There is a magnificent Balinese building being erected in red brick on
Jl Pratama on the beach side of the road close to Bumbu Bali, it will be huge when it is finished and goes all the way through to the beach. The name of the place is BHAGAWAN and is being constructed to fully cater for Tourist Weddings. Be finished at the end of the year. Don't ask me I don't know any more.
Word is that there is a new bridge being started next year to take traffic down Jl Pratama through the village and over the water. Goodness knows how Jl Pratama will handle the traffic as it is not easy for two buses to pass now. Looking at these old JBR postings below, if you had gone down Jl Pratama to Tanjung Benoa village 39 years ago it would have been all bush,bare breasted ladies, banana trees, grazing cows and an army camp.Not a hotel or tourist to be seen.
My daughter was with us which meant that I was used as a mule by two women for a day. Traffic being what it is from TB to Kuta we baled out at Centro and started to walk. Up round the back of Matahari's to the memorial ( so that the ladies could pay respects and have a weep together )down Poppies 2, along Kuta Beach, into Matahari's, through the market, back to the beach and into Centro. You think that would do for a day but the missus has a friend in an arcade opposite Green Garden. First time my feet ever had a headache.
Went into Kuta last Monday evening to meet up with friends from work and the lovely Harley Girl. Ate at Double B ( or is it Double C ) over the road from The Stadium. Good meal, excellent company, had a walk back along the beach to Poppies 1 to look at Harleys Bungalow. Very impressed, so much so that we will give it a go for a week next time over. Harleys family are a delight !!!!
The fear of God struck us later that evening, schoolies, two scooters
three to each, no crash helmets, boys and girls racing each other weaving in and out of the traffic in Jl Legian. Dear oh dear.
Thursday saw us at 8am heading to Amlapura for the orphanage. Usually we shop in TB at around 9am and head up there but we managed to beat most of the traffic up to Candi Dasa, had a good run and shopped at Hardy's in Amlapura. Went to the orphanage first to get rid of a large quantity of Mahi Mahi frozen fillet and quartered chicken. How's this for useless trivia, we passed 109 sand trucks and to further bore you to tears a 5 tonne load of sand has gone up from 500,000 to 750,000 in the past year.
We unloaded the tucker from the car plus two bags of clothing from an Executive lady with Business Class at Lufthansa and a carton of votamins from Qatar airlines which had been left for us at the Novotel. Amazing that BTF is read world wide ! Took Ni Kadek down to the supermarket after my missus and her had got rid of the tears and shopped. Six trolleys full of tucker and neccesities for the children.
For those of you that donated, every purchase has been reciepted and a copy is available if you want one. There was 10,000 left over which we offerd to Kadek and the woman being as straight as a die refused to accept it. We also had a large bag of donated sporting equipment which also included jig saws, colouring books, balls and games. We were accompanied by an elder from Novotel who organised games and a cultural talk. The children are growing, there are a couple of boys who are now young men and taller than me, the girls are developing into beautiful young ladies. Thanks to so many Forumites for making conditions so much better there than existed before. The trouble with visiting is leaving, Kadek has taght the children how to say Thankyou very much in English, each and everyone of them now shake hands.Far removed from the first visit, the shyness has gone and they are all quite confident. All your messgaes were passed on, Kadek's memory is good when names are mentioned and says Hello and thankyou back. As you get in the car to leave Kadek and Tricia make a bit of a mess with the tissues. Me ? I never look back, can't bear it so I just wave from the window.
More if you want it.