Well it's sad to be back after 20 wonderful days in Bali, but as I've been unpacking our 3 huge(& overweight!) bags plus 3 roll-on cabin bags and 3 backpacks, I am reliving my shopping expeditions and admiring my 18 watches, 12 pairs of shoes, 43 necklaces, 30 pairs of earrings and 20 handbags of various description, as well as other stuff! Well, it's not all for me or my daughter, but it might be hard giving away those watches which match every outfit in any colour I might ever want to wear. And I think I've kinda run out of space for all those other knickknacks too.
It was great to meet up with some other forumites at the S&S on the 24th June - Nic_No, Frank in Perth, C_Shell, KiwiCarol and others who's names I've not remembered I'm sorry. I'm sure if I research back a few weeks I will find out what happened to Susanne and Jarrah!It was really nice to put faces to names, and I enjoyed chatting to Susi and Sammy well after the sun had set.I think I was nearly the last to leave along with Nic_No. C_Shell, I'm interested to hear if your tattoo healed well? It was really great to meet you all, and no doubt we'll do it again some time.
This was my first time at an S&S, and I went by myself as my friend Kerry was having a nana nap.I had good intentions of attending again on the 7th July, but unfortunately didn't make it. I think the thought of the lengthy taxi ride back to the Dynasty kinda put me off.
The extra time and klms travelled was due to the roadworks and at that time, Jalan Kartika was supposedly one way traffic only, so what should have been a 10-15 minute ride back to the hotel, often became 30 to 50 minutes on some days!! Sunday afternoons seemed the least congested of all the days.
The roadworks certainly made walking some sections of Jalan Legian, Melasti & Kartika rather hazardous, and one of the guests from the Dynasty fell into the open pit just outside the front of the hotel entrance.I believe he sustained only brusing and nasty cuts and grazes, and was lucky not to break any bones. I was told that 4 of the drain workers had been killed during the past few months,due to the side walls collapsing, but how true that is, I'm not sure.
I did pack joggers on the advice of a forumite, but found that my trusty thongs were fine. The worst part, was looking where you were placing your feet,at the same time as checking if cars were approaching from behind when you stepped out on to the road to avoid the open pits, as well as trying to check out shop windows.
These works are meant to be finished by the end of August, but many locals say it will be more like the end of the year. When it's completed, I am sure that we tourists will benefit as well as the local population, so I guess it's just an inconvenience to put up with meanwhile.It sure didn't stop me from shopping though.
More to come on:- Geneva,Golden Buffalo,Makro Warehouse,Millennia, House of Komangs Tailors,French Leather Collection,Ketuts & Diannes (fixed price) market shops,ANIMALE factory outlet (newly opened), restaurants,MBR & Bali Dynasty Hotels, ELVYS the driver, & overweight baggage plus VOA!