Day Siz and our group finally broke apart, and we did different things.
Myself, hubby, Master 14 and Master 2 went to Waterbom, and mum, Auntie and Uncle shuffled into Discovery Shopping Centre.
Waterbom was a blast.. most of our time was spent floating around the lazy river, as Master 2 found even the kiddy pools a bit too dramatic for him. The weight of the water tipping from the big overhead bucket would knock him off his feet if we weren't careful.
My opinion of Waterbom. It definitely rivals anything Australia has to offer in the same vein. Very very very clean, professional, lifeguards, cleaners, maintenance staff, etc. etc. everywhere making sure everything is running smoothly, and that you are being well looked after. Really very impressive!
So Daddy, Master 2 and I lazed around for a few hours, while Master 14 ran around diving onto as many rides as possible. He had a great time, and after a few hours we were ready to leave.
We dried off, changed and wandered over to Discovery to meet the rest of our party for lunch. (With scarecrow hair because I'd forgotten a comb!)
In three hours mum and company had managed to walk through to the beach, stop for a drink at Black Canyon Coffee, and browse the centre display section in the next door. They hadn't even made it to an escalator!
We ate at Black Canyon Coffee. Nice location, comfortable, the menu is good with a nice variety and the food is well cooked and presented nicely. My opinion.. meh. It was nice. You wouldn't want to eat there if you were starving hungry, or a big eater. The portion sizes were the smallest I've encountered in Bali. That being said, it was enough for us, and Master 2 was particularly happy with his chicken and rice head. (food art.. gotta love it!) Price for us all with shared entrees and 2 rounds of drinks, 1.1 mill.
Now I love shopping at Discovery.. The aircon is brilliant, the prices are cheaper than home (though not as cheap as you can get elsewhere) and its just a real treat to get away from market stalls and haggling over that last 50 cents. Not to say that I don't love the markets, but its nice to take a break, refresh and get back to it later.
My favourite part of Discovery is the second floor. Shoes, clothes, kids wear, shoes, bags, shoes, and of course Shoes! :)
That being said, I didn't do more than glance sideways at shoes as I dashed into the kids section. I had 10 minutes to pick up a few nice pieces for Master 2 and ensure our return, and I was determined to get it done!
The first part of my plan was easy.. I just ran around grabbing stuff that I liked, and had the many staff find the right sizes for me. They were all then delivered to the cashier, while I kept shopping. The second part was far more devious. I stopped in the Polo section... lovely clothes, but nothing small enough for the little man. I grabbed a couple of gorgeous (but a bit pricey) jackets, that were a size too big, and added them to the purchases.
That was it... all done. Paid for our purchases, and within the allotted time frame I was on my way out of the store with bags swinging merrily.
Why was I happy about this limited manic shopping expedition? Because I now have in my possession 2 $30 polo jackets that are too big, and too expensive to just shrug about... so mumsie dearest has decided that we 'must' go back to Discovery to return them. hehehe.. I love it when a good plan comes together ;)
So back into the van.. which we are getting very adept at entering! Hubby, Master 2 and I dive into the back seat, tuck our feet up so that they don't get squished as the middle seats are clicked back into place. Master 14 slides into the centre seat, and then Nyoman and Master 14 help push and pull mum and Auntie into the seats on either side. In their defence, the van does ride rather high off the ground, and it is a bit of a climb for them.
By the time mum and Auntie are in, Uncle has managed to get himself ensconced in the front seat, and we are ready to go.
I really should mention that Uncle (a retired lawyer) does a small daily courier run back in Perth to keep himself busy, and fancies himself quite the driver. However, since our arrival in Bali he has been a very quiet passenger.
At first small comments of "oh my goodness", "they won't fit", "he's got a death wish", and the like could be heard being squeeked out. But they have slowly disappeared, and now we find that instead there are appearing a larger number of claw marks upon the dash board and seat upholstery from his death grip.
We've offered Uncle a seat further from the windscreen, but he's being all manly about it and is determined to see it through to what he is sure will be a bloody end! Men!
We drove back to the villa via Bali Deli, mostly to stock up for another night in, and a driverless day today.
Apparently Nyoman's cousin is getting married, and today is the Proposal day. I'm not quite sure of the custom, but that means as the best man Nyomans not available, so rather than bother with them trying to find a replacement driver, we've decided to spend the day lazing around, and stick close to home.
Mum, Auntie and I are heading off for facials, foot scrubs, and general all over pampering... and then this afternoon we're kicking the menfolk out, and sending them off to laze around the beach bars for a while. Bliss for us all!
Hope you all have a great day!
BaliDaze
P.S. Weather!! (haven't forgotten Cath!). It was a bit overcast yesterday morning. A few drops of rain on the way to Waterbom, but was sunny by midday. Another big storm last night, thunder to wake the dead, but bright and sunny this morning again.
I love these night rains!