Part 5
Back to Legian and it felt like home back at SuriWathi. We had left our belongings in the room and everything appeared fine.
We had been buying dvds at Bali Gong and once again found Dede lovely to deal with, and also bought at the new dvd shop along the same side oh Sahadewa as Bali Gong, and the shop alongside Breeze restaurant (ex Indo National). Bought a few from the beachside seller at Sanur along the board walk up towards Sindhu markets. Most were 8000 depending on deal and how many frees, based on number purchased at the time.
Wednesday morning we decided to walk to Kuta Square via the back blocks. We headed along Melasti to Benesari to Poppies II. Across another laneway to Poppies I then out thru lane past UNS to Kuta Pantai and down to Kuta Square. We walked past Kuta Townhouses which lots have commented on. Looks very modern and well located if you prefer the Poppies I location.
We met Julie and John once again, amazing how many times we have met them in the streets around Kuta and Legian.
I found that the Revlon counter in Matahari eventually had received stocks of lippies, so I was able to stock up on a few more colours. I got my real lippy fix!
We caught a taxi back to SW with our parcels (ok my parcels, I am the shopper). We had been in the routine over the past week or so of lounging around the pool from 11 - 1, reading swimming, maybe dozing and catching our breath and relaxing. Decided to have lunch at Warung Yogya in Padma Utara. You get a real freshly made local dish for around 12000 per meal. Delicious. I ordered a banana juice to drink and the spoon was literally able to stand up on its own the centre of the glass. It was so thick and tasted all banana.
I had booked treatments at Melasti Beach Resort spa centre for 3. We got there a little earlier and sat and enjoyed a ginger tea then were taken to a double room. I had read about it here that you can have warm stone massage so we chose one each. Gee it was fantastic. So relaxing. The stones are quite warm, not hot and the massage oil is warm too. I found it to be the best massage I have ever had. Trevor nodded off and us three girls chuckled when he let out a snort! So relaxing! (Thanks Joan and John).
Afterwards we had a peaceful afternoon drink at Susie and Sammys. We met Safrudin the Lombok pearl seller. He and his cousin Darwin (or so he says) make to order necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings, with Lombok pearls. He has very different styles. I bought a couple of chunky necklace pearls with stones, one off white and the other brown and bronze. They are lovely. Gail(o) had introduced me to Darwin and he had visited us at SuriWathi. We ordered longer set of pinkish pearls for Trevors Mum and he made me a 3 strand twisted necklace. Its gorgeous. We chatted with Lois and Gary again (from south of Perth), and Julie and John and after sunset we headed up Melasti to try the new Mutiara restaurant near Uncle Norms. It was ok. Nothing to rave about. I don't know, sort of lacked something, but all the same, we enjoyed our night with fun company.
We walked past Billys a few times but were there obviously too early for Jill. We were going to call in and have a drink with her.
Did I mention earlier that I bought myself a bright pink lace Kebaya at Sindhu markets. I am looking forward to finding the occasion to wear it. (Cost 60000rp)
Don't you hate it when you get to your second last day. Now what I have put off till later, and its now later. What have I bought for whom and am I happy with the choices. Do I need some more watches, dvds, I definitely didn't need to buy any more necklaces. I think I bought about 100 (including the ones from the girls on the beach at Lovina) and I also got into bracelets about a week ago, so was looking for and negotiating for matching ones. Since my girls are 29 and 31, I never know whether they will like what I select. Damn it, this time they liked them all and I felt a little mean, saying, oh no, please not that one, I particularly wanted that one myself! Not to worry, if I grew 50 new necks, I still wouldn't have time to wear them all.
We decided to walk down to Geneva. I wanted to buy another wooden duck or two to put outside at home. We had been looking for a few days but hadn't seen any life sized unpainted models!
(On the way back we caught a taxi and I checked the trip meter and it was 3.3km).
I bought a few more cushion covers (15000rp each) and a large (24000rp) and smaller sized (16000rp) natural coloured wooden ducks. (Customs checked them thoroughly, and no probs).
I had bought in Melbourne a cd burner which reads camera memory cards and writes to cd. Unfortunately for some reason, I have more failures that successful transfers. I wanted more preprints done, so had the cds burned at Legian cyber café. One of the memory cards would not transfer for them either. No idea why. We tried 3 times. It costs 25000 for them to cd burn. (Unusually works without a problem every time at Legian Cyber cafe). I took the SD card to the Kodak shop and they burned a cd for me for 40000. Anyway, I ordered lots of copies of pics taken along the way, plus I needed to order our new wedding photos.
We had massages back in the room later with Paula and her sister Made. Trevor had the palm trees on his big toe nails updated and renewed and I had clear polish put on my toes with new flowers, (They last much longer back home that way and don't look scruffy growing out/off).
This night was full moon, so there were lots of temple ceremonies going on and heaps of offerings around the hotel. We planned to watch their full moon temple ceremony back at SuriWathi, but you know how it is, dinner happened and we just will have to add that on to the to do list for next time.
We walked to Wayan and Friends and met Lois and Gary, Julie and John there. Another fun night, lots of laughs.
On our way back to SuriWathi, we encountered the tennis coach/partner Putu Samiasa again, touting for business along Jl Padma. Maybe he is just a genuine tennis coach and touts for coaching business and tennis partners. I don't know I am sure!
A group of 5 young surfer Aussies had moved into the standard rooms at SuriWathi.
Two had been tempted to buy BB guns, and one afternoon they arrived back at the hotel, waiting to ambush the other 3 when they returned from surfing. I did feel that after one ambush, that would not be the end. The boys were nice well mannered boys and friendly, but I did expect that there would be revenge, over the next week or so. Best we weren't around to take any stray shots.
Last day, Friday the 8th September.
We (read I) finalized the packing and tried to pack with order into our large suitcase, 3 Bali bags, back pack each plus carry on. I knew we would be overweight, but accept these days that I most likely will be charged excess. So be it.
I had got into the habit over the past 2 weeks or so of collecting a freshly dropped frangipani flower and placing it behind my ear each day. I would love to be able to do that everyday. The boys at SuriWathi collected a fresh cempaka flower from the tree for me and I wore this heavily scented flower throughout our last day, and home on the aircraft. Gee I wish I were wearing it now.
We had lunch over at Breeze again. Their prawn and avocado salad seemed to improve, no, not possible. I think I just realized that I would be missing them a lot next week and enjoyed them all the more.
We went down to Susie and Sammies and I bought another string of long white Lombok pearls with some green ones threaded in. Lois negotiated some too. Over sunset drinks we watched one of the lifesavers grab his board and run off down the beach. He powered out through the shallows and rip. We noticed two people out beyond the breakers. The beach was closed as the surf was very nasty. The waves were big and the waves crashed down really hard. The two people were being tossed around terribly. The other lifesavers ran to launch the rubber ducky and get there urgently. They rescued the couple and carried them to the shallows. The fellow was able to walk but they had to work on the lady, up near Jl Padma. They called for an ambulance. Three of them ran along the beach carrying the lady and were met by a stretcher. She looked terrible when they ran past us. Apparently she had coughed a few times, but not sure that she would survive.
Those young lifesavers near Susie and Sammies did an outstanding job that day. I have often chuckled when I have seen them doing chin ups, sits ups hanging from the tree, push ups etc. Gee their power, fitness and strength was needed to help this lady this day. They ought to be congratulated! The Japanese looking man, staying at Mandira came up and sat with the lifesavers, looking in shock as his friend was being treated wherever the ambulance had taken her to. Terrible terrible situation. How on earth the lifesavers can get the message through that when they close the beach, its done for good reason. We saw them blow their whistle many times over previous days to alert swimmers to swim within the flags.
We checked out of SuriWathi then went for our last supper at Breeze.
Wayan Merta took us to the airport.
We had no worries checking in our luggage, no excess charges. Phew.
The flight should have left at 10.45pm and took off at 12.15. Amazing, it took 4.30hrs to get to Melbourne when it normally takes 5.30 - 6hrs. Trevor noticed that the speed was over a 1000kmp so I guess they put the pedal to the metal.
On the way home stopped in at the Safeway and bought lamb for dinner. Oh it was delicious!
I had thoroughly enjoyed eating seafood almost every meal for the past 23 days, but I too was really looking forward to succulent lamb!
With a couple of hiccups, our health was good in Bali this trip and neither of us needed to stay close to the bathroom at any time. We both took Inner Health tablets each day and 10ml of pure raspberry juice.
What more can I say?
Roll on March then June. We were lucky enough to secure cheap seats with Jetstar.