Continuing on.....
Secret Womens Business trip to Bali
Drops restaurant
This was one of our good finds for dinner. Drops is under the Casa Padma Hotel in Jl Padma, which has changed its name to Jl Yudiastra, directly opposite Wayan and Friends. Indo National is further along this road, closer to Jl Legian and I might add busy most times we went there or drove past. You should see the sweets menu at Drops! Lynne had her last Bali dinner there, just before heading for the airport and so did I.
Ketumba restaurant
This was also another good find. The restaurant has an Italian influence, indoor and outdoor dining and has been built where Bali Too used to be in Jl Melasti. Very nice and well priced, great service.
GWK and DeMimidi restaurant
Sharon was very keen, but left the previous night, and so too were Di and Lynne to go to the park then watch the sunset and Bali light up and come alive, from the deMiMidi restaurant
Concert there for 3 Divas, popular Indonesian group.
We wanted to walk up to see Garuda, but the entrance area was blocked off for VIP pass holders only and security. Iasked if we could go up to the Garuda and was told. no problems. We just walked through, no checks and climbed the steps to see the gigantic statue.
As we left the restaurant after dinner, patrons were arriving for concert. Scalpers were selling tickets for 150,000 but we found the standing room tickets were 150,000, so maybe the scalpers were selling the 550,000 seats for 150,000, don't know. Heavy police presence. Di thought it a good idea and much fun to tell the newly arriving patrons than concert ‘finis'!
Our bill for three delicious dinners was 505,000rp and that included wine, beer, cocktails.
Early morning local Melasti markets.
We walked down a couple of times and bought odds and ends. Flowers there are very reasonable. An au$ goes a long way. You can buy fruit and veg. I paid 5000rp per kilo for avocadoes and probably paid way too much, but I was happy. I gave the chef at Suri Wathi some and he made me fresh avocado juice, very yummy. I also bought sea salt and I expect could have found palm sugar there if I'd asked. (I paid 15000 per kg for palm sugar at Candi Cuning markets, but the girl I bought it from had to slip out and get it, I think she went to the local supermarket and bought it!). Di bought papers and local sweets and took them back for the hotel staff. We got there each time around 7am and there was still heaps of activity.
At a florist in Seminyak I bought a bunch of Tuberose. The extra large ones cost 1000 each and the smaller stems, about ¾ metre long, cost 400rp each. I was shocked, so had delivered to the room in the Hotel 4 large and 40 smaller stems of Tuberose, cost me around au$4.
Ambience
This is a lovely newish massage centre. It is really lovely inside, gentle music playing, peaceful and delightful staff. We had foot reflexology but to be honest it's the last time I will partake in this type of treatment. Di loved it but give me a back massage, scalp or hands massage any day.
Raspberry Juice and Inner Health
I took some bottles of BerrySweet 100% raspberry juice to share between us girls and Leonie brought us some Inner Health capsules. This is the first trip to Bali that I haven't had a day when it has been preferable to keep close to the room and bathroom. I have used raspberry juice (10ml first thing in the morning) lotsw of trips previously but first time for Inner Health. I will take both in future.
Taxis
I found, I recall, every taxi put on their meter, no worries. We always rounded up the fare divided it by the number in the taxi and gave a bit more. I was questioned by a couple of taxi drivers that we had given too much. I thought that was really nice and at the end of the day, it was just an extra dollar or two that we had tipped.
The flagfall is 5000 and I think that gives you your first kilometre. We went from Legian to Discovery Shopping Mall/Kuta Square area a few times and it cost around 22,000rp each trip.
Funny incidents
In all honesty, far too many to tell but I can share a few..... We really did laugh a lot and enjoy a really good time.
-You have already heard about Di and Sharon playing 'The Price is Right' on the escalator at Ramayana!
-You have heard about Lynne's rendition of the Balian and the way she copied his facial expressions. All I can say is, lucky Le and Lynne didn't pay for the balian services.
-Lynee, Di and I went to GWK park for a look and then followed with dinner at diMeMedi restaurant. There was a concert rehearsal happening with Diva 3 belting out some songs in the amphitheatre. We walked in the VIP Pass holders only, thru security, no checks, as we wanted to see the Garuda, no probs. We had a fabulous dinner then as we were walking down the hill to find our taxi, Di busily shook her hands and told the concert patrons, to go back, concert finissed.....they were a tad confused.
-How about the taxi that took us to GWK, the clutch slipped almost right off (if that can happen) and we went up a hill traveling at zero kilometers per hour, we remained stationery! After 50 mins or maybe 50 seconds, the clutch engaged and we roared on up the hill. Lucky it's almost all downhill back to Legian.
-How about Ketut (aged 34) the chef at Sura Wathi? Now firstly let me tell you that his specialty is not browning the toast on both sides. Di threatened to give him toast cooking lessons. He has only been there for 14 years! Ok, back to Ketut. Di and I were in the pool and Ketut sat alongside chatting. He asked how many children we had and I said that Di had had 7 children (not the exact truth, but sorta). Ketut took hold of one of our pool noodles and put it between his legs and kept thrusting it, mainly at the 2 waitresses. Saying oooh, lots of jiggy jig. Any wonder he is still single and still looking for girl!
-I made a big boo boo one day. I asked Nyoman if she had any brother and sisters. Derrrr!
-Don't tell Di I have told you this tale......her and I were in Lovina and I walked into a mini mart. Di thought she had a private moment and felt fine to ‘expel' some wind. As she said, the noise continued with some tone and duration. As she felt the relief she realized there was a lady walking right past her. She apologized to the lady and felt very embarrassed (if Di can do that) as she saw the lady at our hotel next morning.
-I was called out of the pool one day to answer the phone. Wrong person, they needed a Chris not a Tina. They found Chris and he wobbled a lot along the path to get to the phone. He weaved and wobbled back to his room (next to Di) then left later, to kick on and start his night. Very early hours of the morning, Di found that there was huge racket coming from the room next door. This Chris was yelling for security and cursing and carrying on. Di was concerned and thought there may have been someone in a room and a fight may follow. (We actually think he only turned the key lock once not twice and couldn't get into his room). Next night, similar time Di heard rattling and cursing but this time just a bottle rolling across the tiles and Chris was able to negotiate his lock.
-At Drops restaurant, I was asked if I wanted my fish cooked medium or rare. I sorta thought maybe that question was related to beef, but maybe some people have their fish rare.
-Although Le Sharon Lynne and I had negotiated the same room rate for a standard room, my room was a deluxe and near new. I often referred to my room staff, 2nd or 3rd bedroom, my many bathrooms etc and they got grumpy with me, but my room also had an electricity problem and the meter was tripped when there were guests staying in the room next door. I learned how to walk outside and flick back up the switch and restart the air cond. Most of the time there was no-one next door, else they stayed just a night and got moved.
-The sign that said, ‘Order the before' for Roasted duck, pig, chicken, and I might add whenever we ordered a Bintang, they didn't hold stock on the premises and had to cross the road to the mini mart to purchase and bring back to serve us. We ordered fried icecream off the menu too, but that also had to be ‘order the before' . Wine was advertised on the side wall by the glass or bottle, but sorry, wine by the glass, finis. They also sell Senepper and Barakuda. They had one toothpick for us to share, on the table.
-The transport sign that read that ‘We also serve Ubud tour'. I wondered if it came with a sauce?
(The daily shuttle service leaves Lovina at 9am for Kuta and costs 60000rp)
-The look from behind of Di's bathers when the fabric had given way and stretched. I told Di she looked like she had ‘filled' the bottom area.
-You gotta laugh as its in Bali, but we sat with the lifesavers one afternoon and Di bought a round of Bintangs for the fellas. We looked up to the tower and asked who was on duty now. Charlie was.....but he too was drinking his Bintang. Lucky no-one drowned at that stage. Di almost gave him a hiding and told him to get back on duty!
-Di loves the hash browns at La Lucchiola and offered to ‘sleep with the chef' if she could get the recipe. Probably good for all that she didn't get the recipe. What do you think Alan?
-There are many many more tales to tell, but unfortunately as we agreed before we left, what happens in Bali, stays in Bali!
Stuff
-We met a few other posters from the forum, at other than BTF get-togethers and its amazing just how many people must read the forum. Now that just reminds me, hopefully FA and Bali Villas will arrange some BTF branded items to wear or hold so we can more easily identify each other very soon.
We met Anne (JubaAnne) on my last day when she moved into Suri Wathi, annyf a few times, including at Pacung Indah,
Hello Gerry, Arthur, Uli, and we met Deb Harrison (harro) from Something Indonesian and her two mates from Freshwater Frangipanis, (forgotten your names already, derr, sorry) who are all importers from Bali.
Hello also to Tcoupe, Sue and Tony, Sunset, Jo and Joy, Petron, Sharon and Peter
-Tried an interesting mixed drink called Tall Black Balinese, had Coke, Arak and Coffee Liquor. Yum.
-I checked the credits on my phone after smsing and yes my XL rate was 350rp to text within Bali and it did cost 500rp to text from Bali to Australia.
-Bokashi oil, we bought a few bottles from a local Warung north of Bedugal and cost 15000rp
-Had some great finds at Animale factory outlet on Jl Raya Kuta.
-I was able to arrange to buy some items for one of my sponsored girls and drop it into the home. Just for interest sake, I bought the stock from a local warung in Balaen village. Rice was20,000 for 5kg, sugar 7000rp for 1 kg and ground coffee 25000rp for 1kg. Cigarettes there were 8000rp, although I didn't buy any for the family and Baygon Lavendar flavoured mosquito coils were 2500rp.
-Revlon is much cheaper in Bali at Centro and Matahari and Ramayana. An au$20-23 lipstick costs 115000rp
-Oil of Olay moisturizers are $25 - 30 in Aust (for the old girl variety) and 87000 in Bali
-Nivea products are everywhere too but I am not so sure on price comparisions.
Dentist
I went to the dentist and had a tooth filled. Dentist Rudyard Salindeho was very professional, has lovely clean near new premises at Mall Bali Galleria, Jl By Pass, Kuta. Ph 766255
rudysalindeho@yahoo.com
He wears a mask and he and the assistant both wear gloves. Really not much different to dentists in Australia. I paid 450,000 to have a molar tooth filled. I have taken photos in his surgery and out the front for anyone who is interested. Email me tgmail@optusnet.com.au
Motor bikes for short trips.
We hitched a ride on the back of a motor bike, on encouragement from Le. It worked out good fun and an easy way for us to get around for short distances. So easy to go to Poppies from Jl Sahadewa via the lanes. We just paid 5000 or 10000 per bike per person. The boys were such careful riders and very considerate of their ‘Mum' figures on the back. ‘You ok Mumma, you sure?'
Cremation on Legian Beach
Barry and Shirley invited us to go down to Legian beach for the cremation service for Sue. You could not believe how the weather turned so nasty. The winds were very strong and some rain and quite cool.
Shirley laid Sue's towel, shoes, book, sarong etc on the beach and held it down with rocks. The ashes were placed into a coconut and sent to sea with Barry with the lifesavers in the rubber ducky. They had been told it was important to say farewell in a happy frame of mind, to release Sue's spirit happily. Oh dear, that was a huge call. Although Di and I had not met Sue, we felt very honoured to be there and help them thru the difficult task. (Hello Barry if you are reading this, mwa, mwa!)
I did pass on the wishes of Tracy and Tim, Mandy and Paul, Maryanne Mackas and Bob Marr.
Exchange Rate
Varied from 6450rp to the AUD and went down to 6325 over the 16 days.
(Last Augsut was around 7600, so the Rupiah has picked up in value to the AUD)
Departing Bali
Had 37kg of check in luggage. Was allowed 30kg coming over and that was ok for return trip (thanks, but I wasn't aware of that) Paid for 7kg excess @ us$11 per kilo) I also carried on board 12kg in one bag and a couple or so in another, no probs.
I might add I left behind another 10 or so kg for collection when we return in August. (gee I am a very successful shopper!)
Met Angie C and her lovely daughters Chelsea and Madeline heading to the departure lounge. A very happy special birthday greeting to the newly remarried lady.
I had a bag full of items to declare including spices, I had purchased spices from Candi Cuning markets. Some were in sealed bags, others in plastic bags with self seals. The only spice taken was Lemongrass, as all grasses are prohibited. Palm sugar and coffee beans, fine.
At the end of the day
Five women, all different, all very experienced in Bali, different ages, came from one side of Australia to the other, different personalities, shapes and sizes.
How did it work for me?
Well to be honest, 99% of our times spent together were fantastic.
Would I do it again with this group of ladies?
You bet I would.
Tomorrow if not sooner.
We had so many laughs and good times.
I have post heaps of photos over the next week or so, so email me if you want the link.
tgmail@optusnet.com.au
(PS Mic, you are welcome to use any of the photos of the hotels)