This trip to Bali was the 4th for me, the first time for my sister and the first time for a good friend. We left our husbands at home to care for our children, who were not happy they were not coming. But this was a girlie holiday.
We arrived at around 12.30pm got thru customs without too much of a wait and took an airport taxi to the Bali Garden Hotel, Kuta. A very quick exit, usually we had transfers but this time chose not to.
Checked in and headed straight to Macro's or should I now say Lotte Mart for water and supplies. Normally have had no problem getting a taxi back to the hotel but this time there were no taxi's. We waited for about 30mins. I didn't mind my body was warming up in the Bali sunshine. It was 5*C when we left Adelaide.
Back at the hotel it was across the road to the Bali Brumby to have some boots made. I chose knee high ($105au), sister small ankle boots ($75au) and my friend somewhere in-between ($95au). We then took a stroll thru Discovery Mall. Brought far too many DVD's before dinner at Batan Waru next door to the hotel. Kare Ayam was lovely. Off to bed we've all been up since 5am.
The next morning I awoke first and crept outside to sit and watch the morning unfold. Our room was on the ground floor and looked onto the pond and across that was where breakfast was being served. Great location if you ask me, 5 sec in the other direction I'm at the pool ordering a Thousand Island cocktail or three.
First full day in Bali and we start shopping, Geneva first, love it, started off with a trolley for the 3 of us, ended with a trolley each, and then off to another warehouse shop suggested to us by the taxi driver called Unagi, loved this place. Bought even more, one bargain was a stone tablet engraved and framed was 95,000rp saw it a few days later in Matahari's for 300,000rp.
We also visited Dianne's new air conditioned, glass front doors shop for clothes because I didn't take any with me. Dianne was home looking after her new little girl and her nephew Elvis is taking care of things for her till her little one is 3mths old.
Bread Talk for lunch and Mamma's German Restaurant for dinner. Does it get any better????
Day 2 and my sister decides to have her waist long hair braided. I didn't mention the onslaught from the ladies on the beach. My friend and I had our nails done. I am use to them coming with everything and just sat back and laughed as my sister and friend found it so overwhelming. They did get angry with me when I joined in on the, "why you not buy from me, I'm quiet, and do you not like me?" The ladies thought it was funny though.
We walked to the Kuta markets for more retail therapy and I had a go at making some palm leaf decorations for the temple and up and coming ceremonies. I thought I did ok, only to be told it was awful. All in good humor, I enjoyed their patience and their willingness to show me how it's done. Their honesty can be a little brutal though. We walked back to the hotel via the beach and into our bathers for a much needed cocktail followed by a swim. Dinner was at Kori's. The frozen Margarita's are divine and the food is beyond words.
Day 3 We hired a driver named Wayan who I have used before and he took us to a Barong Dance, silver smith, coffee plantation (where we tried the mongoose coffee-forgot the name sorry), volcano for lunch and then to Animale and Billabong factory outlets. Forgot the name of the restaurant for dinner but it's on your way into Kuta square on the same side of the road as our hotel and it has a small stage in the front with lots of pictures of famous singers and bands on the wall. It never seems to be very busy, it's unbelievably cheap and the food is fantastic...
Day 4 Today is a lazy day, don't have to be anywhere, only thing we have to do is pick up our fabulous boots. Time by the pool and a small wander down the road. My sister is not the most co-ordinated person in the world and it was only a matter of time before she fell over, she's not the smallest person either. And down she went. The tourist police was there in a flash as were many stall holders to help her, me? I laughed. Especially when the tourist police offered to take her back to the hotel on the back of his scooter. She was fine, only her dignity was bruised. Two minutes later my friend and I are checking out handbags and I hear an almighty crash. I look around to see my sister with her arms and legs waving in the air with her arse on the floor. She had decided to sit on a chip board box used to display purses. My sister was wedged tight. Stall holders were all around and I started to laugh. Once I started all the stall holders joined in. If only I had the video camera filming. It took three men and myself to pull her out. I wasn't much help, I was laughing too much. Dinner was at Bubba Gumps that is in the middle of renovations. Still a great meal and very entertaining. Great for a laugh, not that I hadn't already done my fair share for the day. Again I didn't tell them about the waiters all singing around you while your cocktails being shaken, when my friend was told to put her arms in the air she later told me she thought to police were coming and couldn't think of what she had done wrong. Such a guilty conscience.
Day 6 Wayan picked us up again and took us to Ketut down garlic lane for some fixed priced shopping, my sister found heaps of clothes that fitted. Great for the bigger lady. We then visited the Dharma Jati Hindu Orphanage with gifts of school supplies. They were absolutely wonderful children who warmed to us straight away. I showed them pictures of what I do for a living, which they found hysterical. I'm a dog groomer and showed them extreme before and after pictures of doggy haircuts. We then moved onto the Bali Zoo, Monkey Forest and Tanah Lot. We ate at the hotel and watched Balinese dancing and even got to join in.
Last day. Time to pack. ARRRHHHH!!! My suitcase weighs 30kg, one carryon bag weighs 15kg, the other 10kg and last I have a small I Love Bali bag with passports etc. My friend and sister are slightly better in the fact that their suitcases were right on 20kgs, but their carryon bags were just as heavy. That's done it's off for a spa. I choose a hot rock massage, my sister, a traditional Balinese massage, my friend a head shiatsu and we all have a facial. All this is at The Green Garden Spa. Three hours later we are back at the hotel, dinner and then off to the airport for our midnight flight home. I am thinking excess luggage payments and it all goes thru without batting an eyelid. Great now I just have to explain all my shopping to my husband. Easy.
All in all a great holiday. I missed my family, it was my first time away without them, but glad I did it. Now it's time for us to organize our next holiday there. This time with all our families and a few more friends. Can't wait....