Our last Breakfast at the U Paasha and I'm well and truly over the huge range of choice. I'd be much better off if I just had 2 slices of toast, but I KNOW about all the other options on offer and I simply cannot let myself waste this opportunity for what feels like a free breakfast. Yes, I've paid for it in my room rate, but it feels like a good deal until I just cannot stuff in any more food. Note to self: next time would I consider not including the Buffet Breakfast?
We have time to buy a few more random DVD's and Music CD's nearby, mostly multiple copies of The Lego Movie and Frozen so that my friends can occupy their kids in the upcoming school holidays.
Katt and Emily and I catch a taxi to Bintang Supermarket while Hoppy starts the long, arduous task of packing her luggage. She brings a lot and goes home with a lot.
Outside Bintang I run into another work colleague, along with her daughter who are also leaving tonight and we compare a few notes before heading on our way to the chemist next to Bintang. Here Emily wants to try the Fish Spa - its 50k for 20 minutes, and she insists on me doing it with her. I only give in because I know she will chicken out as soon as they all start nibbling, so we pay up and sit down. Instantly she wants to take her feet out, because they are tickling so much, but I convince her to persist and we take it in turns 'Sharing' the little fish - i take my feet out and they flock to her feet and she then does the same. They will happily nibble anything you put in the tank, and I think it feels a bit like bubbles from a spa bath. A few customers within the Chemist shop come to talk to us, mostly raving about the Fish Spa and how lovely our feet will feel afterwards. We hurry up and vacate the tank for the next lot of customers... those poor fish will be huge if they keep getting fed this frequently. They've just had 8 feet in the past 40 minutes!
After our spa we browse again at a few more bead and souvenier shops, not really bargaining hard at all but having a laugh with the sellers and insisting, tongue in cheek, on a good price. As far as we are concerned its a good price if a) I want the item, b) its cheaper than I would pay at home and c) its not the price they asked first. Its pretty easy to meet these 3 requirements.
We get pretty warm by midday, and take a taxi back to the hotel for a swim. Hoppy joins us for lunch at Cafe Bali, directly across the road from the hotel. We have some very nice satay, a burger and the obligatory Vanilla bean milkshake.
More pool time and we reluctantly start packing our bags to check out tonight.
We try to stay reasonably close to the hotel for dinner, once again trying the Junction and this time insisting on eating upstairs. We can't decide why the staff always seem so reluctant to let us eat up there - it is a good view, great flow of breeze from the street, but the area is much smaller than it looks from below and only has about 3 tables and a few low bench seats. Nonetheless we prefer it up here and order some fish (very nice and gets the tick of approval from Emily), my regular pasta which I have had one too many times, and 2 other pasta dishes which rate highly from Katt and Hoppy.
Having checked out of our room, we take advantage of the fact that Katt still has access to her penthouse room and lounge around for an hour trying to drink the free wine we have carried from Benoa, to the Safari Park and back to Seminyak. Its not the best, and even less drinkable without proper wine glasses, but it was a free bottle, and some cheese and crackers help us get through about half of it.
About 8.30 Kadek collects us and takes us to the airport, many hugs goodbye and a selfie with Emily, and we take advantage of one of the porters to help us get the huge amount of luggage to the check in desk. This is the best 50k/$5 I have spent today - the porter enables us to skip the whole x-ray queue and confers with some random airport staff which results in us walking straight to the front of the business class check in line despite the fact that we are on economy class tickets. We then pay our exit fees of 200k each (no discount for kids) and line up for customs and immigration, again another wonderful people watching exercise. Lots of sunburn, hair braids, evidence of squirmy tummies and kids up way past their bed time.
The new Duty Free shop is not a patch on what it was in the past (IMHO), they have only 2 kinds of vodka - expensive and REALLY expensive. There is no Gin for Hoppy (sold out) and really not much variety at all. The cheapest vodka was about $34 USD which is not that much cheaper than at home from Dan Murphy. I'm disappointed not to be able to take advantage of this shopping as usually Jetstar ban Duty Free grog, and this is a one time chance to take some home with Garuda. Oh well... i'll just have to drink wine at home then.
The airport has grown a lot since our last trip - it was brand new last November when we were here last, and there are a lot more shops and gate lounges open this time, but it still feels very crowded as you are forced to walk through endless shops to get to where you are going. As with any airport, prices are high and the range of options is limited. Bottle of Evian water anyone?
We find our gate lounge and sit... and sit... and wait... and wait. As with the trip over, there are no announcements and no clear signage on the TV screens. At one point the power to the airport goes off and comes back on which was enough just to keep us awake. The delay lasts about an hour and we all start to move as soon as we can see the wheelchair bound lady being led to the front of the line. Bags are inspected for liquids, however this is the one and only time we have been screened so nothing like the previous multiple pat downs and xrays we used to endure. Again someone needs to print reams and reams of paper on a dot matrix printer before we can board... I'm glad someone is keeping that industry alive. Where else do you need dot matrix printer and paper?
The flight is uneventful, thankfully the SCREAMING baby gave up shortly after takeoff, and we did our best to sleep sitting up in the middle row of seats. Breakfast is served at some ungodly hour like 4am, and is enough to keep us going till we get home.
On arrival the 'Smart gate' system which reads the special chip in your passport is not working properly so we were thankfully directed to the front of the express line for diplomats. I must say, we've had some great lines (eg. nonexistent) and some humdingers... I guess it balances out.
We retrieve our Luggage quickly, and Emily announces that she still has the Frangipani leaf from our fancy dinner in her pocket. We have to ditch that before we meet the Quarantine man, and we declare our wooden beads, Indian feather headdress and baskets and once again they really don't care. Its become obvious that Australian Quarantine are not going to waste their time on regular Bali travellers, i guess they are focusing on the type of people you see bringing in raw meat on Border Security.
We line up for a taxi, telling the taxi rank supervisor that we have had refusals from taxis in the past as we live relatively close to the airport, and she tells us not to tell them our destination until we are all in the cab. Its a bit scary and I really dont' want to deal with a cranky cabbie driving like a maniac because he's angry at us, but thankfully, he is nice, pleasant and understanding that sometimes you do get a short trip. Nonetheless he still makes about $40 from our fare with two drop offs so I really don't think its that bad.
Its grey, cold and rainy by the time we get home and Emily perks up realising that all the other kids are just going off to School for the day, while she is planning on sitting in bed watching dozens of new DVD's.
Postscripts:
Emily LOVED LOVED LOVED her first trip to Bali... and continues to rave about it to anyone who will listen. Given the choice of Hawaii or Bali, she says she prefers Bali which is a big call. I still plan to have Child-free trips to Bali so I can shop and eat without worry, but it was lovely to share the Bali experience with her.
The Bali Safari Park experience has ruined our trips to Werribee Zoo. Nothing compares to having Rhinos and Elephants below your balcony and next to the pool. Patting Lion cubs and hand feeding elephants makes a bus ride past a few giraffes look very tame now.
The Movies and TV shows on Hard Drive are wonderful - you can plug them directly into your Tv or laptop and never have to change a disk. The couple who sold it to us sent us a lovely text message before we left wishing us a safe trip home. Highly recommend this service.
I hope somebody got something out of my very long JBR and thank you to all who read it.