We were all keen to check out Bagus watches in Kuta as we were off to Sanur the next day and the way the traffic was it was probably best to not venture back this way again unless it was absolutely necessary. Or to put it another way.. once I was on the East coast there was 'No Way' I was coming back to Kuta!
Also on the agenda was a trip to Poppies 1 where my boys were keen to check out a guitar store. I wanted to swing by Garlic Lane to see the lovely smiling Julie at her stall and Ketut's fixed price. I had told Shell so much about them both and I really wanted her to meet them. We needed to fit all this in before the Hari's got themselves back to Seminyak for their 1pm massage at Bodyworks. Sounded doable!
I had the brainstorm of giving Kadek a call who worked for a guy with a nice van (and I had the pleasure of using last trip ) with the thought in mind of making it easier for all 5 of us to travel into Kuta in the same car without the calisthentics of our other 5 to a car Bluebird trips.
Kadek wasn't available at such short notice but sent a friend with a van. Ketut was a lovely smiling guy (at the beginning ) with limited English which was cool as we attempted to understand and help each other and had a few laughs in the process. It was at this point I realised that Ketut worked for a different company than Kadek and the pamphlet he handed me with his prices had me negotiating for a better price. I managed to get him down 50,000 rp but we were just going to have to wear the rest which was comparable to what we paid our wonderful Jack for a whole day and we were only after a few hours.
We made a quick detour when Mr. Hari needed a toilet stop and we milled around in the very over-priced souvenir store that Ketut usually brought all his Japanese tourists to. Wow it was $$$$.
We had deliberately made an early start to try and beat the traffic but Jl Legian just wasn't moving so we ended up hopping out and walking to Bagus watches and we would meet Ketut later as he was parking at the end of Kuta square.
Bagus watches is brilliant and my sons and I all got great replica's that we wear constantly. I'm loving the blue sapphire face on my 'Bulgari' very much. We also bought some great jewelry and pens for gifts here.
Josh is a watch guy and has himself a bit of a collection going but just couldn't decide. He did get himself some nice sunnies that he liked so much he made a special trip back on the way to the airport to grab another pair. Nice design and strong metal frames.
When Josh couldn't decide on any at the first store we wandered around to the one in Kuta square and at this point Luke and Daz took off to find the guitar store that was unfortunately closed. I bought a tie clip from this one but time was running out for the Hari's and they wanted to grab something to eat before their massage so they were going to grab a cab....and then there was 1.
So I stood on the corner of Kuta square and gave Ketut a call and this is when things started to go pear shaped.
He said "where are you" and I said opposite KFC and he said "ok I come" (swear to Ganesha) so I waited for about 5 mins. and called again yep he knew where I was and would see me soon !
I got to talking to an excellent Balinese guy at this point and we raved for about 15 mins. at which point I asked him to talk to Ketut and find out what was up. Turns out he was waiting for me at the opposite end of the square.
Throughout all these conversations he was saying how he had trouble parking so when I rocked up and said all my friends had gone and it was just me now and he still just stood there looking up the road, I figured he was waiting for his car to show up from the underground carpark or perhaps it was in a holding pattern somewhere?? I tried to make sure we were on the same page a couple of times but he just kept nodding and pointing to the other end of Kuta square.
Sheesh huge communication breakdown as after waiting another 15mins and much tsking from Ketut it turned out he was waiting for the rest of my party to show and I was waiting for the car that was parked a few feet away...bugga!
Needless to say there was no longer any resemblance to the smiling, laughing Ketut that I first encountered that pagi. I wasn't going to get bent out of shape about it , hey none of it was anybodies fault (and frick I'm in Bali, right!). Though originally the deal was to go to Garlic Lane and then to deliver us back to Seminyak , I cut to the chase and said just leave me at Garlic Lane . I did get a bit antsy when he tried to up the charge again....no way Dude that's not going to happen! See ya Ketut and have a nice life.
Unfortunately Julie wasn't around and her Ibu said she'll maybe be back soon so I wandered over to Sheppies and got myself a frozen Marg and a salad and watched the Jl. Melasti world roll on by, feeling a bit spesh in my new 'Bulgari' :0)
I took the following 3 shots whilst sitting at Sheppies all roads lead to Julie's.
Julie still wasn't around when I returned so I went for a wander along Garlic and up Padma doing some shopping and having some laughs as you do in Bali.
By the time I got back to the Villa it was 3 and it turned out the boys had been waiting for my return for lunch!! I wasn't aware of these arrangements and Luke was running a temp and feeling under the weather so he wanted to stay put anyway, so I organised a pizza to be delivered from the local for him and Daz and I took ourselves off to Potato Head for a looksie and some nice food, drinks. I liked the atmosphere here.
A word of warning though if you visit the downstairs Ladies ...for some bizarre reason the hand rail runs out a few feet from the bottom of the dimly lit stairs. A bit of a trap for young players and the not so young too after a couple of their delicious cocktails!
until all photo's are taken....but sometimes there is not stopping me.
I kind of regret now not hanging around for sunset but we were on the move again as that afternoon I had spotted the elusive 'de' jewelry store I had been looking for since day 1 so I could get my friend a bracelet as she had admired the ones I had got from there for Daz and I on my last trip.
On the cab ride to 'de' I got a call from Shell needing some advice re Josh and his belly. So our first stop was to the Apotek for some ciproflaxin which ended up being the saving grace for all the boys at different points this trip. Luke was in bed already when we returned and should of had some of the meds that night but had some the next morning and within hours of taking them the guys were on the mend. I had some probiotics too which would of lent a helping hand in their recovery. All these things have a permanent place in my Bali first aid kit now. Dib dib dob dob.
After swimming and chilling for a while my thoughts again turned to food and the promise all the fabulous dining possibilities offered that were at our doorstep and were a callin'.
The Hari's were looking to hang around the villa and ordered in some Sushi. They were pretty relaxed after their Honeymoon package massages (mandi lulur couples package) that afternoon at Bodyworks which lasted for 2 hours I think and included a 75min massage, body scrub, yoghurt cleanse and flower bath. All in it was a very funny and weird experience for them from all accounts. I'm not sure how I would cope with sitting on a little stool back to back and being smeared with yoghurt whilst wearing nothing but a paper g-string and (probably for me) a mortified tight little grin! It was a memorable experience for them.
Luke was tucked up in his bed so it was just Daz and I that walked around the corner to La Sal for dinner.
It was a quiet night for them and in the outdoor b.b.q area behind Daz stood the chef with a hopeful look on his face in anticipation of us ordering something meaty to throw on his lonely grill. Daz does have the look of a carnivore about him :0)
We ordered some tapas for starters that were good and I had the duck salad and as the Chef hadn't taken his gaze from Daz's back from the moment he picked up his menu I begged him to order some meat. He went the lamb and it was woefully under cooked in my opinion but they are saying that's the way to have your lamb these days but I couldn't have eaten it...Daz didn't have a problem with it though.
We wandered back to the villa and found the Hari's watching some TV so I broke out the DVD's I had bought that day from Jimmy's in Padma st. (never had a problem) and we started to get into watching Bad bosses until there was a power outage. So it was off to bed for our last night at Villa Alam.
Tomorrow we were off to the Griya Santrian in Sanur.
Selamat Malam !
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