I was reluctant to leave the serenity of Sanur but leave I must and remembering Juba Anne's brilliant reports a few months back I was drawn to seeing for myself the little port of Padang Bai - I had good vibes about it. Rather than use Perama Tourist buses which don't leave Sanur until 10.30 and go via Ubud I thought I would find some transport with the guys in the street outside Puri Kelapa. Well it did'nt take long and a guy called 'Jingle Bells' quoted me 200,000 which was way too much but after a bit of argy-bargy we shook hands on 90,000.
Right on time at 8.45am Jingle Bells arrived in his sleigh and we set off for Padang Bai. The journey which took just over an hour was just great with such beautiful countryside and views wherever you looked - it made me realize that I had only scratched the surface of Bali on previous visits.My driver was a cheerful bloke and occasionally he would break into song- yes you've guessed 'Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way etc etc !! What is this man smoking I thought !!! Anyway after just over an hour of driving through some great scenery we arrived in Padang Bai sometime 'in the bleak midwinter amidst the Winter snow .Oh God he's got me at it now!!!
Padang Bai was somewhat smaller than I had imagined and after bidding farewell to Jingle Bells I surveyed the scene.At one end of the town you have the ferry port which seems quite modern and a hive of activity with boats arriving and departing constantly for Lombok,the Gilli's and connections to other distant romantic shores.About 100 metres away from the open waiting room and market area you automatically find yourself on the beach road with various restaurants and homestays on the left hand side.This side of Padang Bai was so laid back - a sleepy Sunday afternoon all day, everyday.I decided that I would like to spend two days here.I had done a little research before I left England and I decided to try my luck at The Padang Bai Beach Homestay which I found quite easily , it being the last homestay before the tarmac becomes a dirt track with signposts to the Blue Lagoon.
I found the 'boss' lady who showed me a nice looking bungalow set amidst gorgeous gardens. There were about 14 units and each had a great verandah with a 3-seater and single bamboo chair.These porches looked fairly new and felt so comfortable.The bedroom had a huge bed with mosquito net and ceiling fan together with simple bamboo furniture. The bathroom was outside with a cold water shower,mandi style toilet and a sink which had seen much better days .I was quoted 80,000 RP a night including breakfast - I tried to knock her down to 60,000 but she stood firm and full marks to her.After the customary three minute unpack it was time to embark on my first mission - to find the hidden White Beach.
I tried to remember Juba Anne's directions but missed the vital footpath ( quick way ) and got hopelessly lost which would be my undoing the following day. What should have been a 10/15 minute walk turned into a 50 minute route march up some pretty steep hills in intense heat .( only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun )Eventually I found myself in thick woodland and I could clearly hear the sea below but could'nt see it.After a fairly perilous descent I arrived and wow - what a beach !! Pure white sand and a turqoise sea crashing on to it - the sort of scene that you drool over if seeing a photograph of it on a wet afternoon at home. Its a bay of a couple of hundred metres in length flanked by 4 or 5 flimsy bamboo warung serving most kinds of meals and refreshments. There were about 20 tourists lounging around and playing in the surf - it was really idyllic and looking out to sea you could quite easily make out the coastline of Lombok.After a couple of hours or so it was time to go back and after scrambling up the wooded hillside I found the right footpath and was back in Padang Bai within 12 minutes or so. If you have any walking disability forget visiting this beach - you simply won't make it - its just too steep and dangerous.How they get supplies to the warung beats me- perhaps by boat.
After a rest on my beautiful porch it was time to eat an early dinner. I found the Ocean view restaurant about 50 metres from the homestay and as the name suggests the views across the water to Nusa Penida are stunning and the ferries constantly go back and forth. The food was pretty good too and my tuna steak with rice and vegetables was fantastic.Not much in the way of entertainment after dark - a reggae bar on the beach compliments the lazy atmosphere of this sleepy end of town and by 11pm everything seems to have closed down.
In the early hours of the following morning I awoke feeling quite sick and sweating profusely. Oh God !! I remembered Filo's vivid reports of his Bali Belly experience a year or so ago. I thought back to the tuna steak - surely not. Fortunately there were to be no explosions from either end but for the next 12 hours or so I lay pole-axed on my bed drifting in and out of sleep unable to rid myself of the queaziness.This was not another case of the dreaded Bali Belly but a mild form of heat/sun stroke probably caused by me not wearing a sun-cap on my ill-fated journey to the White Beach the previous day . At about 4pm it was time to pull myself together and after throwing a t-shirt and shorts on I wandered down the garden path and walked into the Gecko Dive Center cafe at the beach and ordered a pot of ginger tea - a fantastic pick me up and that horrible sicky feeling soon drained away. Not having eaten for about 24 hours I went back to Ocean View and ordered a plain grilled steak with sliced tomato - just the ticket to put me back to normal.
It was early evening and feeling much recovered I decide to seek out The Blue Lagoon. This was much much easier to find and about 4 clearly marked signposts lead the way.The beach was pretty much deserted, not as tropical as the white beach but incredibly peaceful. Sitting on that beach I suddenly felt alone and vulnerable. For some reason my mind was transported over the seas back to England , my England where rolling green hills lead down to picture postcard villages and distant church spires. I soon drifted back to reality and privately thanked God for allowing me the health and strength to be in such a beautiful place.
After a better nights sleep and a reasonable breakfast it was time to move on from the delights of Padang Bai and head over to Ubud.No visit to Bali can be complete without a day and night in Ubud.
Final JBR soon.