Day 10. Fairy's, fairy's, bloody fairy's. What is it with little girls and fairy's. Apparently fairy stuff is fairly cheap in Bali. It's almost as though such shops have a god-sent magical force field which drives blokes away.
Anyway my daughter is having another fairy birthday party at the end of this month and the wife and her were on a 'fairy mission'. My son and I just rolled our eyes in fairy contempt. After one failed attempt to find a fairy shop in Kuta on our first visit to Waterbom Park they were doubly determined to find their prize second time around.
There were two shops they tell me that specialise in fairy glam. For the sake of those with the same infliction for this cult. The first shop is about ½ way along Poppies Lane 1. The other one is 'Yellow Collection' Legian Street No.16 Ph. 762383. This is about 20m North from Bemo Corner in Kuta. They returned with big fairy smiles and a large bag of costumes, headwear, wands and bling such as bedazzled handbags (spew). Anyway enough of that it's giving me the shivers just typing about it!
I haven't written about the virtues of Waterbom Park as they are well covered on the forum. I did however have my first ever massage there.
I have never had a professional massage as I have always thought they would be a bit nandy pandy. I think of a massage as full on elbows etc. I spied a flyer at Waterbom for a 'deep tissue' massage @ RP50 000 for ½ an hour in their Health Spa. What the hell! I thought perhaps I'll give it a burl. Well bugger me 'deep tissue' is a winner!
Of course I was a complete novice. I felt quite the wally standing there struggling to see in the candlelit massage room in wet boardies as the masseuses lady tried to explain that the small white things she was handing me were paper undies, not a face towel! She mimed how to put them on and instructed me to lay on the massage table whist she made her self scarce. OK ... (mental note; do not stand too close to burning candle in paper scruds). I had visions of being a human fire ball(s) of running frantically through Waterbom Park. Now that would be faming hell!
Wally move number 2 was discovered when she returned giggling. I had lay down on the table the wrong way. In the dark I hadn't seen the head hole at the other end of the table just a little foot towel which I thought was for my head. Dummy!
Anyway, the massage was great. 'Deep tissue' was exactly that. A full 30 minutes of non stop elbows, knuckles and pressure in the right places on back, shoulders and legs. I'm now a convert.
The next day we bid a sad farewell to the Novotel Apartments in Nusa Dua and engaged a taxi driver for the enormously long transfer to the Laguna. The poor taxi driver couldn't believe he was lugging the four of us and our bags only 500m down the road. Total taxi fare RP9000. Needless to say he got a healthy tip.
Our stay at the Laguna was more for nostalgia than anything. We have stayed there twice before pre-kids and were married in the grounds in 2000.
Our arrival was announced with a loud gong and we were brought cold towels and real ice-tea. The kids don't drink tea and such things convinced us that this is not really a resort catering for kids. Don't get me wrong it's 5 star and bloody nice. The endless pools and grounds are magnificent. For the price it damn well should be.
The two inter-connecting rooms have been renovated and with touches such as plasma TVs on the stone facia walls. The bathrooms still have showers over baths and the total floor space is a fraction that of the Novotel Apartments. I know the Novotel is new but the apartment there was much nicer.
The next four days and were spent enjoying the expansive breakfasts (which could feed an army) and lazing about the pool. Complimentary afternoon teas meant the kids only needed a muesli bar for lunch and we dined out each night. Again at afternoon tea the kids had a choice of tea, coffee or water. Surely a glass from the mega-litres of juice at breakfast could have been offered. Oh well the kids loved the little cakes etc. and one day my son downed about 8 pancakes to the amazement of the chef.
We met 'SuzieQ' and her husband around the pool. A lovely couple indeed who have been staying at the Laguna for many years.
We organised a late checkout on the last day. The resort was accommodating that President Bang Bang bloke for the night. (In the Presidential Suite of course). He was in town to open an arts festival. We had wondered earlier what or who the soldiers, police and swarms of staff lined up were for.
A final snack at Mai Mai and we scooted off to the airport. We tried the Premier Lounge but they stood firm on US$20 each to enter. We accessed the Prada Lounge for RP200 000 for the four of us. The Prada Lounge had comfy chairs but it was lit up brighter than a racecourse. We made good use of the free grog (I still didn't sleep on the plane). It's the only place I have been served white wine with ice. The food was very very poor and the wife said the ladies loos made her dry-retch. We later passed the Dewi lounge on the way to the gate. The lighting looked softer there so we may give that a spin next time.
Anyway the flights back were fine. Temperature shock at home as Tassie is in the grip of winter with snow and ice about.
The kids have written/dictated their journals and can't wait to go back. I think we will can the idea of Thailand and plan for another couple of weeks back to Bali same time next year.
If you want you can check out some pics at our webshots page (see link).
http://community(dot)webshots(dot)com/user/tassiemays