Just back from three wonderful weeks in Bali! Husband Bruce and I decided to go without our girls and see a bit more of Bali, but later decided to fly eldest daughter over from Australia as well because we have not seen her since she left NZ on her big OE at the end of 2004. She stayed with us for a week at Lokha Legian Hotel, then went to stay in Ubud -where she helps out at the Yayasan Bumi Sehat (Birthing centre) in Nyuh Kuning village- for another three weeks. As we bought a SIM card for my cellphone and a new cellphone for her (we discovered her Aussie one was 'locked') we were able to keep in touch- and now have phones for future visits to Bali.
I have decided to just go with my notes and give you a chronological ramble, but the hotels I will talk about will be these on our itinerary: Lokha Legian 6 nights, Ketut's Place in Ubud 2 nights, Tegal Sari in Ubud 2 nights, Angsoka Cottages in Lovina 3 nights, Wawa Wewe II at Lipah Beach near Amed 3 nights, and Respati Hotel in Sanur 4 nights.
For short trips we used Blue Bird taxis and drivers from the streets, but for longer trips we used our 'most favourite driver of all' when he was available. His name is Made Wira Sanjaya, but of course we just call him Made. His cellphone number is 081-3387-63718 and his email is madebagus2002@yahoo.com. He is a young guy, about 23years old, but has impressed us with his excellent driving and good english. (He texts in better English than I do in Indonesian!) He is based in Seminyak and drives for a 'boss' - and is so popular with clients that he gets to drive the nicest vehicles in the fleet. Made is more than a driver; he is our friend now. He indulges me in my great quest to learn Indonesian (and as much as I can of the culture), and in turn we have shared English words and concepts that interested him (as he is an intelligent young man), so each drive we each learn new things....great fun! He now knows what a 'granny nap' is, and I know what rice is called at each stage of it's growth and harvesting. We planned our visit to Lovina with a day's local sightseeing the day after, so Made was able to go stay the night in between at his family home in nearby Singaraja, where his parents are farmers. He took us to meet them the next day and it was a lovely visit. Seeing his little sister Ketut (8) smiling up adoringly at her big brother Made was delightful. We were lucky to get him this trip as he had just got back from Java. A client paid for him and his vehicle to go on the ferry to Java and back, and drive them around Java for two weeks...and the client specified Made to be their driver too! What an adventure, but he also has been to France for a month thanks to a benefactor, which is a whole other story, and even more amazing when we learned many of the young men we met in Lovina and Amed had never been to Denpasar or even Ubud in their lifetimes. (Made knows the location of the Birthing Clinic on the outskirts of Ubud, so if you were planning to drop donated goods there he would be a good driver for the trip).
QANTAS / GARUDA AIRLINES
Flew Qantas within NZ and Garuda via transit stop in Brisbane to Bali. Wrote to Garuda beforehand and got special permission for extra kilos allowance so we could take an extra big case of clothing/bedding/vitamins for the charity we support there- Yayasan Bumi Sehat. Approval granted quite close to our departure, and it was tight getting approval from Qantas as well for the domestic leg of the journey, but when we got to the airport it had been approved, thank goodness. We were so grateful to the airlines for this. It meant so much to me to be able to take all I had gathered.
The Garuda flight went well, but the air on the plane seemed hotter than usual and I wished I had put a change of lighter clothes in my carry-on bag. VOA was no trouble and we took two taxis to Lokha Legian in Jalan Padma (30,000 rph each).
LOKHA LEGIAN
We cannot rave enough about this wonderful hotel! We had a Super Deluxe room poolside. It had a king size bed and a spa bath with a shower overhead; TV with lots of channels; electric mozzie deterrant thingy; retractable washing line over the bath for hanging 'smalls' on; fridge and jug /coffee and tea sachets or making a cuppa. Two small bottles water supplied free each day. Fantastic breakfasts, and I discovered that if banana pancakes were not already available on the buffet (where you could order eggs etc cooked any way you wanted as well as all the other brekky stuff available) then I had only to ask and one was made especially for me. The pool is great and there is a nice shallower pool for littlies. Massage hut is up and running now. Very quiet at night (except for loud guests) even though busy street outside, no street noise. Amazing that the only two things we could fault were that the bottle opener was in the bathroom attached to the wall so you had to walk in there to open any bottles (we bought a cheap opener and put it near the fridge) and if you were not careful you could lock your key inside if you were on the porch or at the pool and you tried to leave the door slightly ajar. (Solved this one by wrapping a sarong around the handle inside then the handle outside so the door could not shut completely). Like most hotels we found the laundry service was a bit dear with tax etc on top, so found a laundry service just across the road and along to the right a few premises. It is a homestay, at Number 51, look for sign. The staff at Lokha were just brilliant. Very friendly and nothing a problem. Bruce had one of the room staff in stitches one afternoon. She came past the pool where he was on a lounger and she was carrying some plastic toy guns, probably left in a room by children or something. She talked to some other staff and then, still holding them, walked back past Bruce to head back inside. As she approached him he jokingly swiftly raised both hands in surrender. Well, she just dissolved into a fit of giggles, and he had a big grin too. This spontaneous little slapstick comedy, where no language was needed, was just one of those magic little moments that are included in our wonderful memories of the Bali people.
Went walking along Jalan Padma Utara and stopped suddenly halfway along in amazement to see a brand new hotel there. It is called All Seasons. We checked it out. We decided to ask to use their internet area as we thought this would probably be a safe place to do some bank transfers of funds by internet. You pay for 15 mins 10,000rph and for 30 mins 30,000rph. Not too bad speed-wise and nice setup, especially for me, a left-hander who finds internet cafes don't always have a mouse cord long enough to allow me to set the mouse to the left of the keyboard. Staff showed us one of the rooms that have been completed (some are still being finished) and it was very nice. Hotel décor is in gelato pastel colours. Very nice, but it could be a hotel anywhere in the world. The staff were the only indication that it is a hotel in Bali ---except for the restaurant!! We ate there three times because the food was so amazing, lovely indonesian flavours. Servings are small 50g amounts (e g 2 chicken satays/one cup nasi goreng/one seafood kebab) so you choose three for a small meal and four options for a bigger meal. Three was fine for me for lunch. These were true Balinese food flavours. The Nasi goreng was the best I have had in Bali. The chicken satays were tender and flavoursome. Bruce's Jimbaran kebab had one of each kind of juicy seafood treats on it. I had lawar kacang (snake beans with shredded coconut and chicken-yummy!) This food is not at the cheap end of the scale, but if you don't mind paying a little more for quality then you will not be disappointed. Soups were 11,000 to 15,000 rph. Mains portions were 3,500rph to 7,400/9,000rph and 12,000rph (the seafood ones).(Plus 21% govt and service tax) I had a fantastic mocktail called November Sea Breeze. It was cranberry,apple,lime juice and soda water, beautifully garnished. Cost 13,000.
Shopping for special glasses for Bruce today. He wears glasses, and wanted some with his presciption, but sunglasses. We went to Optik Seis on 'Timeshare Lane' beside Matahari and they quoted $375 Australian. Decided to shop around and go to another place for comparison.
Popped into Mataharis. Went to Body Shop there and got a big tub of body butter for poor daughter left at home in NZ (new job - could not get holidays) who made up for her absence by requesting 142 DVD's and some 'goodies please' The body butter cost 139,000 rph, which eldest daughter assured me was cheaper than at home.
Checked out big new Discovery Shopping Mall - Centro - in Tuban and ordered some glasses for Bruce from Optik Melawi. They checked his eyes too and made a small adjustment to his prescription. They then held extra lenses to his regular glasses and he could tell the difference (improvement) immediately. Impressed - they know what they are doing. Have to come back in a week to collect them.
Went to Mama's in Legian for pre-dinner drinks and some of the staff remember us from last year and ask after our absent daughter...how the hell do they do that, always amazes me!
Went to The Crown a little further down Jalan Legian for dinner as we have enjoyed meals there before. Food not brilliant but okay. Invited by a waitress to complete a survey at our table. Immediately asked if it was timeshare and assured definitely not. Daughter filled it out. Two days later we get a call from a Timeshare company at our hotel. Wow! How lucky are we..we won a draw of people who participated in a survey! 'Great, I will give you my postal address, and you can send the documentation for the free holiday there, ' says I. 'Oh no, we are holding a presentation ceremony for the lucky winners and we would like you to come along', woman says. I decline and say we can live without our wonderful prize, much to her amazement. Hang up and make a mental note never to eat at the Crown again.
Friday- Shopping with daughter - I gave two ladies in Jalan Sahadewa a thrill by buying two of the silky tassled scarves for 80,000rph, morning price, then we jumped in a taxi to Centro. Indulged daughter by buying her some clothes (this girl travels so light compared to her mother you would wonder if she had been switched at birth or something). Cute little shorts from Body&Soul for 140,000 and a bikini from Quicksilver for 240,000. Spoilt brat!
Bali Aussie for lunch, Mama's for pre-dinner drinks and then dinner at Wayan and Friends. Bruce had grilled snapper with boiled new potatoes and said it was a great meal. Can't remember what daughter and I had but it must have been tasty or I would have written otherwise in my little notebook.
Saturday-Went to Ubud today to drop off stuff we had collected for the birthing clinic. This is the organisation we support. I won't do a big splurge about what they do but if you are interested then here is the website and address etc. This foundation supports the familes of the area principally to have good pre-natal care and births, but the clinic does so much more than that.( Bali does not have free health care. Sometimes a family will sell possessions, or worse, vital farm land, to pay huge hospital bills. If a family sells a rice field they lose the ability to sustain their family in the future).Funds are always needed, both to support the clinic's work, and also if a mother needs to go to hospital for a caesarian then funds are needed to help there as well. One of the things that impresses me about the work of the clinic is that it is loving, holistic care which embraces and respects the culture of the villagers, yet encourages also the things that promote good health for all. There is a gentle 'mutual respect' thing happening there.
Yayasan Bumi Sehat
Nyuh Kuning Village- PO Box 116
Ubud, Bali 80571- Indonesia
Phone: 62-361- 972732 or 08179757522
E-mail: iburobin@dps.centrin.net.id
http://www.robinlimsupport.org/
http://www.bumisehatbali.org/
Anna took us to an organic cafe called 'Bali Buddha' for lunch. She walked us down through the monkey forest and into Ubud. Her 'quick walk' was a bloody marathon for us in the heat of the day and I am afraid her hot-and-bothered dad was not impressed with the organic menu - a bit toooo far out of his comfort zone. I am a fan of this kind of food and I thought it was lovely. My gado gado was yummy and daughter had some fascinating spring rolls made with cabbage leaves as wrappers and some lentil soup which I tasted...very similar to one I make at home.
Back to Seminyak and we went shopping for SIM cards. Went to Bintang supermarket and found two sources there, stall right outside the entry and a shop in the lane of shops along the wall of the supermarket. I got a SIM card okay but can't remember how much it was. Daughter's phone locked and could not take SIM card. Okay, need to buy whole phone. Cheapest? Nokia 650,000 with SIM included and 10,000 credit on phone. Booth right outside supermarket said 475,000 plus 50,000 fo rSIM with 10,000 credit on it. Decided to try elsewhere. Later on in the day we went to Centro to a phone shop on the ground floor at the back -directly UNDER the escalator. Got a Motorola for 525,000 including the SIM card with 15,000 credit. This was a good buy for us as daughter had her Motorola from Aussie with her and she discovered the chargers worked for both phones.
Daughter happy...cellphone-enabled for the evening, all is well!
Met Bruce at Mama's and decided to eat there as well. Big mistake for daughter and me. Bruce enjoyed his chicken curry but my Nasi Goreng was the least indonesian rendition of this Indonesian dish that I have ever eaten, and daughter's garden salad was weird (diced carrot, beans, pineapple, boiled egg, onion and cucumber tossed in a thick mayonnaise)
Sunday..Pottered about most of the day by pool, internet cafe visit (Internet cafe in Jalan Sahadewa the slowest internet speed I have ever experienced!) picked up laundry etc..Went to Bali Rock on Jalan Melasti for pre-dinner drinkies. Love the staff there..sooo friendly. They told us that the premises would close on August 25, probably for many months, as the place was going to be totally renovated. Went to Bali Too for dinner. Food okay but nothing amazing though my nasi goreng was good. To me that is an indicator that other meals will be okay, if they can make a decent nasi goreng.
Wandered down Rum Jungle Road and popped into the Captain Cook hotel for a few drinks. Updated our CD collection from a wandering street vendor. Wandered off home to the Lokha but stopped at Joni's just up the road from our hotel to watch their band for a while. A trip to Bali is incomplete without taking some time to listen to what the bands can do to some songs! Kinda like the delightfully entertaining menus - you are dying to explain the real english words, but it would kinda spoil it for others in the future if you did.
Monday - Shopping at Mataharis. Bought some great plastic blow-up world globes (beach balls) to give local children to show them where NZ is. 30,000 each, reduced 20-30 % and a big plastic ring for me for the pool. 30,000rph. Bought daughter a copy of Fragrant Rice by Janet de Neefe as I discovered she had not read my copy at home. (She loved it - and reciprocated by buying me The Painted Alphabet - by Diana Darling, a Novel based on a Balinese tale - which I loved reading).
Lunch at Aroma's. Bruce had pizza and I had Greek Isles Platter and daughter had East of Suez platter. Yummmm! I just adore the food at this place and the toilets are magic!
More shopping and a stop at the Memorial. Irritated me to have a timeshare tout thrust his card under our noses as we were leaving the memorial. Felt like explaining to him that some people would find his actions inappropriate at such a site, but decided I did not have enough words of Indonesian to express the European meaning of 'paying respects to the dead' so just shook my head and walked on.
Tekor Bali at beach end of Jalan Double Six for dinner. Bruce had grilled snapper, daughter had chicken noodle soup and tomato basil salad and I had minced pork in banana leaf with rice - all yummy and mine was spicy too! Welcome bread was a nice touch. This place has fantastic food. I watched a waiter making a drink as we waited to be seated. Later I looked it up in the menu. It was called a 'Japanese Slippery' but I think it was meant to read 'Japanese Slipper'. It had a shot of midori, a shot of vodka, shot of pineapple juice, some orange juice and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Add ice and shake. I did not feel like that with my meal, preferring a Bintang with a spicy meal, but wrote down the cocktail to try at home as it looked fantastic.
Six days in Legian over - checkout the next morning and off to Ubud for four nights. More to follow tomorrow as it is very late now (damned body clock has not adjusted back the four hours difference yet!).....