Sorry it has taken me a while to continue my blog - the 'a' key stopped working on my keyboard.
Day 4 (4th Feb)
So Day number four in Bali and I am up at 7am (naturally awake, no alarm) and I walked the couple of kilometres down to Sunset Fitness. Did a bit on the bike followed by a few weights. Although the gym is allegedly air conditioned it was as hot as hell in there and within minutes I was sweating like a pig. Of course I had forgotten to bring a towel so I was looking a treat by the time I left with my hear stuck to my head, a bright red face and I probably smelled quite special too. Oh well, I got there & my 2012 fitness campaign is in full swing. The gym itself is quite well equipped with machines in good order. There were not many members using at the time I visited and they would have been outnumbered by staff 3 to 1. Had a few laughs with a guy from Sydney that was launching his own campaign - joked that it is sad that we only have the time to do this on holiday. Honestly, I think it is sad that I am doing it on holiday full stop. So, with that in mind I walked back to the villa & jumped in the pool to cool off.
Breakfast this morning was at Cafe Bali, lovely place with eclectic furnishings and a generally good atmosphere. It reminds me of some of the quirky little cafes in Fitzroy back home. It looks like an old white colonial style building with floral plastic tablecloths, floral wallpaper & some very cool lighting. Had poached eggs on toast and two very good coffees - I would rate the breakfast at an 8.5/10.
Back to the villa where Yanti (the maid from the villa who is a qualified beauty therapist) pampered me with a one hour facial using the Biokos products. It was just lovely and my skin felt fabulous afterwards. I sunbaked & swam for a bit after the facial before jumping in a cab & heading back to Dolphin leather in Legian as I have decided to change the design of the bags I am having made. I am pretty sure that I was clear communicating the changes but time will tell. Next stop was Discovery Mall which I had seen mentioned on this forum from time to time. Great selection of stores, good prices but nothing that I actually needed. Spent an hour or two wandering around here before heading off on foot to Matahari. Had the thirst of ten men by now so stopped off at the Stadium Sports bar for a beer and a sandwich. Very quite at the bar & it delivered on what I needed. Unfortunately, they starting playing AFL club songs at very high volume and that was my queue to leave. I can belt out an AFL club song with the best of them but not at 4pm & completely sober! Or when it is the Fremantle footy song!
Had a look around Matahari and found some really cheap Revlon lipsticks but not the colours I wanted. Looked at nearly every lipstick in the store but to no avail. Checked out their shoes, good range but again, nothing I really needed & I would have been buying only because they were cheap and not because I have any intention of wearing them.
Onto Beachwalk next - very impressive open air shopping centre next to the new Sheraton (I think). Has some very nice shops and I found a Martha Tilaar store and purchased my own little range of Biokos product for a DIY facial back home that reminds me of Bali. The only thing I don't like is that they label your age range on the front of the products. I know I am in my 40's!! I don't need to be reminded every time I apply wrinkle reduction cream.
Wandered through the markets behind Beachwalk & haggled for another two dresses for $10 each. These are nicer than the last so clearly my first bargain was not as good as I thought.
Rosso Vivo was my restaurant of choice for dinner. They have a very nice terrace which looks out towards the beach although the view is blocked by the wall separating the beach from the road. I sat outside and had a couple of beers watching the passing parade. Excellent people watching venue and as it was my first time in Kuta, it was an enlightening experience. A lot of what I saw was the reason why I had always avoided Bali as a holiday destination in the past. I am glad on my first trip 18 months ago we stayed in Seminyak as I think if I stayed around here I may not have returned. Didn't bother me though, loved watching one big group who were staying at the Bounty get plastered and carry on. It really was a good laugh. For dinner I had a mixed seafood pasta and it really was excellent - prawns, scallops, calamari and salmon pieces in a white wine sauce. I would rate Rosso Vivo a 9/10.
After dinner I jumped in a cab & headed back to the villa for a nightcap & some dvd's. One thing that was great outside Boardwalk is the guy directing traffic & sorting out taxis. I told him I wanted a Bluebird so he just waited until one came along & grabbed it for me.
Day 5 (5th Feb)
Woke up at 5.50am this morning - what's that all about? Could not get back to sleep either so a bit before 7am I jumped into to the pool and made myself a coffee. Around 8.30am I went and changed some money before walking to La Lucciola for breakfast. I took one of the downstairs tables at the front that looks straight out at the ocean and the view was breathtaking. The breakfast was superb, sourdough toast with avocado, rocket, cheery tomatoes and feta. It was so good that I found myself again taking tiny little mouthfulls just to make it last longer. I also had a juice & a couple of coffees, total cost was $14 - expensive by local standards but worth every single cent. I would rate the breakfast at La Lucciola a 10/10 and would highly recommend it.
I walked for a bit along the beach before walking back to the villa where I had a one hour massage by Yanti. Good firm presure, got a lot of the knots out & very relaxing. Lay in the sun for a couple of hours after this but stupid me forgot that the olive oil used in the massage may not really work as sun protection. Yes, you guessed, legs like a lobster. What a great look! Wandered down to Geneva Handicrafts in the afternoon and shopped up a storm. Hair accessories for my young nieces, placemats and coasters, bangles, baskets, serviette rings etc. What a great place, they have everything there under one roof. Next time I am bringing less with me so I can buy more.
After dropping off my goods back at the villa I jumped into another cab & headed down to the Jegalla ceramics outlet. I visited the Jimbaran Bay outlet on my last trip but this is their seconds store. Managed to part with $100 quite easily with a fabulous red fruit bowl, some great serving dishes, a tealight holder and a few other bits & pieces. Definitely cheaper than the flagship store & very hard to find the faults in some items.
Back to the villa for a swim and a cold beer before wandering up & down the main street of Seminyak deciding where to eat. Now, sometimes I make stupid decisions. Even though I had eaten at Nirvana on my last trip & did not rate it at all, I found myself sitting at a table ordering a meal. The owner decides to befriend me and tells me he remembers me. Given I distinctly recall my last visit where there was only two ladies on duty, I find this hard to believe but let him enjoy himself with the story. I ordered the fried calamari - it was quite good, it was not oily or tough and was reasonably tasty. This was followed by the vegetarian mie goring that was, quite frankly, very disappointing. Bland, no spice and too much oil. I would rate Nirvana a 7/10 and that is being generous. On a side note - they also have a pretty tacky fire show where a lady and man dance on the pavement waving sticks of fire around. The tourists seem to love it and whilst the duo performing were no doubt talented, there was a lack of authenticity about the whole thing. Back to the villa & off to bed.