Woke before 4 but managed to stay in bed until 6.00.dozing on and
off. Got husband up and we went for a wander down to the beach. Another nothing much day as we have a big birthday night out in Kuta tonight for a good friend.
Spent about 80 mins wandering the beach this morning. Took a few photos and found Cafe Kesuma which we had obviously passed last year and not seen.
Then it was back for a pre breakfast coffee and then
on collecting the boys some breakfast. Toast, bali breakfasts and
pancakes later we break the news to the boys that they don't have to
come out until tonight.
Back to the room for showers and to get ready.
We are heading to the top end of Sanur, starting with a taxi to the Duckz Nuts and then further up. Before the turn off to the beach road and markets we see the local markets we'd wandered into last year. I'd bought some nice sari's there for my MIL who uses the material in her craft and sewing creations. We decided not to go in this year. The sellers were quite aggressive and to be honest we really aren't interested in buying. Not worth the aggrevation.
Looked for a hairdresser I'd heard about but didn't see it. Hubby says he wishes he'd found a shirt that says, "If I wanted a @#%$@! taksi, t-shirt, massage I'd ask for it!" I suggested a t-short with a picture of a taksi on one side and a t-shirt on the other with a ghostbusters type No sign through it.
I can understand why they are like it. Business is everything.
Yesterday I had a bit of a conversation with our taksi driver on
the return from Kuta. He said at the time of the 2nd bombings he was
working in a hotel. But after that there was no work. Bankrupt! so
he was able to get work as a taksi driver. Gede, a Balinese man
from Sengarra<sp> he goes home about every 6 months for family
business.He said althought it is much better than then, business is still
quiet compared to the busy times. Bali needs the tourists. otherwise
they can not survive. sadly, we tourists are also a curse. So many
road sellers from Java who come because there is money to be made in
Bali, they find it difficult to get other regular work. Everyone is
trying to make money for their families. Bali is groaning under
the weigh of rubbish and change. We would love to be out of the
towns and away from the buy, buy rush and bustle. Perhaps when our
boys are grown and can be left at home.
Before we get to the beach markets we stop for a coffee at "The Glass House" coffee shop. The sign says, voted best coffee in Sanur, Trip Advisor, March 2011. We have to check it out. We think we've found pretty darn good coffee where we are staying. We order cappucinos, medium. So we can compare. The order takes a long time. Longest coffee making award says Husband.
The coffee arrives and it looks lovely. Very decorative. As you can see below. It is nice and hot and looks very appealing. But I have to say the coffee itself was a disappointment.
It was also a lot more expensive than we would normally pay for ours. 57, 500. We would normally pay
around 38.000Rp. I missed my cinnamon stick and pretty origami lotus napkin under the cup though hubby enjoyed having a spoon to stir with.
Took a photo of some creative brickwork on the way to the markets. --------------------------->Discovered Freyda leather just around the corner on the way to the beach. Sindhu <sp> beach.Have seen it recommended on the BTF. Down to the beach. gee it's hot walking in the sun.
Anyway we get to the beach markets and hubby goes in search of a shirt and I sit at the Tooties bar. I've never shopped at her fixed price shop, although last year I did go in there.
I sit in a chair on the beach and enjoy a cold coke while hubby investigates. Last year we had gone into the market and it felt close /claustrophobic at the back of it. I didn't want to go in there this time.Hubby eventually has someone looking for a shirt in the "right" size and so returns to drink his coke while they look. Then we return, me ignoring sellers determined to get me into their shops.
He buys his shirt and we are off. Back down the road to the main street to get a taksi back to the Circle K near Hardy's. Money changed , it's up a little today. 915,000 to the AUST 100 dollar. We decide to try out Cafe Batu Jimbar. Things are a bit more pricey up at this end of Sanur. I guess more tourists means more $.
202, 000 hubby has a chicken breast fillet with carrots, peas and mash and I tried a beef rendang. It came with a soup. I did try the soup but could only eat a small amount of it. The rendang was delicious as was hubby's chicken.
This little ornament is a salt and pepper holder. I wasn't too keen to add any salt. I could see the finger marks from the last user in the salt in the little dishes. But I did like the little ornament.
Then it was into Hardys for supplies. Oreos, BBQ chips, water, cool drinks for us all, a few little bottles of dettol hand sanitiser( very cheap at around 90 cents a bottle) some dettol soap, shampoo to try out etc.
Time to head back to the Gardenia for scotch and coke and lie down.
Just returned from my first ever massage in Bali. Mind you I've only had 4 massages in my entire life before. this one was for my feet and lower legs. Calves. WOW. my feet feel wonderful. No swollen feet , sore soles or ankles. 80,000Rp for an hour of bliss with Ani. I will be going back!
Out to dinner to Kuta for our friends 50th Birthday dinner. We walk around the corner and decided to get one of the kajang's from the men who constantly call out offering transport. He wants 100 ( 100,000Rp) we say 80 or we catch a blue taksi. We know it's too much but hubby likes the idea of riding with space instead of us being squashed into a smaller taksi as per usual. he agrees( funny that). I'm in the front as usual, I get in and put my belt on. Hubby discovers none of them have seatbelts. There's grumbling but he isn't going to get back out.
Off to Kuta we go. Just before we get onto the Bypass Rd we see a massive amount of men streaming out of an alleyway and getting on to motor bikes. I look and the driver laughs. Cock fight he says. They all go when the police come. That explains the cocks I'd seen that morning on the road down to the beach. In separate cages. They seemed to be proudly displayed and I had wondered if there were still cock fights. Not my cup of tea.
To Kori's in Poppies 2 near the Legian end. Poppies 2 is directly across from the memorial. We had left Sanur just after 6 and were there by 6.40. Nice timing. However when we walked in we found only 2 of our large party. ( family 2) The rest had been delayed. after 30 mins or so another part of our group arrived. ( family 3) Their news was not good. Family 4 were stuck. Their driver had told them to get out and walk. but he had taken them up a street my friend was not familiar with and they were not too sure exactly where they were. Eventually they convinced him into dropping them somewhere they knew. The driver had already tried part way there to convince them to get out at the airport as he wanted to take another group from the airport. Despite them having booked him to go to Kuta. where they knew. Not so good. with 2 children under 3 in tow plus 7 adults they had negotiated a fair price from Tanjung Benoa where they were staying to get to the memorial. Eventually they arrived. Not happy. the kids were pretty good despite the walk and everyone soon got into party mode.
Because we were a party of 24 we organised the bill to be bills. family 1, family 2, family 3 and family 4.
594, 000 was our bill. 1 aussie fish n chips which came in white paper packages neatly sliced open. I meant to take a photo but was so hungry I got stuck into mine before I remembered., hubby had chicken cordon bleu and youngest, an american hamburger minus salad and onions. 4 sprites, 2 cokes and two sml bintang beers. Food was lovely and well presented.
The place was lovely and we admired the beautiful ponds filled with Koi. And the small bales/gazebos a much smaller dinner party could have sat at. I would like to go back there again in a small group. BUT service was slow, despite there being many people working there, They have a huge amount of tables. Getting a 2nd drink was tricky. and getting the bill took quite some time.
We finally finish at around 10.
Some of the others were planning to party on but we wanted to get back to base. Out into Poppies and back to Legian. The music was pumping, the streets were busy. I didn't feel comfortable there at all although it hadn't bothered me during the day yesterday. I wanted to get away from the clubbing atmosphere. All I could think about was a recent bomb attempt in West Indonesia 2 days ago. So we headed away from the clubs and where it was a bit quieter found a taksi to bring us home. The journey was .quick and cost around 55, 000 again.
Home to my book and a scotch and bed.
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