If our body is 90% water then mine is 89% pocari sweat. Funny thing is I'd never drink anything that tastes like dirty dish water (which my wife has confirmed it tastes like) at home but here I'll try just about anything. Wish I could say the same thing about the wife (You do realize she giggles when she reads this stuff) What is it with Bali?
I drink cans of isotonic water called Sweat, I eat biscuits called sand cookies and I slow dance with men. Bali.......
How spewin were we this morning. We all get up early, including our friends who only arrived yesterday and get Raceng's brother in law Gustu to take us to Centro so we can get some Bread Talk....Man did we talk that place up with Cass and Shayne. We must have had about 30 people tell us it was closed and the closer we got the worse that feeling in my stomach got. Yes it was shut. I have so much more respect for the bakers in Australia with their 0300hrs start times, I just wish they could do the triple chocolate bun and chicken curry puff like they do here. Damn you Bread Talk.
So we settled for the little café next to it. I think it's named Bali Café. It's on the left of Bread Talk. They have a small selection of pastries and make the thickest crepes I've ever seen. They are almost big enough to be pancakes. I had an almond croissant and a chicken curry puff. The kids had crepes and I have no idea nor do I care what anyone else had because the almond croissant was fanfriggentastic. I'm a sucker for almonds at the best of times but this really was nice. I know there is somewhere better no doubt but it was pretty bloody good.
Toilets at the Mini Mart across the road.......3 out of 10. Toilets in Centro at 0830hrs.....closed but 10 out of 10 when they are open.
Back in the car and headed to the Kuta Markets. We're suckers for punishment because apart from the hundreds of, 'Yes morning price', it was about 48 degrees in there.
We bought a few things. Surf shirts 40000rph and kids two piece outfits 25000rph. We walked past one lady there and she was a card. Needless to say she picked us as Aussies straight away and instead of, 'Morning price', we got 'Bloody cheap price'. We bought from her, needless to say. Nice lady. Should have got her name because we've bought from her on other trips to Bali.
Jumped back in the car and headed to Poppies II but we pretty much got as far as Fat Yogies (By the way Yogi is Swiss and not that fat. In fact he's kinda old and in my opinion a little sleazy.......my apologies if you know him and he turns out to be a saint)
It was so hot. We were running on empty by that stage so turned around and headed back to the hotel and pool.
Bit of a gripe about the All Seasons. Our friends who are staying here didn't get a second bed but the hotel said they'd make the day bed up for $15.00US a day. Funny because we only paid $30AU per day per room as it was.
The booking stated they should supply bedding for the day bed, so fair enough we screwed up about the second bed. We got onto the wife's office back in Perth and they rang the wholesaler who rang the hotel and got the same story. The wholesaler was stunned.
In the end the hotel refused to provide the bedding without payment so the wholesaler is going to refund Cass the money........unbelievable.
I went for a wander to drop of some laundry around the corner. Hotel wanted 12000rph per item and we had 30 odd pieces. The laundry 62000rph total......I suppose that's no different than the mini bar and that's why no one drinks from the mini bar....at least we don't.
After the laundry visit I thought I'd go for wander along JL Werkudara which is the extension of the street the All Seasons is on. Did you ever start doing something and then just couldn't stop, ya know sorta like meeting a girl and then getting married and realizing you don't even know her name. I get in so much strife when I keep calling my wife Matilda, Susan, Henrietta.
Anyway, I started walking and walked all the way down to JL Double Six. Remember the whole Bintang City Marathon on Day two, or was it one. It was such a blur......Well once I got to Double Six I turned towards the beach and kept going.
Oh yeah but the shops along JL Werkudara, once you get past the market style shops, are quite nice. You go past the Jayakarta Hotel (I think) and the shops become, shops. I know it sounds strange but they are all little shops with shop fronts and no one shouting at you. Don't get me wrong I reckon it's great getting yelled at for 4 hours, really, what can I say to convince you. I enjoy that side of Bali but this was a nice and sudden change.
I found a really nice kids clothing store. Called Lala Island on JL Werkudara. It's a bit like a cross between Kuta Kids and Cirque De Soliel but I know the wife would like it.
Didn't check out the prices but we'll have a look in the next day or nine. You know how people buy stuff to wear in Bali but you know they'll never wear it when they get back to Australia, well maybe this is one of those shops but honestly the clothing did look cute and I know cute, because my kids are the cutest in the world, height to weight ratio.
Wandered along JL Double Six to the beach and back towards Kuta. There are a truck load of nice looking restaurants and hotels along that stretch of beach front. This is the area where Ku De Ta, Seaside etc are. There is some hotel there where the people wear linen pants, silk shirts and sandals so I'm guessing I'll never stay there but at least they didn't kick sand on me. Their 78 year old mother looked younger than me. Does silicon harden in the heat?
The hotels were very nice. I didn't get the name of that particular one simply because I know I'll never stay there.
Walked down to JL Padma and past Posers. That place is always packed. Another place is Warung Yogat???? It's almost opposite La Monde and while I'm a bit hesitant to eat there with the kids, it's always busy and the smells are pretty tempting.
I reckon I walked about 8 km's which is handy because we went to Bubba Gumps for dinner. Yeah I know it's all very Hard Rockish but the food was great, the people nice and the Cookies and Crème thick shake was one of the best I've ever had.
They are great with the kids and gave them colouring in to do while we ate so it was a pleasant 30 minutes of peace and tranquility interposed with the odd, 'STOP FOREST STOP', and 'RUN FOREST RUN'.
Remember when the Lone Star was all the rage in Perth and the kids working there looked 'SO' enthused when they had to line dance. I like that the Balinese seem to enjoy being dags sometimes. I like being a dag with them.
I am so having the ribs next time we go there. For three kids and four adults with main meals and drinks, including two massive cocktails it was 700000rph or just under $100.00AU which in Perth would be more than reasonable. Toilets 9 out of 10. (Can you tell I've got daughters)
Before we went to dinner we visited Ricki MARTIN at Elief's Store and he had all the clothing as promised. The girls were very happy with the quality and bought a truck load. Collared polo shirts 60000rph, surf shorts XXL 50000rph (yeah too much) but all of the women's clothing was only 40000rph for any and every item. All in all for 15 items, shorts, skirts, polo and surf shirts 700000rph. Nice thing was that I screwed up the prices in their favour, Ricki corrected it in my favour and his son didn't steal our pram this time.
Then dinner. I even made the mistake of promising to look at someone's shop before we went in. He waited till we had finished and approached me outside so a promise is a promise. His shop was directly behind Bubba Gumps. While I can't recommend the shop because I had three blokes hovering around me and even got hands on at one stage the quality was good and the prices fair. I gave him a bit of 'Hati Hati', and he backed off, that and I was wearing my spider man PJ's so they knew they were in trouble.
I know everyone has a Bali story about making a promise to someone but I even made a promise I didn't remember. Some young bloke approached me, knew my name and that the day before knew I had been at Centro with the kids in a pram........He must have great hearing (wish my wife listened to me that well) because I know I didn't speak to him. I was shattered by 2100hrs so was as polite as could be. Must have been a bad day for him because he even asked for 10000rph just to buy something to drink. Call me tight but don't call me late for dinner (thanks for that one dad). If he knew what I liked on my cornflakes I was soooooo leaving my wife for him.
Stopped at Bread Talk to pick up some breakfast for an early start tomorrow before I get all Clint Eastwood. (Not telling you can wait)