Did I mention that when we got to our room last night, the phone was ringing? It was the Binnie factory just confirming that we had arrived and were intent on staying the two weeks. I told them we may pop up to Amed at some stage and hanging up I heard the drone of trucks heading north.
So first morning in Bali, the centre of art and culture, some even say the spiritual hub of the world, what does one do, where does one start? I don't know about you guys, but being typical 'Real Bali' seekers (and kiwis) we decided to walk on up to Bintang and buy cheap booze for the room just in case the Island runs out.
On the way I bumped into Gusti (our driver) he must have been cleaning his exhaust pipe as I had to drag him out from right underneath his car. I told him to cancel any business he had for the next fortnight, as I may want to use him at some stage. I reached into my pocket and gave him some coin, about 700Rp from memory, basically as a retainer. Man those Balinese have a ritual for everything. As soon as he saw what I had given him, he spat on it and threw it over his shoulder. Things like that impress me, as apart from taking candid pictures of sheep and heavy drinking, we don't really have any thing that matches their symbolic gestures.
Oh yeah I digress, on the way to the Bintang shop we were amazed to see not one, but three fire engines screaming along JL Legian and turn down Jl Padma. That afternoon when we wandered down Garlic Lane we were astounded to see that Hulu had burned to the ground. I shuddered remembering that I had only been standing outside it a bit prior to it catching fire. Hell of a coincidence I must say.
Ha, having read the BTF carefully I was not surprised to be approached by a little round fellow outside the Bintang, realizing it was just my reflection in the doors, I was really surprised the second time I was approached by another little round fellow, and he was selling optical glasses. He kept rabbiting on about being mentioned on the BTF and I kept telling him I didn't know what he was talking about.
I also told him that I didn't need glasses and that he could go away, when he spoke to me I realised I was talking to one of the columns and he was behind me. Okay, put glasses in the frames that look like you are a genuine nerdy nerd type person, he started sticking different lenses in until I suddenly realised that when my dear mommy used to tell me to stop or I would go blind, she was right. Suddenly I could see as well as when I was a kid.
Gave me a hell of a fright so I turned to Emms to see what she really looked like. A pleasant surprise she was beautiful, as good as she looks when I look at her through my special beer goggles.
So I started negotiating as only a poor kiwi on a limited budget and lousy exchange rates can. That done, I put the goggles on and headed off, only to be chased down the street by the little dude and him asking for the glasses back. Woo little man I just brought these. Seems I hadn't, and then I had to pick frames. Crikey if I had of known that I would have not screwed him down so hard.
Picking frames that (I think) made me look a bit like Brad Pitt except a bit older, shorter, uglier and fatter; he told me that he would deliver them to our room at 4pm.
I will jump to that meeting. We hurried from the bar at 3:55 and wandered into the lobby of the hotel when a guy approached me and mumbled something to me. I said no thanks mate and he had another crack at me. I said I'm not interested right. I've got an appointment at 4pm. I crossed the lobby and said to Emms that he was a cheeky persistent bugger. She wasn't there, so I turned to see where she was and she was laughing and talking to this guy that had interrupted me.
I wandered back and asked what was so bloody funny and important as I had this appointment. She explained that it was the glasses guy and they both started laughing again.
CHRIST I felt like a plonker, but what the hell does an optician expect.
Ianz