After the cremation Jenn asks the driver to take us to Celuk as she wants to buy some silver. The silver stop so reminded me of China- 3 guys behind a bench "working" while the tourist is in the factory as the guide explains the process. Takes less than 5 minutes. Of course they stop working once we leave & just hang out. Enormous showroom. She must have spent an hour in there. Boring for me, so I just hung out while she did her thing.
Our driver asks us what Canada is famous for?! I took that to mean tourist sights. How to describe my own country? Interesting question tho'. Best I could come up with were the Rockies & Niagara Falls.
Back to Cafe DeWata for lunch. So funny - my "balinese" noodles were made from "ichiban" (instant). Too too funny. Ate them anyway. If that's the worst Bali has to feed me I'm doing more than OK.
Jenn had been for a drink to Cafe Lotus & wanted to check the place out for dinner. It was lovely if a bit pretentious. I counted 8 staff members at the front; plates & forks got whisked away in a blink. jenn asked for more bread & of course we got charged another 3,000 (I expected that.)
Once we get back to our room Jenn decides to take a dip in the pool in her undies. Just as she's getting ready to dive in Santu shows up to chat so I had to distract him while she got in the pool.
It's off to Nusa Lembongan the next morning. Thank god I learned my lesson and didn't eat & drink too much before the long shuttle & boat trip. As it was I was feeling more than a little queasy on the boat & usually I'm pretty good about stuff like that. I love the water so it was disappointing to have to stare at the bottom of the boat the whole time.
Felt oh so torn in my loyalty as the Perama guy picks up the group at the Sanur stop for a brisk walk to the boat dock. I have to go pretty good to keep up & Jenn is not exactly the swiftest walker. So he's getting ahead & I hear my name. She's misplaced her hat, stops, sets her suitcase on the sidewalk & starts to pull everything out to look for it. Do I stay, do I go? I opted to leave her to her own dilemna & catch up with the guide. Let him know she's way out of sight etc. Needless to say he does rescue her & ends up carrying her luggage to boot. I was NOT missing that boat. Turns out she's also left behind a bag of shoes somewhere & before the trip is over she's lost her camera, her hat again!, leaves her wallet in a restaurant bathroom & it goes on & on. It's so hard not to say: well, if you didn't have so much stuff with you....
Of course, the accomodation touts are in full swing as we get off the boat & I'm having trouble outrunning them into a cafe for lunch & a cool drink. Finally collapsed beachside with a brisk breeze going but oh it felt good. Lunch took forever to get to us & I joked about them having to send out for it to Chicken on the Way.
Jenn stays put while I suss out the accomodation offerings. Disappointing in many ways, maybe because I had ideas of a little more luxury (but not Coconut Beach resort prices). Beach bungalows turn out to be all of a type - stained lower walls around the beds; one sink tap wired together like a cats cradle. Cheap, yes, but oh so depressing. I'm pretty overheated & overtired by the time I get back with a couple of choices in mind.
Jenn ends up with a porter to help her carry her luggage to Playgrounds Resort where we end up for the 1st 2 nights. Paid way too much for what we got (300,000). Toilet kept plugging up & the bathroom floor always had a huge pool of water in it around the toilet that wouldn't drain. Imagine how that feels for the midnight pee? But the view is spectacular. You can see the seaweed farms all laid out & watch them harvest etc. Mount Agung off in the background. Beautiful.
After a dip in the pool, a shower, a chance to chill out, do laundry & read I feel much better. Get dressed up in our sarongs to find some dinner, and it turns out there's a celebration next door for the grand opening of their new bungalows (they were asking 350,000). we got invited in to share the feast with the locals - how wonderful! We only had to pay for Jenn's beer. Very nice of them. roast suckling pig & turtle! Of course, I had to try the turtle as I know it only comes out on special occaisions. Pretty much what you'd expect - chewy like squid but oh, so spicy so there's not much taste - a blessing, perhaps? I was sorry we'd missed the opening ceremony with special prayers & a procession etc.
Lightening storm over Bali - very scenic. Am looking forward to checking out the village. We've decided the Bali scam must be: sold out of small beer, or small beer not cold yet, only big beer. Big rain in the middle of the night so all my laundry is soaking wet. Sigh. Meant almost nothing to wear esp. for a top & no bra. Boy did I feel exposed!
Our walk through the village gives us at least 2 offers to take us around the island on scooters & 2 offers for snorkling/fishing. By 11:30 it's time for lunch & went to the surfer/bungalow/pizzeria. Too funky. Looks just like what I'd imagine a surfer bar to look like! Esp. loved the pieces of red coral & I couldn't wait to find some of my own to take home. Had the mie goreng & guess what? instant noodle again, but actually, coming from a cooking background I can mostly understand that here. Jenn's not impressed with her potato salad, but you sure wouldn't want to be doing anything with mayo in this heat.
She asked to see some of the rooms & was really taken by the peeling paint artistic decor. One with a wooden bathtub/shower stall. Wierd to me - think of the mildew! I liked the price better (150,000) so we agree to move here tomorrow.
Found the graveyard. Rather a sad place - broken headstones (yes, only a few) & I understand the thought behind the offerings left on the graves, but decayed so it all looks strewn with garbage - sad & neglected. but that's just my north american sensibilities talking. Jenn gets caught up in that primitif artifacts/ antiques art store& had a great time shopping & buying souveniers for her family back home.
After a great downpour I suggest a walk while it's cooler (ha!) and the village lanes are flooded, but we didn't actually have to do any wading. Fun, fun to catch 5:00 "rushhour" in the village. Fascinating to see the women out transporting groceries home. Lines of scooters in both directions. street was full of life. there are these platforms where the men just hang out - always men. We probably cause a few words to be bantered back & forth as 2 middle aged caucasian women go by.
Stop at Full Moon warung for a pre-cocktail snack of sweet sour chicken. So yummy! Mostly fun to see the locals line up for take out. Chicken soup cart doing a brisk business & I so wanted to take a picture of the old guy with his rooster just hanging out curbside. Must come back tomorrow & check this out again.
Time running out on the old computer - more again next time.
Michelle