Bali 17th Of September 2006
First Day:
Met, Cosmo & Cheetah at the airport.
The plane left about 40 minutes late and arrived in Bali at 3:00 pm.
Arrived at the Jayakarta and was greeted by the BFN welcome committee – DB & Nanik, Clive & Benny, Tom & Ririn, Garry, Kate and the girls.
Stepped out of the mini bus and Garry came down the Jayakarta stairs with my first Bintang. A quick check-in at the reservation desk, we dropped our luggage in our room and made our way to Frank’s for some music, after which we had dinner at the flying piano. I had the Special Nasi goreng; Pat had the beef & broccoli, Alexandra had the Lasagna and Garry had the famous flying piano “ Cesar Salad” with out the beacon, cheese and anchovies… Food very average.
Flying Piano Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Frank's Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Jayakarta Hotel Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Second Day:
Went to Billy’s in the afternoon to catch up with the others and met Cracker for the first time. (Nice guy)
We had dinner at Yut’z with the Taylor’s, the Lows, Wybe & Nanik, Cosmo, Cheetah, Chris, and Col & Karen.
Alexandra had Pasta Carbonara, Pat had Nasi Goreng and I had the spag bolognaise. Excellent Food.
While the rest decided to go home for bed, I stayed behind with Col and DB for a few more beers.
Yut'z Restaurant Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Legian Morning Market:
Legian Morning Market Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Walk down Legian – Cosmo’s Birthday – Wybe & Nanik’s wedding:
Took the girls for a walk along Jl Legian to look at the shops and stopped at the Bambu Corner for a beer with Wybe to calm his pre-wedding nerves, after which
I went back to the hotel to sleep off the beers, had a massage in the afternoon.
The afternoon was spent at Franks, took some pictures of the sunset and ogle at Tara’s assets.
Went to Raja’s for Cosmo’s birthday and Wybe’s & Nanik’s wedding celebrations.
Excellent night and good food.
Raja's Restaurant - Cosmo's Birthday - Wybe & Nanik's Wedding Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Ubud:
Took the girls to the Ubud market for some shopping.
Stopped at the sliver factory on the way and Pat bought some silver bracelets.
Bought a nice Ubud style painting at “Dewa Putu Toris Gallery” located at Br Tengah, Batuan, Sukawati, Gianyar and spent a small fortune.
We stopped at Murni’s for lunch – I had the chicken burger that was absolutely crap. We sat at the lower level of the restaurant, overlooking the river, great settings but terrible food.
Got back to the Jayakarta in time for Frank’s big drums show on the beach. Had a great time.
We finished the night at “Drops Restaurant” on Jl Padma, I had the Bebek with rice, Pat and the Alexandra had a Pizza.
Alexandra and Garry’s girls had a great time playing pool with Ririn.
Food Average.
Murni's Restaurant Photos: 1 2 3 4
Drop's Restaurant Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Project Education School Visit:
Caught a taxi to our meeting point with the others to catch the bus.
This was my first time at the school and we spent half of the day looking at the excellent work being done there by both the BFN members and other sponsors from MMC Marketing.
Garry, Jobes, Kiera, Joe had a game of volleyball with the children.
We watched them sing, read, play games and took heaps of photos and Videos.
Pat was overwhelmed by emotions and very touched. She was amazed with the enhausizum of the children and their willingness to learn with so little at their disposal.
After the school visit, we stopped at Candi Dasa for lunch.
Excellent Day.
Project Education School Visit Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
The Long Walk To Canggu:
We all met at 5:30 am on the beach in front of the Jayakarta.
The walk was very pleasant with a magnificent sunrise and plenty of photo opportunities.
The 7 km walk took about 11/2 hours to get from Legian to Canggu with lots of stops along the way.
We had a huge breakfast on arrival at the Echo Beach Café, we spent approximately 2 hours there and got picked up by our arranged transport fitted with “Doof - Doof” music.
Had dinner at the “Sea Side Café “ I had the burrito with beef, Pat had the BBQ chicken wings and spring rolls. A must, is the coconut granitas. Great Food – Excellent Day.
The Long Walk To Canggu Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Return To Bali – Jayakarta Dinner:
The course of the day was reasonably quiet and did the usual thing.. Internet café to check mail, made a trip to the “All Seasons” to meet Wybe and used his laptop to download my photos on my portable hard-drive, walked home only to find Max at the “Bambu Corner”, so, had a few more beers.
While I was there Pat & Alexandra passed by from their pedicure. Pat continued back to the Jayakarta, while Alexandra stayed behind for and Ice coffee.
Back to the Jayakarta for lunch and catch up with the rest of the gang.
Took Alexandra & Chloe to look for a new dress and shoes for the dinner.
7:30 Pm we had a drink at the Jayakata Beach Bar… Drinks over priced.
The Buffet was excellent and took a lot of effort on Garry and Kate’s part to organize.
Great music and even had a little dance and a few trips to the room to refill my glass with Vodka and orange juice.
Most people went home at about 10:00 Pm, but we stayed back and talk until 11:30 pm.
Great Night, Excellent food and company.
Jayakarta Dinner Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Kuta Night Market:
In the morning the girls went shopping as usual, I went for a walk up to the Discovery Mall and bought some cakes at “Bread talk” and a quick visit at the bookshop, and then caught a cab back to the hotel.
After lunch, Garry and I took the girls for a play in the surf.
We all met at Billy’s in the afternoon, where we all caught a cab to the night market.
I had the grilled fish and Crab & Corn soup at Blackies.
Good Night and Good food.
Kuta Night Market Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Jobes & Alexandra
Stopped at the Bambu corner on our way back for a couple of beers with Max & Wybe, after which I needed a Nana Nap.
Went back to the “All Seasons” to pick up Alexandra.
This was Karen last day and we all went for dinner at the “Sea Side Café”
Sea Side Cafe - Karen's Last Day Photos: 1 2 3 4
Waterbom Park – Pat & Alexandra’s last day:
Only the Taylor family and mine went to the waterbom Park, where we met Philphy and his mob.
Garry & I seems to have had more fun than the girls, riding the boomerang slide and we were the only one among all the other riders, to reach the top of the ramp, that we thought we were going to go right over the edge.
Max & Luna came for a visit at the Jayakarta to say goodbye to Pat & Alexandra, after which we all went to “Warung Asia” for a farewell dinner.
Went back to the hotel at about 9:00 pm to collect the luggage and took a Taxi ride to the Airport.
Waterbom Park Photos: 1 2 3 4 5
White Water Rafting:
Picked up at about 8:00 am and made our way to the Agung River.
We all got fitted with our life jackets and paddle, and then it was the long walk down the stairs to meet our rafts.
Surfer girl & Cheetah inhaled their asthma pump and got there in one piece.
We had two rafts: Raft 1 – Cheetah, Bintangbob, Surfer girl, Rachel, Alex. Raft 2 – Garry, Cosmo, Joe, Nick, Jen
We had a great time drowning the Japanese Armada with our helmets. Had a great lunch there and got back to the hotel at about 3:00 PM.
That afternoon we went to Billy’s to meet R&T, Altorque and Family.
Since that it was Cheetah’s and Surfer girl last day, we had dinner at the Padma Club.
Great day white water rafting – Great Lunch – Average food at the Padma Club.White Water Radting Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Padma Club Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Lovina & Amed.
Our driver Yassa picked us up at about 8:00 am.
After a quick visit to the schools where Joe & Cosmo had their sponsored child.
We made our way to Bedugul to watch the AFL grand final at “Cracker’s Bar”, then to Lovina, followed by Nick & Jen on their bike.
We stayed at the “Hotel Mas Lovina” also known as “Lovina Beach Hotel”. The place was virtually empty.
We watch the last quarter of the grand final at the hotel bar, then a quick jump in the cool swimming pool.
Joe and I had a massage while we were waiting for the Sparkies.
Late that afternoon Nick, Jen, Joe and I took a ride in a Junken to watch the sunset over Java, with Nick being Captain Jack Sparrow.
Back to the hotel we had a quick shower and I had an episode with an exploding showerhead. We’ve booked a table right on the beach for dinner and had grilled “Mai Mai” fish for dinner.
The hotel wasn’t too bad, but slightly run down, as you would expect with the decline in tourism in this part of Bali.
The next morning, I got up at about 5:30 and met Nick half way for some photos.
Joe, Nick and I went for a drive in the town center, while Jen was getting a massage before the long ride to Amed.
We left Lovina at 12:00 PM and stopped in Singaraja for a look around. Walked through the Singaraja Market where the two of us were the only tourist there.
After an hour or so, we made over way to Amed, going through Sangsit, Kubulambahan, Airsanih, Tejakula, Lupak, Tianyar, Kubu, and we stopped at Tulamben for lunch at the F-1 Café. After lunch we continued to Culik, then Amed.
We arrived at our hotel “Life In Amed” at the same time as the Sparkies.
“Life In Amed” is a great little hotel, for the exception of the barking dogs and the crow of the roosters at 2:00 am from the nearby villages.
The first night in Amed , we had dinner at “Deep Blue” located in a magnificent setting on the edge of the cliff over looking the ocean.
The next day, Joe and Nick went snorkeling and I stayed behind for a sleep after a rough night with the roosters.
At about 3:00 Pm, Garry and Wayan came to pick me up for my next night at the “Bayu Cottages” where I shared a room with Col.
Arrived at the hotel to find the girls had already settled in by the pool, Wybe was having his first beer with the hotel owner “Marcel” another expat from the Netherlands.
That night Joe and Nick organized a banquet for all of us at the “Deep Blue” hotel.
The next morning, Garry came knocking at our bedroom door at 5:30 am and it was time for some early sunrise photos across the bay and over Mt Rinjani - Lombok.
About lunch time it was time to go back to Legian, after a few stops along the way to admire the scenery, and such places as “The Blue Lagoon”.
Cracker's Bar Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Lovina Beach Hotel Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15
Lovina Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Singaraja Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Amed Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
SU’s Cottage – Casablanca – Hula Café:
Very tired from the Amed trip, I checked in at “SU’s Cottages” located next to the Kumala Pantai.
SU’s is a small budget hotel, frequented mainly by surfers, German backpackers and a shady character, which seems to have made the place home.
With its ceiling fans and archways, and the smell of intrigue in the air, the place gave the feel of a scene from Casablanca.
I had room number 9, located one step from the small pool and the dinning area. The room was clean, large, with air-con, ceiling fan, TV.
That night, I planned to have an early night and started to walk to “Poser” for an early meal, when I met Rachel half way.
We decided to go for a drink at the Flying Piano, where she convinced me to go to the Hula Café with her and since it was still early for the show, we decided to walk to “Wayan & Friends” for dinner. At about quarter to ten we walked back to the “Hula Café” and watched the show, which ended at 11:00 PM. Great show and a good laugh and expensive cocktails with funny names, then it was back to SU’s for a good night sleep.
I made it my business to sit on my bedroom porch every morning, while having coffee and a cigarette and observed the dealings of our in-house shady character.
He was obviously an antiquity dealer from Germany. A trail of Javanese men in dark sunglasses, paraded at his table in the lobby, where he has obviously made it his private office.
Daily, his shady associates would put loads of Javanese Artifacts wrapped in newspaper, for display before him.
I am sure that the Indonesian Government would be interested to know that some of their national treasures are walking out the door, onto the black market.
However the whole thing was very entertaining.
SU's Cottages Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Nadja & The Flying Piano:
We all went to the “Flying Piano” for a welcome dinner for Karisma, where I met the lovely Nadja, who is in the financial business in Zurich.
Loads of Arak was consumed on that night, which gave most of us a terrible headache the next day.
Nadja was going out with the guitarist from the Mariachi band at the Flying Piano, but was very attentive to me, to the point of giving me her phone number under the firing eyes of her lover.
Though I did have lunch with Nadja, two days after our meeting and I think that I need to point out that this was as far as it got. Puuh..!
Karisma's welcome - Flying Piano Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
The Devil Wears Prada & Zappaz Piano Bar:
By this time I was getting tired of staring at the ceiling fans at Casablanca and needed to get out. This is when I met “Sheryn” a singer from New Castle who was staying at SU’s and mentioned Zappaz.
Zappaz Piano bar is located in Seminyak and owned by a British expat “Norman” and his Indonesian girlfriend. Norman is an excellent pianist and played with some famous bands in Europe. Several local bands also played there and can be a very good way to spend the night
I would have to say that this area of Bali is a little more civilized than that of other parts of Legain and Kuta.
Frequented mostly by Europeans, this is the Gucci and Prada side of town - Not a Bintang T-shirt in sight - Not trying to be a snob; I can say that it was good to see well-dressed women and men alike for a change.
This is where I met the devil “Yasmine” a British girl with a Villa in Seminyak with the face of an angle and the body of a Diva and most of all, a ferocious appetite to get me into bed.
As a form of exorcism I quickly spat out the words “Wife” & “Married” and expected her head to spin around, while spewing green peas, but it just bounced back like water off a duck’s back. Apparently to Yasmine, adultery is not a mortal sin.
I went to Zappaz most nights during my last week in Bali and simply enjoyed the music and the company of the devil.
Sugar Mummies & Kuta Cowboys – An Observation
I noticed this year that there is an increase of Western women, in their mid forties with young Balinese men.
I could see them almost everywhere I went.
One such couple, I met while having lunch at Poser, was Trish & Made.
Trish is in her mid forties, who is having an escape in Bali, while her four kids are being cared by relatives in Australia and Made is a young Balinese about 20, who’s only valuable possessions seems to be his youth and his bike and with no doubt in mind that he was after his next meal ticket.
They were both sitting at the table in front of mine and while waiting for our meal; she decided to strike the same mundane conversation that people usually have when they meet for the first time in Bali.
Trish, was obviously in Bali after a break-up with her boyfriend or husband and was looking for that perfect man and has she eloquently put it “There is no good man in Australia”. I guess that she came to this conclusion from one bad relationship.
This got me thinking that this is why many Balinese women, would marry western men.
From the few that I already know, I can see that they are happily married with loving husbands and them with caring wives, who by the way, not due to the lack of money, still prefer to continue working or willing to work, while their husband either enjoy their retirement or continue to look after their business. Mind you it is the same type of woman like Trish that would label Indonesian women with western husbands or boyfriends as prostitutes.
It seems that Trish has been blinded by love and hatred for Australian men that she cannot see the same picture as I do … some Balinese women carrying bricks on their heads, while the men fill the baskets or sitting on a bamboo scaffold, rendering concrete walls in the mid-day sun.
This also reminded me of a passage from the book “To hold the Mountain”
Sylvia: “Perhaps he will be too busy to go?
Nyoman: “Man is not busy. Woman is busy.
And how true can this be in the every day Balinese life and the relationship between Balinese men & women.
I met Made again while on one of my afternoon walk, standing alone, with some other young men.
One thing I must say is that the Balinese always remember your name, even if they’ve met you only once.
If he didn't call my name, I would have ignored him, thinking that it was another one wanting to sell me something.
Where are you going? Asked Made
"Jalan, Jalan", I replied.
He laughs and at the same time repeated the same words.
Where is Trish?
With a smile he replied, “ She’s gone shopping”
I thought that I would take this opportunity to dig deep to find out a little more about this relationship. I Knew that Made was a smoker from our last meeting and decided to offer him one of my cigarettes, then started my interrogation in broken English…. Why do we Australians always do this when speaking to a Balinese? I’ll never know
So, Made you marry Trish and go to Australia?
Made posed momentarily and took a puff from his cigarette and with that same boyish smile, replied “White Chicks”…. Well I guess that this is an indication of his opinion and affection for dear Trish.
“ Maybe I go to Australia and get a job,” he continued.
Knowing that Made has had very little education, I advised him that he should go to college and learn a trade.
At first he wasn’t quite sure what I was talking about, but after explaining what is a trade, he replied “Maybe” followed by “ I’ll get a job then come back to Bali and have business”.
What business do you want?
I don’t know! Maybe DVD shop!
I thought….Yea! That is exactly what Bali needs.. Another DVD shop.
After all the agony that Made must go through as a gigolo, entertaining frustrated, Obnoxious and over-weight white women, he surely deserve his place in the sun, even if it is the ownership of a DVD shop.
Since that I got the answers that I wanted… I decided to leave Made with his dream of owning a DVD shop and continued on my way, never to see him again.
Last Day In Bali:
The last day was spent packing all of my goodies that I couldn’t take in my suitcase to the central post office in Tuban.
Max and Luna had organized a farewell lunch at “Pica Tapas” Spanish restaurant, located at the Kuta Galleria, for Nick, Jen, Wybe, Nanik and myself.
Said my goodbyes to the staff of Tommy’s Restaurant in rum Jungle road, who got to know me well during my stay and the countless salad rolls that I consumed for lunch there.
Met Jen & Nick at the airport around 9:30 Pm and it was goodbye Bali for another year..Pica Tapas Photos: 1 2 3 4 5
Tommy's Cafe Photos: 1 2
Misc Photos
Kuta Festival: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
posted by matrix at 9:52 PM
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