Sunday - Day 7
I've been sitting on our patio for ages trying to read my book and listening
to other guests comments of their experiences during the storm.
Fearing power lines were down in Jl. Werkudara many people were advised to
only walk along the seafront home.
There is no internet at all at KP, so I can't get any info from there. The KP gardeners have been busy for hours trying to clear the paths and pile
up the debris.
We catch up with Kathy & Jim, Glenys and Nick at breakfast and chat about our eventful night.
The wind is still up and although it's not raining, it looks as if
it will absolutely pour down at any minute.
After breakfast the others head off to pay our bill at Mozzarella by the
Sea and I go and check with the hotel if they have any idea what's
happening with the internet.
Kathy & Jim had originally planned to go to Sanur and meet Sandy but decide to have a bit of a shop in Legian and spend the rest of the day at the KP till they leave for the airport later in the day.
Once Trevor comes back we head off for our daily coffee fix at Mugshots to check the internet and
emails.
Logging onto the Bali forum on TA, I note something occurred in Sanur
overnight but the original post has been removed, so I have no idea what that
is about.
I haven't received a reply from the Bali Emerald Villa manager which I think is a bit weird as
she sent me a message yesterday saying she needed my email address urgently, yet I
haven't heard "boo" from her since.
A seller comes around with the weekend edition of The West Australian, so I buy it to read while Trevor is on the computer.
A cylone had formed off the coast of northern WA the day after we left Perth and had intensified to a Category 4 by the time it crossed the coast yesterday. Amazing as we know nothing about it.
From my past experience this is a pretty big cyclone and I seriously wonder if that is what has been affecting our weather here in Bali and ask Trevor to do a search on Google?
Sure enough, Cyclone Lua is causing all sorts of weather problems in Indonesia.
Funny how we think of ourselves as an insular unit in Oz and that a cyclone of this magnitude is only affecting our waters.
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| Following Cyclone Lua's course |
We chat about my concerns in regard to heading to Nusa Lembongan in a few
days time and decide to email the owner of The Point and inquire whether we can
transfer our booking to our trip in October if the weather doesn't improve.
Of course this will mean we'll have to find somewhere else to stay rather
quickly and with Nyepi day on Friday it might be more difficult than I think. I'm keen on heading up to Ubud so we check
booking.com, to see what's available and note both the Komaneka at Monkey Forest and the Komaneka at Rasa
Sayang have rooms for around $160/night. From my previous research I think that is not bad......??
As we walk back to the KP, a group of people in front of us are making rather negative comments about the "bizarre hotel" at the end of the street and I feel a little defensive.
I can that see how the decor on the outside of the building might seem a little unusual and admittedly there are lots of wood carvings in the lobby (possibly too many).
Sure, we have Komodo Dragons on the walls of our room (which is different) and the WiFi is not as good as we'd like, but they are all pretty minor negatives in the overall scheme of things.
The price of the rooms alone certainly makes it value for money.
Each to their own I suppose. We check again in regard to the internet on our way past reception, but it's still down.
I decide to spend the afternoon sitting by the pool with my book and Trevor heads off for his foot reflexology/massage at Briella Spa around 2pm.
There's hardly anyone around this afternoon and I don't feel so bad snagging the next pool lounge with an unclaimed towel till he get's back. I hate this practice, but I doubt anyone would notice today.
Funny how it takes me a week to find my bearings, I'm now ready to sit back and relax but tomorrow we are moving to a 2 bedroom pool villa in Seminyak with Sandy & John for their last two nights before they go home to
Sydney on Wednesday and we are really looking forward to it.
Kathy & Jim come over to say goodbye before they head to the airport and Glenys and Nick float in with their water replenishment's from Briella Spa.
We're not sure where to go for dinner tonight and start tossing a few ideas around when Trevor realises he's missing his reading glasses. From memory the last place I saw them was on the table at the restaurant last night just before the storm hit. I doubt we'll find them now.
We get ready and wander down along the beach path around 5.30pm. The wind is still fairly strong with a very light drizzle of rain.
Stopping at Mozzarella by the Sea to inquire about Trevor's glasses, it's like nothing happened!!
There's a new roof on and the place is packed to the hilt, already. They're ready to offer an apology as they have no room for another two people at this time.
Now that's what I call resilient!!
We laugh as we ask whether they have found a pair of glasses and a blue case that they may have been in. The waiter disappears and is back with said blue case and glasses within a minute. I'm impressed!!
Obviously we wont be dining here tonight and I remember reading about a Thai restaurant on TA (Lemongrass or something similar), but I can't remember where exactly where it is. For some reason I keep thinking its on the road the Lokha is on, but I really have no idea.
Cutting through
The Sari Beach Hotel I note the grounds look lovely. This was one of my very first hotel considerations for Legian. I might have to re think this one for another trip.
We walk past reception and through to the lane way behind which runs between the Puri Raja and the Melasti and brings you out onto Jl. Padma Utara (at least I think that's where we are).
It is quite a long way to walk but at least the pathway is stable with no big caves to fall down, but I'm not sure I'd want to walk down here in the dark.
I spooked myself & nearly leaped out of my skin as it was, when I trod on a stone which flicked out backwards and hit the wall behind me as we were walking along.
I spun around expecting to see someone right behind me. Idiot!!!!
Out onto the Jl. Padma Utara we turn right and wander down past the All Seasons, Three Brothers and The Padma and consider stopping at Posers Bar for a drink, but it's pretty busy so we keep trudging along.
Wandering up past the Casa Padma Suites and The Lokha we wonder whether these hotels might be potentials for when we are here late January 2013 for our friend's 50th. Their group are staying at Villa Asih on Jl. Sriwijaya and I'm not sure if we will find anywhere within walking distance now we have visited the villa.
Crossing the road, I check the menu for Wayan & Friends, I'm happy to come back if we can't find the Thai restaurant. Continuing up towards JL.Legian we pass Indo-national & Mozzarella. I'm really starting to think I have no idea where the Thai restaurant is so we head back the other way.
I can almost hear Trevor's tummy rumbling and after reading the sign outside Indo-national "Aussie Owned Aussie Hygiene", I give in and ask if they have a table for two. The decor is definitely interesting.
The service was all or none at first, we placed our drinks order within minutes of sitting down, but they never appeared and we wondered if the order had gone any further. Our table was at the back area and we seemed to be forgotten.
That was until one of the owners appeared to inquire if we were "being looked after" and we mentioned the slight delay, from then on we could not question it.
She stays chatting to us for a while and we ask what its like owning a business in Bali, where her kids go to school and how it compares to their life in Oz.
We order spring rolls for entree as I've sort of become addicted to them, the ones I've eaten in Bali don't seem to have the same "oily deep fried taste" they do at home. (I normally don't eat them at all). For mains, Trevor chose pizza and I Mie Goreng.
It is seriously a case of "eyes being bigger than my stomach" once we see the size of the spring rolls, I wish we thought to ask how big they are. They taste pretty damn good as well and I so wished I'd not ordered a main dish. Unfortunately it wasn't the best Mie Goreng either.
Trevor's pizza was "not bad", but there was no way I could con him into eating my food tonight.
You certainly can't complain about the size of the meals served here.
Seeing as it's our last night in Legian I think we should go and have a drink somewhere before we go back to the KP, so we wander back towards Garlic Lane.
Some of the sellers seem a little more pushy this end when we first enter off Jl Padma and I dive out around a few who are a little too "touchy" or those that stop right in front of you blocking your path.
We can hear rather loud music coming from Legend Bar, but I want to go to Bali Beach Shack for a drink after everyone saying how good it was.
http://www.balibeachshack.com/
There are only a few other people in here which we don't notice till after we sit down.
Maybe we should have gone next door. The guy singing is pretty dismal and listening to a rather inebriated older woman singing Karaoke (encouraged by her equally inebriated partner) doesn't sound much better. I'm sure they are enjoying themselves, but we are struggling to keep a straight face.
Our cocktails arrive and they seem really strong, or is it that the others we've had till now are weak in comparison.....?
Consuming them as fast as possible, we almost bolt out of there trying to look like we'd had a good time. Obviously Sunday night is not the best night to go for a drink at the Beach Shack. LOL
After one more failed attempt at trying to find Ketut's shop, we wander back towards Jl. Padma having a look at some of the shops when it starts raining again. We try and shelter under a shop awning but it's getting heavier and we decide we may as well go back to the KP.
Trevor wants to visit the little supermarket we passed before so we make a beeline back there before grabbing a taxi home.
Back at the KP enjoying our last drink on the patio it's hard to
believe that we have been in Bali almost a week as time has just flown
by.
We have walked and walked but only skimmed the surface of
Legian. We've enjoyed the time here even though we didn't get to see as
much as I wanted.
So much for finding time to spend an afternoon
at Klapa, although I suppose the weather has been against us.
Fortunately we have two more trips booked within the next 12 months as
there is so much to Bali that I want to see.
I have since found a map for Lemongrass Thai and it's very obvious we were not even on the right street. I now know for next time......
Monday - Day 8
Waking to yet another miserable looking day
with dark clouds on the horizon is getting far too predictable I think.
Breakfast will be inside for me today as I can't even be bothered trying to sit outside. Sure enough within 5 minutes of sitting down the heavens again open up.
I'm still full as a goog from last night and can only manage a piece of
toast, I wish I'd bought some Vegemite from home with me. I'll
definitely be doing this next trip.
Thankfully the WiFi is working again at the KP and I have a reply from the owner of The Point suggesting we contact the manager Komang and discuss my concerns in regard to the crossing and forthcoming weather etc.
Finally I can see a light on the horizon as they can move our booking to October if we decide this will be better option for us.
Nothing from Yanti at Emerald Villas though.
I spend the next hour checking accommodation options throughout Bali from the 21st for 4 nights.
At least I know there are options.
Trevor has already gone back to the room so I collect our stuff and quietly walk through the KP trying to find the right solution to my worries. I'm starting to feel so bogged down by this and seriously think I need to make a decision one way or the other before we leave the KP.
I ring Sandy and ask what time they are leaving Sanur. We discuss The Point and the weather over on Lembongan and what we want to do over there. If the weather is crap then hiring a motorbike as we had planned won't be such a good idea either.
We arrange to meet at the villa around 12.30-1.00pm. It wont take us long from the KP and I figure we'll just find a taxi or driver when we are ready to leave, but I better go and pack.
We catch up with Glenys and Nick and as we still haven't decided where to go for dinner tonight with Sandy, John and all her family members we chat about our options and ensure we have phone numbers for communication before they head off for the morning.
I wait another hour before giving Komang a call.
No-one can predict what the weather is really going to do over the next few days, but at present it is much the same over on the island.
I could be making the wrong call, but during the course of our conversation I decide we wont make the crossing on Wednesday and will transfer our booking to October. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can relax for the first time in nearly 48 hours.
Of course the sun actually shows its smiley face for a few seconds and as I look up to the sky I think "you sod, how typical!!!!"
Once back in our room I inform Trevor that we now have no accommodation past tomorrow night, but I do have a few "options".
Who am I kidding..........? I really have no idea, but it sounded good (even to my ears).
We sort out our bill at the KP around midday, say goodbye to the staff and walk towards the entrance. A driver appears within seconds of standing at the top of the steps and offers his services, we check his van and negotiate a price to transfer us to our villa in Seminyak.
Who cares if we could have got it cheaper by walking to the road entrance, sometimes it's more about getting the service one requires at a cost that ensures all our requests are met in a timely manner without any stress or worry.
At the moment I'm happy to pay whatever it takes.
As per usual, I'm craning my neck as much as possible during our short ride to
Villa Amore Uno, noticing heaps of places I've read about as we travel up Jl. Raya Seminyak and around into Jl. Laksmana or should I say Jl. Kaya Ayu or Jl. Oberoi or "eat street".
Oh for Pete's sake how many names can one street have......?
Our instructions are "it's down the Gang next to the Religion clothing shop", that's ok if you already know where this shop is, but not good if the driver doesn't have any idea and neither do we. I realise we have gone to far and have to turn around.
Heading back the other way, its easier to get our bearings and find the Religion shop without too much trouble. Now we just have to find Villa 2 but of course there are no numbers. Fortunately Sandy & John have not long arrived and after a quick phone call we realise we passed their driver as we pulled in. We find out the gang is called Nyuh Gading
Novea the booking manager for "bookingbalivillas" comes by and explains all the villa details, so I manage to take a few photos before we mess it up.
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| Living area |
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| Kitchen area |
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| Pool and bedroom 2 |
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| Looking toward bedroom 2 & living area |
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| Bedroom 1 |
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| Bedroom 2 |
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| Bathroom: bedroom 2 |
We chat to Novea for a while about the weather, Nyepi day and what we have planned for the rest of our trip. She tells us she was at her sister's wedding on the beach last Saturday night when
the storm blew in. Wow, not the best way to start married life.......poor buggers!
I sheepishly admit I've just cancelled the 4 nights in Nusa Lembongan we had booked from Wednesday as we're worried about the forthcoming weather and now have to find somewhere else to stay in Bali, possibly Ubud.
John thinks we should just stay here but I doubt we'll find somewhere in Seminyak under $200/night. Thankfully we have consistent WiFi, so I suppose we can have a look.
Once Novea leaves Sandy & I jump on her laptop to check the photos of "The Frangipani Villa" in Sanur. As we still haven't heard from Yanti in regard to Emerald Villas, I'm starting to think we might end up staying there for our last 4 nights as it looks gorgeous.
The boys are getting restless and hungry, so we decide to head out for a look around and find somewhere to eat.
Sandy is keen to go and look at a villa they are considering for their next visit: "Villa Blubambu", so armed with the idea it's down a Gang that runs off the road somewhere near the entrance to the Puri Saron or Pelangi Hotel (I think it's called Jl. Abimanyu), we set off.
The taxi driver doesn't have any idea what we are asking so we just tell him to drop us off near the entrance to the Puri Saron. Fortunately some drivers sitting outside the hotel point us to the little gang almost opposite which is only for motorbike traffic.
It's about a 5-7 minute walk down Gang Melon before rounding the bend and there it is.
The owner Mathieu is very helpful and shows us around. They live in the main house and there are 3 guest rooms. Two of them overlook a communal pool and the other one is set back further and has it's own pool.
The grounds are lovely, but I wasn't sure if the owners had their own pool or use the communal pool which would not appeal to me.
I know it gets pretty good reviews on TA, so I'll have to check them out when we return.
http://www.villablubambu.com/
Mathieu advises us to continue along Gang Melon and when we reach the end, turn left & follow it along till we will reach the main road - Jl Dhyana Pura or Jl. Camplung Tanduk or Jl. Capung Tanduk (as per some maps).
I'm not sure, but from memory I wonder if the gang at the end he's instructed us to turn left into is Gang Bunga Kecil which comes out next to Spa Bali.....?
Maybe I've looked at too many maps and really have no idea either!!
It's seems a long walk and we pass a few other villa names we've noted during our never ending "villa searching", but we both wonder what it would be like to walk along here in the dark...?
Once we reach Jl. Dhyana Pura we turn right as it's seriously time for a drink and something to eat.
I think we ate at JP's Warung but I can't quite remember as I needed a beer more than food. Guess who forgot to check the name of the restaurant....doh!!!
Back at the villa we start seriously thinking about where to have dinner tonight as we are meeting up with Sandy's family of 5 and Glenys & Nick totaling 11 people, so we'll need to book.
I suggest Lemongrass Thai (of course), but after Sandy rings her sister they tell us about a restaurant they found called Pavone on Jl Padma Utara in Legian, which sounds fine to us.
Sandy & I go decide to go for a walk and maybe look at another villa (if we can find it) as the boys are trying to work out the TV/DVD etc. It's still overcast and windy but at least the rain has held off for a while.
Once we reach the end of our gang we turn right on Jl. Laksmana and head towards Jl. Drupadi sidestepping plenty of gaps in the footpath. Turning down Gang Inti Kulit and wandering further away from Jl. Laksmana there are many villas, some
we've seen before and some we haven't, as well as lots of building
works. When considering staying in a villa one wonders what the access road to the villa will be like:
- Is it a walkable distance....?
- Will a taxi be able to find it or traverse the often narrow and dimly lit lane-way....?
- Are there other places nearby e.g. restaurants etc.....?
- how noisy is it....?
The first villas we pass tick most boxes, a bit further along on our right we see Rumi Villas (the 4 brm villa). There are guests just leaving and they've obviously enjoyed their stay as they offer to quickly show us the villa while their driver is loading the car.
http://www.rumivillas.com/villa-rumi.html
We were hoping to find the other Rumi Villas and maybe have a look at them as I remember seeing this photo of the door and it's been stuck in my mind ever since.
Somehow we must have passed them and not noticed as the next thing we see is a sign about Kendra Gallery and Sandy realises we are at Uma Sapna where her and John stayed last year.
We have a quick look around, the main pool looks lovely and we sneak a look into one of the spa pool villas.
We check the time and the sky and think we better quicken our pace and get back to the villa before the rain starts again.
The boys are quite happy and relaxed watching a DVD when we get back but unfortunately we've run out of time to have a swim as we need to get ready to meet the others in Legian soon.
Sandy receives a call from Novea. She has spoken to the owner of our villa and they are happy to offer it to us for the 4 nights from the 21st at a reduced rate. I see Trevor's eyes light up as I know he'd be happy to just stay put, but I'm a bit hesitant as I really want to go to Ubud. Sandy suggests we think about it overnight and decide in the morning.
Back into Legian we find Pavone and our table is just near the front. The wind has picked up again so we ask for the doors to be partially closed. Just in time as the rain starts and the poor couple sitting on the other side run and duck for cover.
I chose the lamb dish for main and was quite happy with it. Out of 11 people I don't think there was too much criticism of our food.
I have to laugh when us girls discovered the "bathroom", back to our table we tell the boys who don't believe us, so we had to take some photos to show them. In Oz, you might find this in the "men's bathroom" in a sports bar, but I've never seen one in the Ladies.
There were plenty of cocktails consumed (weak again) and lots of laughter making it a great night and I'm sure were almost the last guests to leave.
It's raining really heavily now and we discover it's not that much fun running from the open living area of the villa across to our room (another thing to consider when researching villas), so we call it a night.
We have a partially open bathroom and I can hear this steady drip from outside. Waking sometime during the night I wonder if the pool might overflow. Hope our room is on a decent enough elevation or we'll be having that swim after all.
Tuesday - Day 9
OMG what is that noise.....? Even above the rain I can hear it.
I check my watch and note it's around 4am and now that I'm half awake I realise its a rooster. Annoying as it is, I have a silent chuckle remembering so many accommodation reviews in Ubud complaining about the morning rooster waking people up. Didn't think we'd find it in this part of Seminyak, but I suppose there is open land next to our gang.
I get up and check the floor near the doors for any leakages and feel happy that they have good seals. I've already moved everything up off the floor in the middle of the night (maybe I'm paranoid, but I've been flooded out before and I'm not taking any chances).
Dozing between Rooster's "coca-doodle-do", I manage to stay in bed till around 6am. Sandy is already up, but there's no chance of an early morning walk as the only umbrella is broken. We spend the next hour or so looking online for accommodation for the next few days. I'd still like to stay in Ubud, but I'm probably going to give in and take up Novea's offer as it really is too good to refuse. I check my emails and find one from Yanti about Emerald Villas and it seems there is a miscommunication in regard to the villa we viewed and the price.
Just when I think I have everything finally sorted.
It's after 8am and "Rooster" (as he's now dubbed) is still crowing, John gets up saying it's kept him awake for hours. Trevor gets up and says he hasn't heard a thing.
We spend a lazy morning hoping for the rain to ease and eventually around midday it slows down to showers. Braving the elements we wade down our gang to Jl. Laksmana and head left passing the entrance to Villa Jodie.
Dodging the holes in the footpath we only go a little further and we are at the entrance to Amadea Resort, can't hurt to have a look. We wait at the reception area and they send a golf buggy to take us to the rooms as they are a long way from here.
We view a Deluxe Pool Terrace room around the main pool, it is clean, modern, spacious and comfortable but lacks any privacy. Following this we are shown the same type of room with entrance to the Oasis pool and this would be my pick if I was to stay here. Back to reception in the golf buggy again we pass the Superior rooms and I definitely wouldn't want to stay in these.
Back out on the street we cross the road and walk past the famous names of Rumours Cafe, Trattoria and Ultimo before we decide to eat at Cafe Bali.
Trevor and I both order Mie Goreng and Sandy has the Smoked Salmon dish and John the home-made Pumpkin soup. The weather was definitely lending itself to "soup weather" even though it was still warm. It was pretty busy and the service was a little slow, but the decor really appealed to me.
I love the little silver box the bill is presented in.
After lunch we decide to check out The Club Villas in Seminyak as it is across the road.
Sandy & I are both looking for places for our next trips and I'd seen some good prices on booking.com during my recent searches.
We walked down the driveway and note there is a lot of work in progress at the front villas on the left. The one bedroom villas further away from the road have been renovated and the ones on the right further down are two bedroom villas. The door was ajar at one and we could see the pool which looked lovely.
There are a few "Deluxe" one bedroom villas as well, yet to be renovated and I think these get some poor reviews on TA.
We were fortunate that one of the renovated 1 brm villas is empty and we are able to view it. The pool is bigger than a spa pool and surrounded by a small walled area. It is lovely and the villa has an outdoor bathroom as well. For $145/night on booking.com that seemed pretty good value.
We went back to the reception area to make some inquiries and the heavens open up. Even though we were only up the road there was no way we would be walking back (or swimming back) and the reception staff very obligingly called us a cab.
Back at the villa, we try and decide if it's worth having a swim in the rain. The pool is gorgeous, even in this weather.
Novea comes by and we sort out our reservation for the next four nights. We wont have our housemaid Nengah from Wednesday till Saturday as she is heading home to Karangasem for Nyepi. Novea gives us some pointers for Friday and we make arrangements for Nengah to make us some food for then as well.
A lazy arvo spent watching DVD's to drown out "Rooster", but no chance of a walk for Sandy and I unfortunately.
Later on when we get ready to head out for dinner, Sandy & John notice their shower is blocked (again), so a quick call to Novea. Oh dear, I doubt we'll get someone to fix it by tomorrow especially with everything starting to quieten down. To our amazement, she rang back in 15 minutes letting us know someone will be here first thing in the morning to have a look at it.
Dodging the traffic crossing over Jl Laksmana we wander up the road checking the menu's of the restaurants closest to our gang and see most of them are full. We remembered seeing a sign earlier that day for a "fire dance" show on tonight at Nirvana Restaurant so we head over hoping to get a table, but no such luck for all four of us. Wandering up this side of the road we note some restaurants are totally empty and one wonders how they survive, maybe we should just bite the bullet and give them a try.
I decide to book a table for two at Ultimo for tomorrow night when we get a nod for a table at Tratorria Pizza, next door. From what we could gather they make the pizza's here and then run them to the other Tratorria restaurant a few doors down.
I chose the Pescatora Pasta, Sandy had pork and Trevor chose this pizza dish that was half Calzone and half flat pizza. I forgot what John had once I saw Trevor's meal. Not sure who was more surprised, but we all had to take a photo before he could touch it.
My pasta was ok, but not great and I don't think the others really enjoyed their meals that much either, but we did enjoy the drinks. John had a Caprioska that both him and Sandy said was one of the best they'd tasted, so by the time we'd tried it as well, he needed to order another one and of course we all needed "just one more for the road"!
We could see the "fire dance" at Nirvana from where we were sitting, but unfortunately my photos don't do it justice. It looked pretty impressive even from across the road.
The rain eased while we were dining, so we decide to walk off some of our food and head up the road and reach Seminyak Square. Turning left we walk past a shop with some exquisite paintings. I hadn't really thought about purchasing anything like this, but I think if we get back here I might be tempted.
We walk back to the Circle K near Rumours Cafe to restock the fridge before heading back to the villa. My "duty free" is almost gone and I can't decide what to replace it with. I knew spirits were expensive in Bali, but I didn't realise how exy they would be. We decide to wait till we go the the supermarket tomorrow to buy any. Hopefully they might be a bit cheaper.
I don't mind a vodka pre-mix and check the fridge for "Vodka Cruisers". The only bottles I see are the Mix Max bight blue "Exotic", the bright green "Cocktail" and a red one "Cranberry something". Sandy assures me they are ok, but I have my doubts. I purchase one each of the blue & green ones plus a few Bintangs, just in case the Mix Max are totally disgusting......
Back at the villa we chat for a while and the boys decide to watch another DVD while Sandy and I do some travel planning.
Trevor and I are still not sure what is happening about Emerald Villas in Sanur for our last 4 nights as I'm yet again waiting for a reply from Yanti. If there is nothing by the morning, I think we might book the other villa if it's still available.
Sandy has sorted some of their September trip now (they had been stung by the "Why pay full price" debacle with a booking at The Elysian).
We call it a night and feel sad that our short time together has passed so quickly.
Sandy's other family members went back to Oz today and her daughter and partner are coming over tomorrow as they are all flying home together. Let's hope the sun shines for a few hours.
Wednesday - Day 10
Woken again by "Rooster" at 4.00am, I lay awake trying to decide if I should just get up and go and read my book as I'm definitely not going back to sleep this morning. It's still raining although only heavy showers now. I crawl out of bed once it's reached daylight and Sandy and I share a few quiet moments before the boys get up.
The sun is trying to peep through the clouds by 8.30am, just maybe the weather is going to improve.
We have a quick swim before the plumber arrives and it's amazing how warm the pool is. Everyday so far Nengah has had to pump water out of it (not sure where this goes, we think into the gang).
The truck arrives to unblock the shower in the main bedroom and we retire to the office to check our emails etc while they are fixing this.
Trevor and I decide to visit Bintang Supermarket around 11.00am to stock up on the bits and pieces we might need over Nyepi We are hoping we might beat the rush. It was pretty busy, but we managed to get all we needed plus things we didn't, as you do.
Feeling a little hungry we wandered back up towards Seminyak and found Warung Ocha on the corner of Jl. Raya Seminyak & Jl. Plawa, where we had lunch. Wish I'd seen the desserts before we'd paid the bill, I'm sure I could have fitted one in. They all look pretty good.
Back at Villa Amore Uno and Nengeh is making Kari Ayam (Chicken Curry), Nasi Goreng & Cap Cay (stir-fried vegetables) for us to have on Nyepi day and it sure smelt good. We had given her the note that Novea had written for us in Indonesian and money to buy the groceries, not sure if she thinks we eat a lot, but there's enough food to feed an army.
Once she is finished we give her the change from our food money and send her on her way as she is traveling to Karangasem on her trusty scooter to spend Nyepi with her family. I can only imagine how busy the roads will become this afternoon.
Sandy & John, Kristen (Sandy's daughter) and her partner Todd come back from a shopping and massage expedition. We spend the afternoon lazing around, watching DVD's, swimming and trying to avoid talking about their impending departure. Even the sun came out long enough for Kristen to do a bit of sunbaking.
Sandy suddenly realises she has not arranged their airport transfer, so a few frantic phone calls to a driver they've used before trying to explain the villa address and she can now relax enough for a few photos before they leave.
We live on one side of Australia and Sandy & John live on the other which means we don't see each other that often. We
met in Phuket through our love of travel many moons ago & were
honoured to attend their wedding in 2007. Our two short days have passed
so quickly and again here we are saying goodbye.
Thanks for
everything guys, we feel so blessed to have these two wonderful &
very dear friends in our lives. We'll miss you both so much, hope we can
manage a longer catch up next trip......luv you long time!!!
