I'll tell you what I really appreciated - was the written directions on the wall for how to use the remote controls. It meant even people like me could watch telly or a DVD without asking for help. That's a first. Well, this was the only decent telly system for the whole trip so didn't it get a workout! Kids and Hubby were semi glued to the couch under the A/C. Bliss for them. There's even a fridge, sink and glasses upstairs, in case you can't make it all the way down to the kitchen for a refill!
Downstairs, you have 4 bedrooms to pick from. 2 were like the master suite only smaller. Beds made up the same with flowers and everything, so inviting. One of them had that beautiful soaring ceiling that goes on forever. These bedrooms had A/C too and ensuites. Both opened directly onto the pool, so there was no having to slop water thru the main house. Off each of these bedrooms, there was another bedroom each, or I suppose you could use one of them as a second lounge. Up to you, depending on who you had there. One room had 3 bunks, so either 3 teenagers or top and tail for littlies. The other had a single with a trundle. Again, 2 teenagers or more for littlies. I liked the way you could lock the pool access from these extra rooms, so any little ones would have no access except thru mum and dads room if you chose. Food for thought there. Also, there was an outdoor shower plus dunny and basin so you didn't have to go inside at all if you chose.
Kitchen. Centre piece of it all. Another A/C ( or fan if you prefer, but it was really hot). Everything you have at home, was there. Not the token 4 place setting of crockery and cutlery, but the whole show. That water thingy, even had room temperature, chilled, or boiled ready for coffee or noodles. When I discovered that, I didn't go near the kettle again. Huge fridge/freezer and breakfast bar with stools, or you could pop out to the balcony and seat 8 with ease at the dining table.
We didn't end up cooking much though. We had a housekeeper (Rini, the angel) who came in each morning and kept on serving banana pancakes til we either exploded or rolled out.
At lunch time, Rini would pop out and grab us all (including her) nasi or mie and have change from rp 50 000. Far out, how cheap that was and such a change from what we had been paying at some restaurants. We weren't that keen on having a housekeeper floating around, but honestly, Rini was so unobtrusive and usually invisible and quiet that sometimes we were even sure she was there. But, as if by magic, the place would be shining and made up to perfection each morning. Our usual modus operandi would be for Hubby & kids to grab early morning toast and drinks and settle in front of the telly watching movies. I would head out for a swim, followed by coffee and trashy mag. Then Rini would arrive and feed everyone and we would return to step one, as above. Except by this time it was usually scotch o'clock so I would change drinks. After lunch we would wander out and do our thing. We were so happy at the villa, we didn't actually wander far at all.
As Hubby was still on the tail end of a pretty strict diet, having the kitchen made it all so easy to cook his own thing if we were doing something ‘bad'.
On our way there as we were driving near the Peninsular Beach, the electricity line just fell down next to us and started snaking and sparking. Scary. So, of course we had no power til midnight at the villa. That was a good thing as it turned out. We had a romantic evening of candles everywhere, and out on the upstairs deck, we enjoyed a lightning show and fireworks off in the distance. Nice. On our last night there ( we stayed 5 ½ nights) a massive cruise ship dropped anchor with all its light etc. Lovely.
This joint even has its own little warung if you don't want to leave at all. And if you can't make it the entire 25 steps to the warung, they will deliver. Actually, there is no need to leave at all.
We wanted to do water sports and had put aside quite a bit as I know they are dear. Previously we hadn't been able to afford anything but snorkelling. Were we in for a surprise. The villas have a deal with a gang around the corner called Mawar Kuning Dives & Watersports. Well, the prices were under anything I thought possible. For rp 1.2 mill we all went on the banana boat, then off 2 x 2 on a round doughnut thing that has 2 seats ( scary), then off to the flying fish ( even scarier), then out snorkelling, then, ( the scariest of all) we got a DVD with all the action of the day in photos and videos. With us on the cover. And a lift there and back, or you could have walked, its only 5 minutes away. Well, when we fell off the banana boat (as you do) I was swimming away for my life which is a bit difficult with a life jacket on, until someone said ‘just stand up'. Derrrrrrrr. Because we were way out in the middle of the harbour, I assumed it was deep as. No. We were in chest high water. O.K. The walrus made it back on then slipped head first into the water on the other side. Damm that being captured! The doughnut thingy really gets moving and tips from side to side so you always get the impression you are about to come off. Maybe not for me again! The flying fish was wayyyy scary and you lay on it head first then after you scoot along like a banana boat, it takes off up and up. Whoa. Then you can turn around after it has landed a couple of times and ride it home like a horse. The snorkelling was really congested with lots of boats and divers, and not much to see. I was disappointed with all the plastic bags floating around. I prefer the snorkelling at Sanur because there is no congestion, more to see, and the water was not churned up. The guy that was filming us, even got heaps of shots and video of the snorkelling, crikey he was good. That was ½ a day of pure pleasure.
Back to the villa, and if you want a change from your private pool, and you're all spa'd out, then head for the big communal pool. Immaculate, well landscaped grounds, no lounge hogs, just bliss. The staff were fantastic from Rod the GM, thru to Fritz our favourite receptionist cum, help with anything and everything.
I was hearing the Call to Prayer from the balcony, so I made my way thru the streets to the Mosque. Couldn't go in of course but it was the 1st mosque I've seen up close. Then we headed over to the Chinese Temple. Far out it was beautifully painted and maintained. Many photos here.
As we were across the street from the Bajar (sp?) we would often hear the gamelan practice in the afternoons.
The villas are amongst a small village with the kids and temples and all the usual goings on. Nice. The rate converted to AU$250 night. As all our previous accom was cheap, this didn't bother us at all and I thought that when I considered how cheap it was eat and do the water sports, we were miles in front. Some days I would lay in the bale and just watch the frangipanis fall. That is bliss to me. This really was a time for me to recharge, I didn't even have to organize kids or anything. If something wasn't nailed down, Rini would have it washed, ironed and folded in no time, everything was tidied up, the gang were happy as, so that left me time to myself. You can't buy that.
Unfortunately, even bliss comes to an end and it was time to go home. 4 full suitcases (we arrived with 1 between us) and still underweight. One woman moaning and pleading no money when she was wayyy over, no sympathy love. Offers of the lounge for rp100 000 as we entered duty free. Arrive home no worries (except tired) and Jetstar have changed our domestic flight so we now have the pleasure of waiting in Melbourne airport for 7 hours. I was over it, and after 4 breakfasts of the lot, slept on the wooden seats at the entrance.
Two flights that should have been about 7 hours each, both changed to 20+ hours have put me off Jetstar, even though I know other airlines have their cancellations too. It was their absence of any decent customer service that did it. I shall write a complaint and let you know the outcome (if there is one).
3 weeks was plenty for all of us. It was good to land in downtown Launceston and we noticed straight away how much more colour there is, the sky is bluer, the air is cleaner. Apart from settling into domestic chaos again, and gutting and renovating the bathroom before we go back to work on Monday, we are very happy to be back in our little corner of the world. Even the cat has forgiven us.
After a few trips, I saw Bali thru different eyes and I think any future trips would be villa based rather than out and about. Hubby is over the footpaths and hassles and would like to head for somewhere like Vanuatu.
Daughter is happy, lots of clothes, DVDs etc. and BF has a whole new confidence and outlook on life. Bali was good to us all in different ways.
Thank You to everyone who has helped me. I'm glad to be part of the big BTF family. I love chatting and meeting you all. Please, ask away. I've also left my email open.
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