I look at my watch...6.35am. I don't know why I wake up so bloody early every morning. You'd think I could have at least one decent sleep-in on a Bali holiday wouldn't you?...Nup!
I turn my damp pillow and lay there for a few more minutes trying to convince myself I'm having a well deserved lie-in. The dodgy aircon's been humming loudly all night and I know I've tossed and turned.
It's no use...I get up and very quietly get dressed so as not to disturb the snoring, heaving mass not far away.
I tiptoe around the dark room trying not to bump into anything, collecting everything I'm going to need to keep me occupied for the next three hours before 'Queen Mary' decides to grace this island paradise with her presence. Camera?,check!...camcorder?,check!...smokes?,check!
I don't know why I smoke in Bali. Back in Adelaide I occasionally have a puff on a Saturday night with friends, but the moment I got out of the airport I went up to the first bloke I saw and bludged one.
Soon after that I'm in the Circle K buying my first packet of Marlboro Lights since 2004 and having 20 a day for the entire holiday after that. I think it's because at $1.30 a packet they're so cheap here and let's face it, who can afford to smoke anywhere else on this planet.
Honestly? I hate smoking, but I like a cigarette (or 200 in this case).
I ever so quietly click shut the door behind me and go downstairs.
I sit by the pool and take photos. Cynthia, Gede and Made's precociously gorgeous little 3 year old follows Putu around the small grounds helping with the morning clean up. She can see me snapping away and decides to put on a bit of a parade...prancing and strutting about, spinning around like a model and pouting over her shoulder at me then bursting into beautiful smiles and giggling.
She's just lovely and as cute as a button. Putu and I both laugh and I promise to send some copies to her.
I walk around the grounds with the camcorder and take some film footage (and more of Cynthia) and walk out of the compound to the small lane where a bunch of children are walking up to the main road on their way to school. They are smartly dressed in their crisp and colourful uniforms and are well over 100 metres away. I zoom in with my camcorder. By chance, one of them turns around and sees me filming and then they all stop and spin around and start waving wildly at me with big smiles. I wave back.
I can't help but think that this would only happen here in Bali.
I spend another leisurely day wandering around Sanur. On the main street the girls (wife,Mary and step-daughter,Bianca) drag me into various knick-knack shops and the Uluwatu Lace boutique where they put on a little modelling show of their own. Bianca is looking for something nice for the wedding night, and Mary just needs to spend money.
Later, we happen to walk by the Spirit Cafe on the beach where it's rumoured that BloodyRon pops in on a Sunday after 1pm for a couple of quiet ones. I decide to case the joint out and we stop for late lunch.
We sit under a massive tree sucking in the beautiful sea breeze and place our order.
"Does Ron still come here?" I ask the waitress. "Oh yes, he come tomorrow" came the quick reply, said in such a way that suggested that this was a very regular Sunday ritual for Ron.
Our lunch was excellent. Bianca's iced coffee was the biggest she'd ever seen, maybe a litre...and my delicious burger was accompanied with the best hand-cut chips I've ever had, and that's quite a call.
The kids join us at our pool at Pondok Ayu this afternoon where we knock off the rest of our duty-free Tia Maria.
Tonight, for our last meal, we will go to 'eat street' in Seminyak.
Earlier I had seen Made (last night's driver) on the street outside the Respati and booked him again to take us there and back.
I rang Ultimo..."Sorry Sir, all booked out tonight"... Damn!
Never mind, we'll just go anyway and find something.
Tonight, Made has to drive us there via Matahari where 2 days ago, Bianca had pre-ordered 80 little wooden statues about 5 inches tall of a boy embracing a girl that she wants as bonbonieres at her March wedding.
Downtown Kuta on a Saturday night is absolute gridlock as we snail's pace toward Matahari. Mary and Bianca are starting to panic as a toilet stop is urgently required. Disaster is narrowly averted as they jump out and rush into a restaurant leaving me to do the explanations with the maitre d'.
Terima kasih banyak...over and over I say, as the much relieved girls bundle back into the van.
After picking up said wooden items (and carefully counting and re-counting each one) from Matahari, we arrive at a jam-packed Ultimo where I had decided we were going to try and break in anyway.
To our surprise, the maitre d' says there's a slight wait and would we like to peruse the menu and have a drink at the bar?
This is a busy place with a large team of chefs visible in the open kitchen. The bar is frantic but they find time go give us some nibbles. A wealthy looking westerner next to me has not one, but two kupu kupu malam 'night butterflies' on each arm as he also waits for a table. I cannot help but look. A cheeky bartender looks at me, rolls his eyes and smiles whilst making an exotic looking cocktail for them.
We are shown to our table in the large open courtyard out back with more menus and...torches? I use one to look at the menu again...very reasonably priced I thought. No wonder this place is packed.
After ordering, I lean back and look around. Ah! this is very nice, and everyone agrees... Hope the food's good.
ULTIMO
2 small Carlsbergs,JW red label,litre bottle San Pellegrino,prosciutto melone entree,large duck ravioli entree(hey I was hungry),large crab linguini main(delicious says Mary),large saltimbocca alla romana main(a little drier than I expected but great flavours),lemon sorbet and large tiramisu...Rp400,000 inc taxes.
This was a great choice for a last meal in Bali. Ambience was great, food was great and really good value for money. Highly recommended.