Bali Pg 6

Sat 16^th

I had hoped to wake early so that I could go and wait for the sun to come up and take some sunrise-over-the-ocean pictures.  *This* is what we cannot do from home!  Basically, except for some strange promontories around the place, it’s a 4,000 km drive to see the sun come up over the ocean for us.  I tried to wriggle a little bit as I got out of the bed in the hope David would join me.  He had been warned I had this in mind and had seemed fairly willing and did indeed wake up.  I didn’t thump him, promise!

There was a little light coming around the curtains but we’d timed it perfectly for getting to the beach.  Everything was dull and unexciting when we got there but the colours got richer as the sun rose.  I took a whole whack of photos (70, I just checked) but this one is definitely my favourite.

And I took this photo for fun because of the length of our shadows which made me laugh.

After this we didn’t feel like going back to bed and it was still a long wait until breakfast so we decided to walk down to the blowhole from Anita’s map.  She’d given it to us after dinner last night.  It was a nice walk along the flat paved path going south and very interesting to see that we were passing resort after resort.  We were comparing the look of their facilities as we went.  Even the way the beaches were equipped was quite different and the beach narrowed significantly (in the ocean to path direction) once we got away from Club Med.  All of the other resorts also had a much narrower share of the beach too.  In the width of the beach left to right while looking at the ocean.

One resort had a sign with a red outline of a man running and the words ‘tsunami escape route’ written below.  I didn’t need to see that!

After seeing all manner of beach chairs, day beds and massage hut setups along the way we came to a little police hut and the path ran into a fence, very literally.  We had to turn left and walk along sand and could see the coast curve around to our left to meet with a little attached island.  At high tide it would only just be cut off from the mainland but the narrow stretch of sand would probably still be high enough that you could paddle across ankle deep.  At this low tide we were fine.  The island had a temple area in the middle of it and people were carrying trays of things towards it.  It was the Yellow Cloth Day celebration day so we skirted to the left and kept out of their way.  We did find the blow hole without too much trouble but the tide was well out and the hole wasn’t blowing so we explored a little but then returned the way we had come.  A few of the people said hello kindly as we passed by.  Security staff at every resort had been equally as friendly.  The return journey had nothing to report and the round trip would have been about 3 kms for a guess.

Breakfast!  Hard-earned for once and we enjoyed it.  We were also seated by the greeters in a special area that we had presumed was for executive guests.  We found out later it was the quiet dining area with no children allowed.  No wonder they’d not let us in there before!  The décor here was different and I loved the way the lamp shades reflected in the glass that protected a Buddha statue.  There were a smattering of tables with bar-height stools around them throughout the dining rooms and here was one in front of the Buddha – which you stand no hope of seeing because of the reflections.  In the centre of this small room was a massive round table that seated 12 (I think it was) in incredibly high-backed wooden thrones rather than chairs.  David was stacking our used plates to be helpful but accidentally dropped one on the floor and it smashed noisily into a million pieces.  Quiet room?  Not now!!!

After this we decided to go to the quiet pool once more.  Ahhh, this certainly is the life.  We must have stayed quite a while, although admittedly breakfast and lunch were served fairly close together, but other than a nice shower the next thing was lunch.

There were 2 highlights to lunch but I suppose the first thing was a pastry somethingoranother that David had picked up.  He took a bite, looked inside and called in an echoey voice “Helloooooo in there!” which made me laugh.  There was not much filling!

Then he went to get us a cuppa each – coffee for him and tea for me.  It’s all my fault you see.  He seemed longer than usual and when he got back he had ‘that look’ on his face.  It seems that he’d put his mug under the coffee machine and pressed the button, then turned away to make my tea.  When he looked back there was coffee pouring everywhere!  He turned to the lady behind him in the queue and said “Oh!  It’s never done that before!”  And as he went to remove the mug he realised he’d put it in upside down.  You’d be right.  The bottom of a mug doesn’t *quite* have the same capacity as the top!!!

Here’s the grubby bottom of his mug, which he still used.  He said that the Kitchen Rescue Team arrived promptly to clear up his mess, which was no surprise, they were really attentive and good at their jobs.

Now he went and got 2 plates with some assorted dessert items on them and we both happened to pick up the same shaped piece from our plates and take a bite.  One bite, look at one another meaningfully without more chewing, and start laughing.  It was just cold wet nothing.  David ate the rest of his and I put mine down on my plate but, really, why bother making something so totally tasteless?  A couple of the other little snippets (all desserts were in tiny portions which was lovely because you could try them all) weren’t bad.

David had mentioned something about a lady in a short dress earlier so I pointed behind him and said “Is that the lady in the short skirt?”  As he turned I put my tasteless thing on his plate and he turned back saying “No.”  Completely unaware that I’d just done to him exactly what he tries on me a hundred times a day.  It took him ages to realise but then he did a wonderful double-take and made me laugh so much.  Between that and his tale of the coffee pouring everywhere I really lost it.  A waiter came towards us with a tray held aloft on his shoulder and I imagined picking up the offending watery bricklet and lobbing it onto the tray so he wouldn’t see where it had come from and saying silently in an aloof voice “Please remove this offending object pronto!”  But I was laughing too hard to be able to tell David what had amused me still more.

I did settle down in the end and we made a hasty escape before I disgraced us further and we decided to go and get a beach chair.  There were only single chairs left but we dragged 2 of them together under an umbrella and lounged around for a while.

All this was so tiring that I decided on having a nap back in the room and you know that David read his book.

I really wanted to go to the volcano tomorrow and apparently there is a crater lake with a restaurant on the other side to the volcano and it’s a beautiful view to have while you eat but the thought of having to retravel the same busy route we’d already done twice – and this time go further – with probably no toilet stop in a 3-hour journey just didn’t appeal.  David seemed even less keen than I was or I probably would have chosen do it anyway.  I can’t see us going back to Bali again so we’ll never get another chance.  The cost of the car and driver for the day was equivalent to AU$50.  Amazing value even when we gave a tip on top of that.

So we knew that we were going to be in the resort until Tuesday when we went home and decided to go and play the putt putt green.  It kept us occupied and we played holes 1 to 6 and then 6 to 1.  I got a hole in one just as a man was walking past to see and cheer for me but David won the first round by about 5 shots and the second by about 2 I think – we’d stopped scoring by then.  After that we just wandered around aimlessly and at peace; very happy.

Actually, this would be a good chance to mention the kites everywhere because I have not done that yet and they definitely need a mention.  Whenever you looked at the sky there were kites up there.  To start with I’d thought it was children (attached at the ground end of the string, not the sky end!) but we came to realise that the kites must have been tied because they remained in the same spot for many hours.  Some were really large and there were 2 above the beach this afternoon.  The largest was making an amazing almost drumming noise from the way the wind was flapping its tails.  The smaller had a higher sound that was not quite so loud.  At one point, out near the batik shop (shudder! LOL) I could see 7 kites in the air, it was amazing!  Moh had told us that some stay up there for months but they all come down during August because the wind stops in September.  Wow!  There really wasn’t much wind down at ground level but there was obviously a steady stream of it not far above!

Here’s a butterfly shaped kite above and a galleon shaped one below.  I really loved these galleons, they were so brightly coloured!  We could have bought one from right here on our own beach – that was the other cry other than if we wanted a massage or a dress.  And I’d have dearly loved to buy 4 of these kites but they had wooden struts so we couldn’t bring them home!

When it was time for dinner the greeter took us to the right, around past the tea and coffee facilities – My!  What a clean floor they have!!! – and into a part of the restaurant that we had not even seen, never mind sat in.  It really was a huge area!  We were outside on a verandah and could see another massive area through some windows.  It seems that dinner attracts quite a crowd and they have to open all available seating areas.  Lunches were always fairly quiet because people would have been out on day trips.

As we were eating one of the G.O.s came and asked if he could join us.  He certainly could, and very welcome!!!  At Lindeman Island we’d had one or more G.O. sit with us at most meals and we’d really missed this here.  Our new friend was named Grokan, but was mostly called Oman by everyone.  He was very, *very* smiley and a gorgeous guy who we both loved instantly.  It turns out he was the choreographer for all the shows and he was so interesting to listen to.  All too soon he had to go and get ready for the show which was very disappointing.  I wanted to keep him all to myself 🙂

Dinner was served from 7.15pm and the show started at 9.15.  Very late for small children but they all seemed to cope!  Perhaps planned around the continental timetable with a siesta after lunch for all.

The show theme was Michael Jackson and was amazing.  I guess we were more enthusiastic than before because we’d now met Grokan and felt a connection to what was going on on the stage but it really was a fantastic show.  The guy on the left ‘played’ Michael Jackson and was incredibly good.  His name was Popeye and his main job was in the water sports hut!

Our gorgeous Grokan is centre front in this photo.

The stage sets and lighting were all really excellent.  I guess with 1,000 guests they had a much larger budget here than Lindeman Island to spend on such things.

Tonight I had a new cocktail and it wasn’t too bad.  Sometimes I wish I liked beer and wine like everyone else but I can’t stand either.

And so to bed after our very early start!  Oh, one more thing.  I took my best ever photo of the moon on the way back to our room.  Not just the yellow hazy blob I’ve achieved in the past, but it has features showing.  I was quite pleased with it.

Sun 17^th

We awoke at 8.30, which we deserved after yesterday’s early start.  We had an uneventful breakfast and lay on some beach chairs for a while but the tide was high and we decided that this would be our best chance to try the blowhole once more.  So off we went along the southern path hoping it would be worth the second trip.  This time we had some success.

Thar she blows!!!  You can see the main blow in the centre plus on the right a smaller one that looks like smoke.

Here’s me being, in David’s words, ‘incredibly brave’.  I don’t like heights, nor do I trust cliff edges not to give way but I was indeed very brave LOL

Here’s David straddling the blow hole but he was fortunate not to get a drenching from the wrong angle.  Imagine explaining that one!!!

We met another couple who asked us to be in photos with them and their son and then David used their camera to take a picture of their own group for them.  They were so friendly!

After this we walked around the little outcrop exploring each path that led to the cliff edges and marvelling at the strong waves as they hit and splashed.  Yes, easily amused.

At every shrine, as I mentioned long ago, were little offerings and one of the cliff tops here was no exception.  Here were strewn many small hand-woven baskets that had been full of flowers, leaves and other small trinkets.  We had always been very careful not to tread on them but Moh had said it was fine.  I guess once they were given then it didn’t matter what happened to them.

Eventually we’d explored all of the 8 or so pathways and there was nothing left but to go back to the resort for lunch.  Oh, I missed out seeing one American man of our age who had 3 bikini-clad and much younger girls with him.  Don’t know what he had that David didn’t!  And they weren’t really daughter age either.

Lunch was enjoyed without spilling coffee everywhere or losing it laughing.  How decorous we are!!!

Now what?  We decided to go and see if the golf course was quiet enough that we could play without being a nuisance to anyone.  I keep mentioning Lindeman Island Club Med on this page but there we’d had to purchase golf balls although we were given the clubs.  Here, the hut was open and unmanned with a plentiful supply of golf balls so David took 5 between us – his pocket would only fit 3 – and we carried our few clubs loose in our hands.  I only took 3.  I play golf ‘well’ enough that I could do just as badly with a blunt stick anyway!  And I play left handed so we couldn’t share.

The course was entirely empty.  All holes were nice short 3 pars and we found about another 6 balls as we went around so gathered those up to take back to the hut.  We did not lose any balls at all.  It was a gorgeous little course.  One other couple started to play as we finished our 8^th hole.  And that’s all there was – 8.  We’d seen a couple of gardeners as we went around but they kept out of the way.  David had asked me how you yell ‘Fore!’ in Balinese and I said I guess ‘Hati hati!’ as that is what it had said on all the road work signs we’d seen.  OK sure, that probably meant ‘Danger’ not ‘Fore’ but definitely a suitable warning if needed.  Or it might mean ‘Men at Work’ or ‘Deep Excavation’ but it would sure get some attention!

After this we were definitely ready for some quiet pool time.  It really was lovely and peaceful in there and it amazed me that David enjoyed it so much being the Mr Noisy person that he usually is.  And having drinks brought to your pool lounger in your cabana… well, who’s going to knock that back?  The boy that made sure everyone whispered, didn’t do overarm in the pool, and brought out the drinks was such a sweety.  Very gentle and peaceful.  I suppose the place would do that to you even if you weren’t that way inclined already.

And after all that exertion I thought it time for a nap LOL  Then showers and dinner where we were yet again given a table in the quiet area.  Obviously they forgive broken plates.

The show was ‘Glee’ which meant nothing to us (as we never watch TV), but the music was good, the costumes were lovely and the dancing amazing.  We were sitting rather far back so I did not take any photos.  I also chose a new cocktail and really enjoyed it.  In fact, I had two.  No idea what the alcohol was in it as I did not recognise it but the drink was good.

And bed once more which is the ideal place to finish this page.  Probably only one more page to go now.  You’re nearly there!

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