After getting settled in at the Artini 2 we decide to check out the coffee at the place across the street called Kafe. Definitely a tourist joint - not a single local, but then have I seen a local anywhere we've been yet? Coffee not bad & I couldn't resist the organic mulberry pie as 2nd breakfast. Made for a nice bite.
After a shower one of the staff (Sangtu) who seems to have taken us under his wing comes to try & talk us into a tour of the rice fields & heron sanctuary on motorbikes. Yikes! Am I ready for that?
Time for lunch: Cafe DeWata & ordered Garam Asam - more chicken curry soup but it had jackfruit in it (typical Balinese food). Interesting. 2 ice tea & food = 20,000 - a bargain.
Along the way I bargained for a set of picture frames (overlapping leaves & hinged together into 3 frames. I thought it would make a nice souvenier with my favorite trip photos of Bali.
I had read about the library at Pondok Pekak & had bought a new children's book from home to donate to the collection. Also to refill my water bottle (what a great idea!). Had a good chat with the librarian about etiquette etc. esp about these offers to take us places. The children's activity centre had little girls all in sarongs practicing legong. So cute! The expressions on their faces & watching them work was worth everything. I took a great picture at floor level of their feet - 9 sarongs & dancing feet that came out pretty good.
by the time I get back from that I'm hungry again! Back to Kafe for more ice tea & a plate of chapati & dip. Perfect.
Sarong shopping was next & what fun but no where near what I had expected to pay. I had it in my head to pay about 50,000 but ended up spending 75,000 for sarong & sash. Great fun bargaining with the young girl in the shop. I told her I would send Jenn next but she wasn't to give Jenn a better price!
There's an elaborate ceremony going on in the courtyard of our hotel complete with high priest in white. Turns out to be the 210th day celebration of the calendar. A string of 3 - 5 men & ladies taking offerings to the shrines. Courtyard altar is set with elaborate offerings & the priest rings a bell & chants in front of it. At least a dozen of the male staff in traditional dress are sitting in the grass off to the side. Very picturesque.
Off for dinner near the Pondok Pekak to Tutmak. It's very busy but it's nice to feel like we're not the only ones at dinner for a change. Food was fabulous - had the grilled butterfish on ratatoille with basmati - yum! Also tiramisu. Amazing: 1/2 carafe of wine, 2 entree, 2 dessert about $16 each.
Blew the budget for the day - mostly by shopping purchases ( and probably 2nd breakfast & 2nd lunch!)
A talk with Sangtu about transport to Casa Luna (Jenn doesn't want to walk). 15,000 each!! I said no way! Eventually we agree on 10,000 for both. He still wants to take us out to the heron sanctuary but for some reason it just doesn't appeal to me. I do want to go out to Mengwi on Friday for the cremation tho' so we may come up with an agreement for that.
A terrible night's sleep is followed by a stagger to the bathroom in the wee hours for a pee. What is that funny shape down in the corner? Wierd shape for a gekko. Get out the flashlight & it's the biggest cockroach I've ever seen (don't think about it!). I don't know who was more upset - me or it! I try to catch it in my wineglass (don't ask!) & I'm amazed Jenn sleeps through all the tiny screetching & clunking as I keep missing & it ends up under Jenn's bed. (Don't think about it!) Off I go to get coffee , get Jenn up & she comes out of the bathroom 30 seconds later - it's back (or it's brother or sister - don't think about that!!). I do catch it & throw it outside. Yuck! What a way to start the morning!
A very fun short scooter ride to Casa Luna for our cooking class that ends up costing us 10,000 each. Hmmm....
Took alot of pictures at the market which was fun. Tour was pretty interesting & I did enjoy the class but my legs & feet were tired from all the standing. I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been so hot. Funny about that. I researched this all out but didn't factor in the temperature. If someone at home had suggested I stand around on our hottest day & cook for 3 hours in front of a stove I'd have said they were crazy! Here you add 5 more degrees & 80% more humidity to the experience.
Food was indeed very good. I made myself try a few things I wouldn't normally eat at home - the anchovy sambal & the seaweed salad. Not my cup of tea but interesting nonetheless.
By the time we began our walk back I was very hot & sticky indeed. I must have looked more so than usual as the transport touts were esp. insistant. Transport, miss? Taxi, miss? Airconditioning! Roll down window (my favorite).
Arranged for a driver to take us to the cremation in Mengwi and after hearing several people at our cooking class talk about how nice it was on Nusa Lembongan I decided we'd head there next. It would make a nice change from taxi, miss? transport, miss? every 20 feet.
Sure enough ended up back at Tutmak. No where near as busy as the night before & the burger wasn't bad. Loved the chocolate mousse!
Hard to believe we've only been in Bali a week. When I go down for coffee in the morning I get told they can't be providing carafes of coffee every morning (just for us...) Hardly good customer service. OK, fine we'll make our own. 5 minutes later the coffee shows up?!
Really fun to dress up in our sarong & sash to go to the cremation. I decided to just wear it for the day & that worked out well until I tried to squat down to take pictures - it would stick to me like saran wrap & I couldn't get up again!
Cremation was interesting but now at all what I'd expected. Turned out we should have been there probably 2 hours earlier & missed the whole procession part which is part of the visual appeal. We'd have never found it via bemo so having our own driver was a good thing. Very hot out & not much shade. Groups of folks everywhere - very colorful sarong & dress tops. One guy with a huge video camera & his girlfriend in tiny high heels. We were welcomed everywhere & the grandson invited us to go up to where the cremation was underway & take pictures if we wanted.
Loved the fact the whole village turned out in matching black t-shirts with the name of the deceased & date etc.- a sketch of the procession temple with fire on the front of the shirt. There's a guy with a shirt that says "light my fire" on the back!
It was all rather low key to what I had expected. the body had been burning about an hour & a half & it was fascinating to watch the guy in charge work the set of valves & pipes that fed the fire with propane. Not creepy or wierd just very different. It was a people watching event mostly. Those that spoke english were very friendly& we got lots of nods & smiles.
The "band" is very colorful in red check sarong & black t's - little caps & red ribbon accents on their instruments.
I was fascinated by the gado gado cart & talked Jenn into giving it a try. We created quite a stir esp. from the couple running the cart. I couldn't tell what people were paying but offered 5,000 for 2 bowls & was accepted. It was alot of fun. I made a motion no chilies on mine - he was snipping tiny green ones over all. Jenn said they were pretty hot! There we are surrounded by local ladies in sarong & sash dressed like them eating local food. When in Rome? Lots of smiles & nods & thumbs up, & good, very good. Great stuff. Glad we did that.
By this time the body is "done" & they've burnt the procession temple & funereal wreaths. Band strikes up & they sift the soot for bits of bone. Priest sprinkles water & prays & most of the crowd heads out. We'd seen enough & it's time to move on.
that's this installment. more next time....