Our first breakfast at Pondok Ayu is a cordial affair. As is the set-up there, we sit at a large 10-seater round table with the handful of other guests and of course cannot help but chat.
An Indonesian watch designer, with European wife and toddler...a warehouse manager at a Margaret River winery with wife and teenage daughter etc.etc.
Banana pancakes (a la Tegal Sari) are not on the breakfast menu. I ask anyway......no problem,no problem, and they make it happen.
My shower this morning was the strongest I've ever had in my life, like a fireman's hose and still some power in reserve. I'm ready for the day.
Gede drives us to the Respati.
Matt's no better or no worse. He's been up all night and doesn't look great, although he's up and walking around.
He assures us that he doesn't need a hospital, just rest and pain relief. I can't even begin to imagine how painful an ulcerated colon would be. He's run out of Buscopan and asks if we can find a pharmacy. I jump in a taksi and ask "Apotik di mana?" and we speed off.
The pharmacist brings out the Buscopan and I ask how much. Rp 36,000 for 10......36,000? are you sure? It was then I realised we'd been ripped off at the pharmacy in Ubud, we must've looked in dire straits that day and payed accordingly, Rp112,000 for 4. OUCH!
We're supposed to be meeting up with BloodyRon at Sanur Beach Villas today for the SkigRon 'cultural tour' of Sanur's finest eateries/watering holes.
A fortnight ago he had given me a bit of a well intentioned spray here on this forum about my reataurant choices in Sanur. He kindly offered to help us in our quest for the coldest bintangs and the the tastiest food. I named it the 'Slosh and Nosh' tour and had been quite looking forward to it. We were to meet before noon 'beside the big red esky under the tree of knowledge'.
After mucking around that morning with one thing or another and with our best drinker down, it was quickly becoming clear that we weren't going to make it for the first bounce. I was going to have to stand BloodyRon up. Crikey! That's not going to go down well on the forum when I get back.
We spend the day close to the hotel, in the pool and grab a quick bite for lunch at Benno's. The 'beach girls' pounce of course and we end up going to just about every shop in the markets..."just look OK?. We spend most of our money in Tootsie's 'fixed price' shop.
That night we (including Matt) step out for a bite at a plush looking place called Caramel next to the Puri Santrian.
CARAMEL
2 sm bintang,sm equil,garlic bread,prawn tapas entree,prawn coconut entree,duck confit main,seafood emulsion main,creme brulee and tiramisu...Rp435,000 inc 21% tax and service.
Fairly pricey but it was a lovely meal in a very ambient setting.
We were all just so glad that Matt came out.