Just back - oh what a lovely trip! Daughters 21st & son's mates 18th -all boded for BIG week of celebrations!!
4.50am Air Asia flight from Perth was not too bad - best part was arriving in airport to see some changes - arrivals terminal now a lot bigger and oh! surprise of surprises - we knew that this flight is the only one arriving around 8.30 so Immigrasi shouldn't be too bad - someone must have stuffed the rosters up - Praise the lord & pass me a Bintang!! - 10 Immigration officers on duty!!! Passed through them quicker that last night's Mie Goreng after a dose of Bali belly!! Pick up bags, driver waiting - plane to hotel in under 1 hour - great start!!
Stayed at Casa Padma again - we're not fancy but we're cheap!! Nice little hotel though, same room as last time with the added benefit of nothing between karaoke at Legend Bar across the street & your room but fresh air, so we were serenaded to sleep every night by some truly wonderful singers! Amazing how everyone becomes Michael Buble after 10pm? Hmm - must get a different room next time. But nice to see they had kept the room exactly as it was before, nice touch - door lock to bathroom still broken, window & wood panel to said door still have the same cracks, same kettle too - 15 mins to boil water, said to wifey that it would have been quicker just to leave it in the sun! - nicest part was that showers still only trickles hot water - oh after 10 mins of waiting!! Ahhhh Bali - gotta love it.
Weather was actually very good, despite long rain Denpasar weather forecasters predicting 14 days of thunderstorms - kinds of expected to see arks being built, but no - just a shower first day & some torrents on 2 nights.
Tried to eat at different restaurant each night - same same but different! Legend bar, Billy's bar, Wayan & Friends ( Putu & Kadek are great!!) Sheppy's, Uncle Norms - highlights were probably Mozzarella on the Beach & Lemongrass Thai - just brilliant. Had daughters 21st at Mozzarella on the Beach - staff were so good,17 diners & food was in the Rp 60 - 90k range but oh soooo good - steak in a red wine sauce, wrapped in bacon with a duck mousse on top mmmmmmmmm! Cocktails Rp75k & 2 for 1 - felt kinda sorry for the cocktail makers as they certainly got a workout that night!!
We all love the Legend Bar so this time I think we helped Mr Anthony (owner) pay off a large part of his mortgage - 2 for 1 cocktails, tequila shooters - son, cousin & mate certainly did their best to assist, staff are great & nice to see Anguss & Carlos still there & happy to see us back too. Must have remembered that last time we helped Mr Anthony?
Spent one day bike riding from Kintimani to Ubud - so glad that volcano is steep - down!! very little riding & a whole lot of braking - but a great day, breakfast at volcano, visit to coffee / spice place & tried all the different teas - lemongrass, ginger, fresh coco & poo coffee - sounds terrible but if you've heard of it, you'll know what I'm talking about. It was ok, just a strong coffee. Visited a few compounds, temples & finished with a nice Indonesian buffet. Ended up walking like John Wayne after a long movie, but the aches & pains were worth it.
Spent each evening soaking up sunset at the Blue bar - "You'll see it down at the beach", says brother in law -" it's got a blue umbrella". Sounds logical, sounds simple? Not! Turns out that of course there are dozens of blue umbrellas! but we did find it eventually and each night when we trudged down there to meet family, Radess was there with his big smile & soo cold Bintangs.
Needless to say, days were spent shopping, walking," Hey Boss, you want sunglass, watch?" - but that's Bali for everyone isn't it? Seems to be getting a lot busier though & there were certainly a lot more kids on the street trying to sell wrist & ankle tie ons & mums with babies in tow begging. Very sad.
Glad to see the locals are all overcoming the traffic jam problems - when the traffic is all banked up, motorbikes all use the footpath! Beep beep - look out!!
Flight home was brilliant -AA left on time & only about 1/2 full so when the seat belt light went ping at cruising altitude, mad scramble for the empty rows at the back! Very relaxing flight spread out over 3 rows! So of course customs & immigration was also a breeze - not other flights landing in Perth - touchdown 7.30pm, walk into home at 8.30.