Thank you all so far for your wonderful responses and kind comments, it's the least I can do to say thank you to everyone for all the tips etc on this forum. It really is a 'lifesaver'
On to my final recount of the last week of our 3rd holiday in Bali. I have to say it was our best one yet, and we will return ,(I'm guessing), the same time next year. I am already wishing I was back there !
15th March
Today is Saturday, and it's today my wife gets pampered at the Melasti spa, and I get a few beers at the Stadium Bar ! Had my usual brekkie...fruit, yoghurt, bacon , eggs, sausage, toast , Haricot (thanks Stormy) beans, tomato... Americanised coffee and a pastry. I check the room safe, we are having trouble spending $100 a day, and most of this seems to be at Starbucks! On finishing brekkie I check that our room upgrade is all hunky dory for Tuesday. We are told it is. We get in a Bluebird..(we never used any other taxis during our stay), and off to Kuta. We stop at the Kodak moneychanger on the left hand side of Jl Pratama, a few metres past the Conrad, and the 'first' Bumbu Bali.Rate was 8400 from memory
We arrive at Kuta, and straight to the markets that lead down to the beach, (sorry, forgot the name of the street)..I bought a couple of pairs of boardies, some sunglasses and a t-shirt. During my bartering, I fell about laughing when one of the stall holders said to me...'lighten up, you barter too hard'..I mean..what do you say, apart from smile and give out a bit more ? We had lunch on the corner of Kartika Plaza..it's a huge resort, and fronted by a nice bar..I think it's called the Rayonara? But don't quote me on this one! We enjoy a nice chicken dish , a mee goring, a bintang and a cocktail.It's time to wander down to the Melasti Beach bungalows. 5pm, I escort my dearest to the spa, and tell her I'll pick her up about 9ish...hopefully I'll still be able to walk ! I walk the hundred metres or so to the Stadium,a nd enjoy a nice Bintang. BONUS!! The infamous Queensland Reds are live on the big screen, all the way form Suncorp Stadium, and I watch, as unbelievably, they beat the Bulls 40 - 8 . I order some chicken bite thingies and chilli sauce, and enjoy 2 or 3 more nice cold beers.At this point I would really love a bundy and coke! Sadly, my evening is cut short by a group of Japanese tourists who decide to sit right in front of me, ( the bar is a 3rd full), and chain smoke. I was up and out of there quicker than I got there, I couldn't stand having smoke in my face and all the horrible throat clearing and snuffling that accompanied it! This is one thing I think Bali need sto srt out, in some places there are designated smoking areas, and some are blatantly ignored.
So, I clear out, and go back to the markets to try and get something for my wife as a surprise.Haldf way through my search I know whatever I get will be wrong colour, size, style and anything else I could get wrong. I abort, and walk swon to Bail Discovery and enjoy a muffin and a coffee at Starbucks...(yes, there again).9pm... quick stroll up the street..NO..I don't want transport..NO, I don't want to scratch your cards and NO, I don't need a driver for tomorrow .Sound familiar?
I get to the Spa as my wife is having a foot bath and massage, just in time to pay , and head off for dinner. I think the 4 hour treatment was 440,000..so I gave 50,000 to the heavily pregnant lady who massaged my wife's feet. I was starving..so headed to Poppies and ate at Bamboo Corner, which, to be blatantly honest was appalling.. only the black rice pudding would entice me back.Taxi home, went to the hotel bar for a cocktail or 2, and off to bed, a really lovely day.Sadly, was the beginning of the end of the journey
16th March
Would it surprise you if I said 'brekkie'? Yes..we are getting used to the Germans and their towel routine, always the same loungers are targeted. Should I get up early one morning and move them around? Hmmm..I'll sleep on that one.
We went for a walk along the beach, so out of the Novotel, turn right and head up to the alleyway adjacent to the Lucky duck and the art markets.On the way , we stop and talk to the beach seller ladies, we buy some sarongs and a couple of dresses, I also order some dressier boardies for later pick up.We eventually get to the art market before I melt, and we examine their wares. Looking for sunglasses, and anything tha take sour fancy. I stop and watch a Russian couple bartering for a fruit bowl, and they get very animated when the seller refuses to drop his price. It turned out they offered him $2 for this bowl,and he told me he would be 'bankroot'.. I entered into negotiations for a larger bowl, and ended up paying about $15 for it.. he was really happy, blessed the money as it was his first sale.I wish him good luck for the rest of the day, he shook my hand, very humble are these people.
What's left of my feet trudge off again back down the peninsula, and we stop off at Casa Grande for a cold drink.This place has a broadband wireless hotspot,a nd it's FREE ! The guy is very knowledgeable regarding owning land in bali,a nd we quiz him..actually grill him for an hour or so! I had to give in and get a taxi back to the hotel and have a rest. Two hours later and I'm semi recovered, and good enough to go have dinner at Bualu village and see my mate Sukthi. We had dinner at Tropical restaurant with its 3 for 2 bintang offer, and free garlic bread. We had some satays, I had a fish dish and better half a chilli chicken dish. All for 142,000rp. I bought 250000rp worth of gifts of Sukthi, and we talked in French and German for a while. I was hoping I could learn how you say, ' take those pool towels back, and get them when you need them'..unfortunatley, she couldn't help me.We were provided with free transport to the Novotel, and I had to laugh when I entered the foyer in the middle of an argument with a 'superior' room dweller and the hotel manager. I sat close enough so I could hear ...lol... and they agreed to upgrade him to a Tropical terrace room for just $15 a night...funny that..it's costing me $40us a night!! He said that he was in an 'inferior' room and how dare they market it is anything else !! He was the epitome of the quintessential whingeing Pom, but I agreed with all he said, and I know others would have too!
17th March
Brekkie..well we would , wouldn't we? And we walk , ( I think my feet are still living), back up the peninsula in search of a silver bracelet for our 17 year old lad. A lot of the silver is this widely marketed is at those 'leo' silver shops. They don't seem to want to barter, and they all stick at the same price. Reluctantly I pay around $12 for a black leather with sliver tipped bracelet. We were disappointed we couldn't get what we 'really' wanted. With this out of the way, I went to my beach seller friends to fulfill my promise of buying those dressy boardies from them. We then went back to the room, had a rest for a while and then back to the first painting shop you come to after walking past MINI restaurant. We are in search of some nice cream, grey and silver paintings for our apartment , and find them we did! I managed to get one painting that is 1.2m by 1m..and three slightly smaller ones for 800,000 ($100). I then agree a separate price, 120000 for the framing. We return a while later and everything is wonderfully packaged for our trip home...( I have this lady's contact details if anyone is interested).Later that day we returned to bali collection for , yes, you guessed it...Starbucks..and for me to buy a couple of Polo business shirts. In the evening we had our complimentary dinner, (stayed more than 9 consecutive nights).. and it was the Indonesian buffet. This was 'adequate' but no real Balinese food on offer, just the usual meals you would get anywhere. The desserts were nice though, and so were the cakes. It was also accompanied by local dancing and one wasa guest from the hotel kids' club, she was simply divine.
Ok, I have now decided that I will do an 'unscheduled ' 4th JBR that details our upgraded room, the staff, the flight home (oh dear)..and anything else I've forgotten
This trilogy is now a quadrilogy, and apologies to people expecting the tropical terrace commentary in this one.I promise it will all be in the next one, which WILL be the last !PROMISE!!
Cheers
Wharfie