** Just Back Report Day 2 **
Mus, the villa's Javanese cook (whom we suspect is gay), arrives at 8am sharp. As I wander into the upstairs shower and gaze out into the small front yard, I can see through the window's wooden slats that he's busy flouncing about the yard around the small pool downstairs, sweeping up. Eventually waking the still lazing Tee, I ask the inevitable first day question: banana pancakes, eggs, or both? Scrambled (and strong imported coffee) is the firm choice but half an hour later, Mus as usual has us on a pre-start of watermelon, banana and pineapple. He gives me a big hug when I first see him downstairs - it's unexpected, but very warm - what a sweetheart.
Breakfast is small and perfect.
Now, what to do for the day?
The villa is just a stones throw along Drupadi from the Laksmana corner, so we begin on Eat Street at the furthest eastern end - walking along the much improved pedestrian pathway, veering slowly from store to store, searching for something worthwhile.
After changing over a few hundred $'s, Tee picks up some delightful silver rings (one simple, one ornate, and one bling) for around 350,000Rp each within half an hour (an art gallery - left hand side about 50 metres along, set prices). There is so much to look at and take-in for a first timer (Tee) that we take the best part of 2 hours to make it as far as the marketplace down near Laksmana's end.
In the marketplace we find a little store early, on the south edge. The smiling shopkeeper has a number of simple dresses for Tee to try on in front of us all, and as I'm not one to shy away from watching Tee's g-string displayed at any time of the day, I stick close and strike up a conversation to pass the time. I try a few shirts on too. After a half hour, Tee has a dress and I have 3 short sleeved shirts to bargain on. The storekeep wants 1,000,000Rp right off the bat, to which I offer (stupidly) 600,000 in reply. She's smelled a rube now, and casually offers back 850,000 to which I have little to counter other than 650,000. We settle on 720,000Rp (about AUS$18 a piece) with a handshake, and walk away. Tee thinks we got the bargain of all bargains - I know the store owners husband makes these himself for about 20,000 a piece and babi guling will most definitely be on the menu at their home that night. Still - early days, and compared to the prices we've seen elsewhere along Laksmana, these are not too bad. But I'm clearly out of practice...
We're both very warm from the hot enclosed tent we've been bargaining and changing in, so retreat immediately next door to a new bar and restaurant I have not seen before: The Townhouse. Someone is making upwards of AUS$1500 a shot selling very colourful original paintings along their wire-framed walls. Not to my taste this time, but not bad. The menu is fine and the service is good - we're one of only three tables being used at this late lunch hour (past 2pm). A beer, a cocktail, 2 light mains, and our wallets are 300,000Rp lighter (with 15% tax added in). But we are infinitely happier.
Now reversing our path back towards The Junction and back up Laksmana, the stroll-pace past the stores can increase a little. Until we hit XL Wax (I think it's called - about halfway along the road, quite close to U Pasha on the same side of the road). Tee is jonesing for a leg wax before we start the 'daily massages' I've promised her. Their prices are very reasonable for the area I think, considering they are on the main drag. The bored girls laying about the sofas get her done lickety split in one of their small private rooms and before I've had a chance to finish my cold green tea purchased over the road, she's paid the roughly AUS$10 and is out the door saying it was the 'BEST leg wax she's ever had'. Job done.
The afternoon is now fading away, so time to head back to the villa, although not before dropping in to St.Tropez at the very end of the Laksmana/Drupadi corner, to pick up some new shorts (250,000Rp) and some swimmers (250,000Rp) for your grateful correspondent, and a 10 pack of those little Schweppes tonic cans (8000Rp per can) for our G&T's by the pool. We were bemused that we could not find the larger cans or bottles of tonic for the entire 8 days - someone is making out like bandits on this little racket.
Back at the villa, the first Bombay Sapphire and Gudang Guram goes down a treat. As tiny birds dive bomb the pool & shrubs around us, the night descends and we attempt some contact with the outside world (Facebook, of course) by sneakily piggy-backing the Drupadi Four villa's WiFi stream over their not insubstantial fenceline. It obliges without trouble, and we're quickly online for an hour or so to let all know back home that we are safely ensconced in paradise, thank you very much.
By around 9pm, the hunger pangs are too great and we make a plan to walk the 27 steps around the corner to LacaLaca Cantina Mexicana. It's clearing out a little by this time of course, and we are soon chowing down on quesadillas and fajitas, chased down by some cool ones. A very nice end to a great first day, for around 400,000Rp.
Back to the villa - Tee is near dead on her feet and needing a decent sleep, and my offer of a walk on the Indian Ocean foreshore outside Potato Head is not swaying her firm resolution. I promise her though that we will visit PT on our return from the east coast in a week's time. Tomorrow is, after all, 'massage day' and she'll need all her strength to take the hours of pleasure that I have carefully planned for her (thanks to this Forum).
And so, to bed.