We left At 7 pm on a flight out of Perth. The flight was excellent and we got through in no time at all. We had played a trick on my friends driver who thought he was picking up a very large ugly woman. It was giggles all round when she appeared after me finding him with my name on a paper sign. He was so happy to see her having met a few trips ago. We drove to seminyak short cuts all round to the Haven. Great welcome at that hour of the night and off to our room. Welcome relief for us as our booking sheet had a king size bed. We are the greatest friends and would have managed but the twin beds suited us just fine. The room is ok but not suitable if you are not well acquainted. Let's say privacy could be an issue for anyone less than newly weds. We'd gone in with the saying " if you haven't seen it before just shoot it!"
We always make a big deal about breakfast for the first few days as we did. Great brekkie at the Haven. More than you could wish for. Lots of variety. Tried to stick to protein as I find the carbs bloat me over here and with the climate change end feeling and probably looking like a blown up carcass!
Ok up and out the first day. We walked all along legian street visiting our favorites. Happy to share but might be boring for some! Bali zen, silver berry, various clothes shops and trinket shops. Perlu always a must. Stopped in at ochre for a booster juice which was lovely. Lots of ginger to boost the immune system . This place is popular and I could have had lunch here but we used free wifi (weefee) and kept going. Jumped into a blue bird with a friendly chap. Got to melasti street and tried the lemon grass thai. The phad thai had parmesan cheese on it! Interesting to say the least as were the rice paper rolls. We are not whingers but just note the differences as a point of interest. After a nice lunch and spot if shopping for kids stuff we arrived at Pipps pampurring in paradise for the first treatment. This trip is all about the journey and experiences. Others have been about food and shopping but for the umpteenth trip we had a different agenda on our minds. You always get a fab experience here. Nice the girls remember us. Even tho it was feb for me and April for my BFF. Got an eyebrow tidy up and tint which was a bit stingy. Lovely facial and hot stones, finished with a neck and shoulder. Bliss with a capital B.
Arrived back to the room whacked so ordered a room service which was not really what we wanted but needed as we had been going for weeks prior to the trip with our jobs so it sort of caught up and we fell in a heap!
Day two - small brekkie then off to Ubud. We just decided this over brekkie remember its about the journey and experiences! Met by a dear friend of ours we met years ago on the very first trip together. Many many memories locked in there and he is a true friend. There's always a story and we've been there and done that with him. We are now on real time and honesty. So lovely to see him but he's lost weight unlike us according to him!!!
Got to Ubud markets and went to the crochet rug stall. As a quilter these rugs are precious. So much work, made in cotton. They look absolutely dolly over a white bed spread. I have one already. Now I three and between us six! There is a little girl who works in a stall selling similar before u get to the crochet stall. Tenacity plus. She's about 11 was 9 when we first met her and she remembered us. Both being in jobs with young people this little one is dynamite. Didn't stay long as its pretty full on.
Went to for lunch at murnis after a look around and drive around the loop to see whose in town and what's going on. This place is lovely. The mature waitress was very funny with our friend and we shared a few laughs before tucking into ribs for BFF and fish sticks for me, nasi champur for him.
After lunch we went to sukawati markets which was all the same but wanted to see for ourselves anyway. We found a handy store where we stocked up on all the goodies. You know , panadol, herbal roll on, counter pain etc. Also had a magnum. 10000. Never have one of these at home they are too expensive and fattening! No calories on this trip. It was lovely driving home looking at all the people and things they were doing. Real switch off time, comfortable silence and ease. Didn't get home till late as we went to a few shops we'd seen yesterday. Clothes mainly. Sunshine, wida and Tina's. All in or off legian. Tina's shop is great. Jeanette can't do enough providing useful honest advice for the Gawjus 18 frames we are. Now Gawjus is another story. When we were at the money changer - always the air con, glass door types, no magic fingers wanted in any capacity! Anyway you know how you have to write your name on the slip? Well on the first day they called my name out so today I wrote Gawjus. It didn't work out as such because today I was just a number but jeez it caused hysteria between us and its been my holiday name since. ! We had a light meal of nasi for bbf and a salad for meat cafe seminyak. It was home to be after for a baileys and a bit of pooter time catching up with the kids and family.
Day 3 - we have always wanted to do Bedugal so today was as good a day as any! No brekkie for fear of car sickness. It was a lovely trip up with the scenery changing so dramatically. First stop was Chandi kunning to see the unusual animals. Having had chameleons as a kid this was exciting to hold them again. Huge pythons, scorpions, hedgehogs, iguanas and a mongoose didn't get a pet from me but BFF had a go with the hedgehog and mongoose. It was cold and he served as a good neck scarf. The kids would have loved it. We went onto lunch from here on recommendation from our driver. Commission for him so we were happy to have a go. It was a dreaded buffet and we both hate buffets! The food was really average and I'm sure we both ended up with the tummy ache from it. The mature waiter had it bad for me keep telling me he thought I was beautiful yeah yeah but what took the cake was when he asked to see my map of tassie! BFF lost it and we just had to leave.
As we were here, I being a gardener, wanted to see the botanical gardens. The trees were amazing and they were really cared for. It was so serene and peaceful. We also went to the rice paddys and they had just been harvested which is something we'd not seen before.
On the way home we went to ketuts house to give his kids the donations. Little fella put on a pair of studded soccer boots two sizes too big and he just thought he was the coolest. So cute.
Had to fit in warung Asia for a proper phad Thai minus the Parmesan cheese for dinner. It was great as always. Finished the night with a massage from Eden green. This was lovely and I can recommend Natasha. She borders on being a tad rough but if u like it that way it's great. BFF reckons her blood circulation routine was nothing short of violent to the ears and I could hear her giggling!!! I loved it.