Friday 16th.
Day 7
Wow definitely time to put this part of my blog to bed as the trip was last December and it's now mid May!
Thank goodness I have the photos to remind me of the events of our last day.
I do remember that I was ok about returning home (surprisingly!) even though it had been a quick 7 night, spur of the moment stay. I think probably due to it being Xmas the week after our return home and the fact it was the first time we had stayed put in the one place ( which isn't like us) both contributed to me getting itchy feet and I was more than ready to move on.
We were all quite slow off the mark this pagi and Rob's tummy situation still hadn't improved much but by mid morning we were all thinking about food and decided to stay close to home and have brunch at Gado Gado.
We had been watching the progress of a building which was being erected down the lane to the beach (our main drag) which we assumed was accommodation as that was all this lane consisted of.
We hot footed it past there on this occasion. Really didn't like the look of this at all! Power lines and earth moving equipment ..not a good mix.
As usual the staff, view and food at Gado Gado was exceptional.
The guys really enjoyed their smoothies and both went for seconds. My BLT was great and Luke really enjoyed his chilli crab pasta.
Geez it even looks like my bun was sweating in the heat!
It was a very hot morning and we definitely weren't in any hurry to go anywhere although I still hadn't gotten around to having my usual Bali pedicure and it was a must before returning home.
Rob felt the need to remain close to a familiar loo and headed back to the Villa and Luke joined me at Spa Bali.
The view across the street from the Spa.
I just love and find amazing how the vegetation reclaims the land, even in rubble. How beautiful and lush. Puts to shame my efforts here at home in 'The driest State in the driest Continent'.
I had a wonderful pedicure at the hands of a very gentle, meticulous, softly spoken Sweetheart.
A lot of laughs were had too (by me that is) and unfortunately at Luke's expense.
He has very sensitive feet and the facial expressions he was pulling were priceless. Hehe I can see them now...We'd be chatting away and suddenly his whole face would contort in his effort not to move, jump or yell out. The therapist was none the wiser and I think had no idea what I was finding so hilarious.
Luke bought himself a helmet on the way back as he was staying for another week and was hiring a scooter. Not an idea that thrilled me, as he has a bad history on 2 wheels but hey, compared to the Speed Machine he has here at home these scooters are like tinker toys.
His friend actually told me the next day that Luke was travelling too slow on the Bali roads and needed to find some of that Balinese pushiness/bravado when it came to finding a window of opportunity on the road.
I was very, very pleased to hear he was being overly cautious. Something I think he has never been accused of before.
He did enjoy the new level of freedom the scooter offered him in Bali and I do understand,... but it's definitely not for this 'little black duck' I'll stick to 4 wheels and 4 doors, thanks very much.
Luke wandered off back to the Villa having had enough of the heat, whilst I went in search of a store I had spotted one night earlier in the trip, that had just the type of leather 'carry on' bag I had been after for ages.
I had been keeping an eye out for the store since and hadn't found it again.
It was now or never as we leave for home tomorrow morning. I eventually found "Rose's...(something or other)" and I was served, eventually by a couple of unsmiling, unenthusiastic dudes who barely managed to summon up the effort it took to reach the bag down from it's perch high up in the window.
I would have hmmmphed myself out of there but it was Ex..act..leey what I had been looking for...Wonderful soft brown leather, double stitched, heavy duty hardware, beautiful lining.
So I kept smiling (maybe I shouldn't of smiled?) and ignored their tight lipped surliness.
I liked the price too and knew they wouldn't budge, which was proven when I thought I had exactly the right amount of rupiah left in my purse but fell short by 10,000rp. They weren't even gonna give me that.
Ahh well it's for moments like these that the visa card was made and I didn't like the thought of going off to the ATM and having to come back to face the Glum brothers again.
I love, love everything about that bag...except for the memory of those guys, but that will fade some day.. hopefully. I would have spent longer in the store as they had some nice belts, wallets etc. but I really couldn't wait to see the back of the Brothers Glum and I'm sure the feeling was entirely mutual.
For dinner on our last night it was 'Ku De Ta'.
A beautiful restaurant that has been on my 'must try' list since our first trip.
I had finally spotted it this trip (having driven/walked past it numerous times in the past, without seeing it) it is pretty much at the end of Jl Sari Dewi ( on Jl. Laksmana /Oberoi) and was just a 10 minute walk away, which was just as well with all Rob's rumblings in his jungle. His Natives were definitely restless that night and the jungle drums were sending out all sorts of warnings about not straying too far off the path!
Ku De Ta
A beautiful intimate, romanitc atmosphere and apparently a popular place to 'pop the question'.
The young guy to the right of this pic did just that, that night and judging by their smiles he got a 'Yes'.
As for me I had a bit of a romance going on with my entree of oysters ( yes it's come to that :0)
These were absolutely out of this world and on the 'daily specials menu', so probably not available all the time. They were imported from the U.S. which surprised me a little but the beautiful Maitre'd explained that the Oz oysters don't travel so well (go figure).
Without a doubt the most fabulous oysters I have ever had the pleasure of, which is really saying something when our SA oysters are really something too.
An absolute show stopper!!
Luke enjoyed his seafood dish very much and Rob his lamb but he did head off back to the villa straight after. He told us later that once he had made it out to the road he got offered a lift on a scooter and told the guy to not spare the horses. He hadn't any small change but reckoned the 100,000rp he paid for the 2 minute ride, was money well spent to save his dignity and strides!
Meanwhile back at Ku De Ta, A wandering Magician was fun and kept us guessing with his tricks and mine and Luke's 'After's' were a decadent espresso coffee with a chocolate hit. The palm sugar swizzle was great too and we were zinging big time on the walk home :0).
This photo, taken in the driveway of Ku De Ta, just does not do these decorations justice.
It was like a fairyland.
A nice reminder that Xmas was due to happen on our return home.
A couple of movies were watched on our return and the heavens opened up that night.
It hammered down. I remember waking in the middle of the night and looking out the door. I couldn't see the downstairs door but could see the light was on. If that door had been left open it would be an absolute cascade down the stairway!
I got drenched in the couple of seconds it took for me to have a quick look at the door. Very pleased the thresholds were 'high and dry' because the drainage on the balcony couldn't cope with the deluge and the water outside the door was ankle deep.
Our farewell breakfast was cooked and served by the smiling Su (why don't I have a picture of him?) and friend.
Su's smile, story and for some reason his gait remains with me still. Maybe just another one of those unconditional, inexplicable...Bali things.
You know what I mean right?, These friendships get right in under your skin!
On one hand you have the Brothers Glum and Miss 'de' Nasties (here and there) but your going to find one or 2 of those in the dark alleys of life, no matter what.
Mostly and it's one of the wonderful things I love about Bali , on just about every street corner, restaurant, hotel, salon, T shirt stall, DVD store, leather shop, bluebird cab, non bluebird cab, you have that sweet anticipation and fun of meeting someone that is smiling and loving with a heart that is beatin' like a Big Ol' Brass Band or that should probably jingle janglin' like a Gamelan !!
The Villa transferred us to the airport for our first ever daylight trip home. The rain was giving no indication of letting up soon and there was a lot of water laying about on the roads. Another reason why it was a good time to head home.
What a difference it made departing at 11:30am compared to that god awful 1am return flight. We usually arrive home in a zombie state and feel like doing nothing for the entire day.
It all went extremely well and with just 40 passengers on the flight we almost felt like VIP's with no other passengers within cooeee of us :0)
We watched a movie had some nibbles and drinks and landed in Adelaide around 6ish feeling like human beings.
Oh Bali I miss you so very much. Until we meet again I wish you well xxxj
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