Monday
Up pretty early and after a leisurely breakfast once again we spend the morning sitting around the pool relaxing, reading, and me attempting to become the world's fastest typist (It's just not working).
One of the girls from work had asked me to bring some money to give to her Balinese friends. She hasn't been to Bali for a couple of years and knows that things are a bit of a struggle at the moment. We were amazed when she contacted Yasa to let him know that I was bringing something for him to discover that he lives in the laneway that we access from the hotel's back gate.
I message Yasa to let him know that I am at the hotel now if he wants to come, and he messages back to let me know that he will be here in about 10 minutes. When he arrives he tells us that he lives only a few doors, and his address is the same as the hotel because the numbers have been changed. He often gets mail for the hotel delivered to his house, so the people at the hotel know him well as he drops it off here. We walked past his house yesterday. It really can be a very small world.
After having a bit of a chat he heads off and we continue slothing.
We think it must be about 11am so decide it's time to get off our backsides and wander into Hardy's, with some lunch along the way. Get a bit of a surprise to find that it's 1.20pm. Where did the morning go?
It's lovely walking along the beach path into Sanur. Not too hot with a gentle breeze blowing from the south. We don't want to do any shopping just yet, and the sellers aren't at all pushy. Lunch is at the Bonsai Restaurant, but we don't really do it justice only having a club sandwich and a small tom yum goong (spicy prawn soup). Glenn asks if the Bintang is dingan, to which the waitress replies: 'VERY dingan'. She's right, the beer is icy cold, as is the banana juice that I decide to have. I think I am becoming addicted to banana juice. Everyone else's meals look impressive and we decide that we should come back another time and have something more substantial. The trouble is we want to go back to every restaurant that we've been to so far but also want to try so many others. A fortnight is just not long enough to stay.
Lunch was Rp 80000 with two large Bintangs and a banana juice.
I show Glenn the bonsai's out the back and he is suitably impressed. You really do have to see them to appreciate how magnificent they are.
We talk ourselves into an icecream from the Circle K next door. I can never resist the icecreams as they are so cheap compared to buying in Australia. Glenn had a Cornetto for Rp4500 and I had an Almond Magnum for Rp 9000. I am going to have to walk all day every day to ensure that I can fit into the plane seat going home.
Perhaps I should just stay!!!
Glenn can't get his bearings, he's stayed in Sanur many times but always working and part of a film crew so Billy has always done the driving and he hasn't really had to pay attention. When I see Hardy's I point it out and he can't see it. I'm saying: 'it's just there.. look'. He still can't see it. I realise that he is looking on the wrong side of the road, he has his directions totally reversed. After a good laugh (and he still can't work out where he is) we head into Hardy's to buy some bits and pieces. I decide to check if they have any Martha Tillar products and am directed to a booth at the back left. They have lots of different choices from the Biokos range for wrinkles, and I can't decide what to buy. I end up getting two moisturisers, two night creams, a toner, a cleansing milk, and two different types of masks for a grand total of Rp 197000. Impressive!! I'd like to buy the girls some of her products for younger skin, but they don't have any so I'll look in Supanova or Mataharri's some other time.
We walk back to the hotel via the streets. It's a nice walk until we have to travel along the Bypass Road. In future we'll stick to the beach.
I can't remember when Libby from work is arriving at the Paradise Plaza so we decide to call in as we are passing to see if she and her hubby have arrived yet. Yes.. arrived today, so we wait in the lobby for them. Our whole hotel and grounds would fit into the lobby of this hotel.
After a beer and a chat we make plans to meet them at 'The Corridor' for dinner. It's just over the road from them and a quck nip down the laneway from the back gate for us.
We have a beautiful meal and some yummy cocktails. The others want to try something Indonesian so I suggest Nasi Campur. It comes out looking fantastic and I regret not choosing it myself. I have ordered 'Chardonnay Fish' which ends up being very nice so no regrets after all. Glenn has a Balinese chicken dish which he also enjoys. Between us we had 6 small Bintangs, a pina colada, a tequila sunrise, a mango margarita and two southern comforts with lemonade. The total bill for food and drinks for four came to Rp 347000.
A good night of chit chat all round. Libby and I knew one another from work but that was as far as the association went. We all got along like old friends and we will make sure we catch up again soon. They are keen to join us on some of the adventures we have planned. Unfortunately they have already made plans to meet with the driver they had from the airport to discuss various tours at 10am tomorrow so are unable to join us on our bike riding tour tomorrow.
Libby has never been to Bali or out of Australia before, and Andrew has been here once before in the early 80's with a group of guys, just for 4 days. Strangely he remembers little of it! They've only been here for half a day and have already fallen in love with the people and place.
Once again I think of what a small world it can be, with someone I know staying at a hotel just over the road from us, considering how many hotels there are to choose from
We go back to our hotel for drinkies and coffee, but the back gate is locked. It's after 10 so no wonder. The only reason it was open last night was because we were home so early. Around to the front we walk, with not a soul to be seen in the hotel.
We get organised for the morning, it's going to be an early start with Agus from Bali Budaya Bicycle tours picking us up at 8am. He rang this evening to confirm and the plan was for a 7am pick up, then rang back a few minutes later to change it to 8am as he had another pick up first. Yehhhaaaa, we can sleep in a bit longer and still have breakky at the hotel before leaving.
There is not a peep from the Karaoke tonight, Yasa had told us that it is only usually on Saturday nights, and that it's not usually until 3.30 am. He hadn't been impressed by it at all. Apparently it was the last night of the Ham festival, so they were all making the most of their last night.