Today at breakfast we checked our list of things to do and buy while we're here. We had already marked off the Denpasar fabric district because time and money are tight, and we already have bins and bins of fabric. We've been able to accomplish most of the things on our list, but there is still some shopping to do so we're heading back to the market.
We enjoyed a relatively lazy morning, allowing it to stretch into the early afternoon, so we decided to get transport instead of walking. We paid 50,000 for a ride to the market. This price is up from the 10,000 to 20,000 we used to pay because gas prices have gone up so much and the traffic is so bad. During the day, you can often walk faster than drive through Ubud! Anyway, we ventured into the market yet again, this time heading to the upper rear corner where we haven't been on this trip. Prices back here started as high or higher than prices out front, but came down quickly with a bit of bargaining. I'm not afraid to walk away if I can't get where I want to be on price, but I really didn't have to walk away from much. Most purchases I really wanted I was able to get my price on. The sad thing was that here we were making purchases after 3:00 in the afternoon and it was the first sale of the day for most of the vendors. It was getting late, so we finished shopping, ending up with a few more shop items, some gifts and a new hammock for Jake.
I bargained for transport home and was able to get a ride for 30,000 from a driver outside the museum. When we got home, we all showered and got dressed for our special dinner at the home of Made and Kadek. We spend a fair amount of time with the family, but it usually is in the car or at the bungalows, so visiting and eating at the village house is a treat and an honor. They went all out for dinner. We had pig, sausage, lawar, cassava leaf, rice, watermelon, brem, beer, soda and water. I ate too much, but it was delicious. Kadek had some beer with me, and explained that after eating pig, you needed the beer to help your stomach. Well, I don't think I've ever had a problem with eating pig, but I'll have the beer!
After dinner, Made drove us to Bintang for breakfast food for tomorrow, as well as snacks and more supplies to take home, then dropped us off to go home. Since we got home so late, I turned off all the lights at the bungalow and had everyone step out into the yard and look up. We can see stars at home, but not like we can see standing in the middle of dark rice fields in Bali.
So on our last night in Bali, after a wonderful meal in the company of friends, we stood in the dark looking at stars, listening to the gamelan playing in the village and some creature saying "woop" in the rice field. The temperature was perfect, and our time was too short, but we still have one more day.
Jake had expressed an interest in going to the monkey forest, and in all the years I've been coming to Bali, I've never really seen this famous attraction. We walk and drive past it all the time, and back in '95 we went to a temple ceremony there one night, but we've never made the visit during the day. Macaela wasn't interested in going, so she went back to Londo, but Jake, Ibu and I got transport with a friend's son and ventured into the forest. We've seen the monkeys down at Ulu Watu many times, and we are used to how aggressive they are, and that's probably why we've stayed away. But these monkeys get fed a lot and they're not as bad.
It costs 20,000 to get in the forest, and you can buy bananas from vendors throughout. We didn't, because we didn't want to give the monkeys any reason to approach us. It is true that they are not as aggressive here, however, you still have to practice some common sense precautions. Don't go in with anything dangling off your backpack. If you think it's cute, the monkeys will too, and they are clever little things. You'll most likely lose it. They do have staff here, so if you catch a little thief, you can attempt to get your stuff back.
I didn't know that they like sarongs. We hadn't gotten very far in when I saw a monkey across the path and I could tell I was in trouble. They set their eyes on you and unless they get distracted, they're coming for you. This one was a large female and she hurried over to me and reached up and grabbed my sarong with both hands. I really didn't want to be disrobed, and while I was confident about how my sarong was tied for everyday wear, I wasn't sure what a monkey might be capable of. So there I was standing in the middle of the path saying no, no, no, when a green laser shot up the path to where I was standing. The monkey saw it and immediately let go and retreated. I thanked the responsible staff member when I went past him, and that's when he told me that the monkeys like sarongs. This was proven later up at the temple when a tourist pulled a sarong out of her backpack and shook it out in preparation of putting it on. Two monkeys rushed over and began tussling over which one would get would get the prize, with the tourist wailing in bewilderment trying to get them to let go (while the rest of us all stood around taking pictures).
Aside from the monkeys, the monkey forest has a beautiful temple to explore, all sorts of interesting carvings, and loads of horticultural specimens. They have a very informative website you might want to check out before visiting. Walk past the temple, down the steps towards the toilets, and continue on past the stage for some wonderful valley views. Most of the monkeys are near the entrance gates and the temple, so you won't be bothered by them back here. If you're prepared for a little off-the-path (we weren't), there is more to see deeper in the jungle. There was a near vertical "path" that others were going down, but it wasn't much more than a few roots sticking out of the mud and we weren't wearing the right shoes. Also check out the many whimsical monkey sculptures along the road leading to the forest.
After this great adventure, we crossed the street to our bead shop. This tiny little place is crammed with beads and beaded products. There is barely room to move, and it's hot inside! There seemed to be more products and fewer beads this year, but we still managed to find plenty to take home. While we were shopping I could hear the shrieks and shouts and laughter from across the street. The monkey forest sounded like a carnival midway.
We walked back toward main road, stopping for drinks and a snack at Sagitarius. We continued walking, then I bargained for transport when we got to Jaya Cafe. The best offer was 50,000; he wouldn't go down because it was heavy traffic and he would have to make two left turns. Shortly after we got in the car, he got a phone call from someone he had driven for before. He went back and forth with lots of "yes, I remember" and "yes, I know." They made arrangements for the caller to go rafting and to the elephant park the next day, and he would pick them up at 8:00. He got off the phone and repeated the hotel name a couple of times, then asked us where this hotel was. We didn't know. He said he didn't know either, and he didn't know who that was on the phone. I told him he'd better figure it out before 8:00 tomorrow morning.
We staggered home after dark, which is pretty late for us, dropped off our bags and headed over to Made's Warung for dinner. They were packed, but there was a table to accommodate us. They have an extensive menu, and we were all having trouble figuring out what to eat, so we ordered drinks and kentang goreng and said we were still looking. The waiter said okay, brought our milkshakes and our potatoes, and never came back.
While waiting, we heard gasps and screams from another table and looked to see everyone jumping up and moving away from their chairs. They were all looking up, and there was lots of excited French chatter going on. Apparently, they had never seen a tokay gecko, and they thought they had a snake in the bale roof over their table. Tokays are rather large, ranging in size from about 6 to up to 20 inches, although I've never seen one that big. They will quickly disappear if approached, and they eat huge quantities of bugs, so they are always welcome wherever I am.
When our waiter hopped on a motorbike and sped away, I figured we'd better inquire as to whether the kitchen was still open. It was, and we all ordered our dinners. I think at that point, they had finished serving everyone else and we were the last ones left to eat. When we got our food, it was excellent, and the prices were very good. We're not taking this off our list; I think the waiter misunderstood us, and they were very busy.
On a side note, the exchange rate is down to 9,800 today. :(
Rainy day today. When it slowed a bit, we walked down to Ibu Putu's for breakfast. We took our time eating, visiting with the family, and watching the tourists making their way down the Campuhan steps in the rain. Macaela had a noon appointment to get her hair and nails done, so she left and Jake went with her as far as Londo. Ibu and I then made our way down the steps in the rain. It was treacherous, but we made it. When we got to the bottom, it really started coming down, so we took shelter under the taxi stand for a few minutes. Eventually it slowed again and we scurried on down to Sama Sama Shop to check on our order. They were supposed to call us on Thursday to let us know if they could do what we asked and how much it would cost, but this is Monday and we hadn't heard anything. Our contact Pande, wasn't in, so back up the stairs we went to go home.
Macaela arrived back at the bungalows shortly after we did. Her haircut wasn't bad; a bit choppy in back, but after washing you couldn't really tell. Her manicure was a bit sad. Both she and I said we could have done better ourselves. She said the salon's scissors were in need of sharpening, and the manicure tools seemed dull too. The stylist dried Macaela's nail polish by waving an envelope over her nails. And to top it all off, she had a sour disposition. Well, we only paid 120,000 (about $12) for the haircut and manicure, so no big deal, although we won't use that salon again.
The rain continued all day, so we stayed at our bungalow reading, playing cards, catching up on photo uploads and edits, and writing. Thankfully it finally did stop in time for our dinner with Benny and Clive, friends from Australia, and their friends Adrian and Sue. We met at Laka Leke for dinner and the Kecak show. This restaurant offers different shows various nights each week, along with a buffet dinner. The buffet was a bit expensive at about $16 per person plus 21% for tax and service, however, they have an extensive menu of a la carte items at reasonable prices. Dinner for the four of us, including drinks and ice cream for the kids, was about $35. The food was very good, and the portions were huge. We didn't really watch the show, as we were busy socializing.
Yesterday we caught up with an old friend, Made Sutiri. She used to have a shop on Jl. Penestanan, and we've been buying clothing from her for many years. During our visit, we told her about all our business ventures and what we've been up to over the last five years. She asked us to come out and look at her new house, so we agreed and set a time for 11:00 today. Well, we got out for breakfast late, so I rushed through my meal and started down the jungle path to the village. I couldn't believe how long the walk actually is. When you're wandering around with no schedule, you just don't notice how much ground you've covered. I finally made it to Made's new shop, and we visited and chatted while waiting for the rest of the group to catch up.
Made asked if we wanted to drive to her house, because it was so hot. She said it was only about 15 minutes away, so I said no, we could walk. But she insisted that we should drive, and within seconds there were four motorbikes assembled outside her shop. Now, I'm no stranger to two-wheeled travel, but I was wearing a sarong. Nothing for it but to ride side-saddle. Made assigned each of us to a bike and driver, and off we went. I'm glad we drove, because it was a 15 minute drive out of town. It would have been a much longer walk. I wish I had been able to take pictures of all of us on the bikes, but I was busy holding on.
Made's new house is actually two houses, set in the middle of rice fields outside Ubud near the village of Katik Lantang. Each one has one bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and outdoor seating areas. One has a small pool, a lounging bale (pavilion) and a garden shower, and the other has a fish pond. Made and her husband sleep in a small building out front for security when the houses are occupied. These are lovely private long-term villas renting for 6 million IDR per month with pool and 5.5 million IDR without, bed linens, towels and cleaning included. One would have to have a motorbike, though. It's a bit too far to be calling a driver every day.
After checking out the houses, we all got back on the motorbikes and Made and family dropped us off in the street to go back to Londo. We had looked at the menu for Warung River View a couple of days ago, and we decided to go there for dinner tonight. They have an extensive menu, and a great location. Unfortunately, the food just wasn't good. I ordered a chicken steak, and although it looked great, it was overcooked and covered with what tasted like beef gravy. The steak knife they brought me looked like they picked it up off someone else's plate on the way to our table. Macaela's chicken cordon bleu was also overcooked, and Ibu's black rice pudding was just so-so. Jake had sate ayam with white rice and no sauce, which he gobbled up without complaint.
Today is Jake's big day. He's been looking forward to doing a trail ride for weeks. He had picked out one he wanted to do - Bali Rides - but their day ride is 900,000 IDR (about $90 US) and it just isn't in our budget. So Made booked him with Bali Eco Tours for only 360,000. The cost for the ride includes breakfast, all equipment, snacks & drinks along the way, and a buffet lunch at the end. It wasn't exactly what he wanted (it is mostly downhill), but he went and had a good time - and he absolutely refused to take a camera, so we have no pictures to share.
They picked him up out on the road around 8:00 and squeezed him in between the driver and the guide in the front. The rest of the group he was riding with were Dutch. They were driven up to Kintamani where they had breakfast overlooking the volcano, then they went to a coffee and spice plantation. Here they saw the famous luwak, learned about ginseng, ginger and turmeric, and sampled some coffees. I had sent him off with 100,000 for emergencies, and apparently kopi luwak is an emergency. Jake decided since he was here, and it was offered, that he'd like to try the famously expensive coffee. For 60,000 he got a small pot of freshly brewed coffee, which is expensive for a cup of coffee, but relatively cheap for luwak coffee.
After the plantation, they drove to the bicycle depot to begin the ride. They rode down the mountain (slowly, according to Jake), stopped at a family compound to learn about how the traditional Balinese home is laid out, and stopped at a 500 year old banyan tree. Here they learned a bit about the banyan and its religious and cultural importance, and had a snack of bananas. Back on the bicycles, they rode further down the mountain to stop at a ricefield and learn about the rice cycle and harvesting process. After this, the riders were offered an uphill extension of the ride, which Jake and one or two others took advantage of. Then the whole group met up for lunch and the return trip to their hotels.
While he was off having all this fun, the rest of us did a bit of shopping, made a new friend (and caught up with an old one), and headed to town for our manicures. Well, we couldn't remember where we had seen the OPI shop, so we couldn't exactly get transport. Even women we asked along the way didn't know what we were talking about, so how could we expect a driver to know? So, we walked. And walked . . . and walked. We walked from Jl. Penestanan, down the hill, across the old bridge and uphill into town. We walked all the way down Jl. Monkey Forest to Jl. Hanoman to Jl. Dewi Sita. At this point, it was almost time for Jake to be back, so we gave up and were pushing for home. We were also hot, tired, hungry, thirsty, and grumpy. And we hadn't gotten our manicures. Then, there it was! We crossed the street and climbed the steps and walked in to the frigid air of the shop. I picked up a menu so we could decide if we wanted to come back later. Manicure: 60,000 - no polish! Polish is an additional 60,000. And remember we were going to pick up some OPI polish cheap to take home? NOT! Polish ranged from 195,000 to 225,000 per bottle - more than double what it costs at home. But hey, we got lots of exercise.
We got back to the bungalows just shortly after Jake did. We all laid around and recovered from our day. Since we had all expended so much energy, we agreed that dinner someplace close was in order. We opted for Lala & Lili, which is less than 10 minutes walk down the jungle path. The food was good, the prices were decent, but the service was a bit slow, even by Bali standards.
The rain woke me up this morning, bright and early at 6:00 a.m. There has been a fair amount of rain, considering it is the dry season. After this morning's sprinkle had passed, we walked to Sari Bamboo for breakfast, only to realize we didn't have enough money to eat. Jake decided he wanted to eat cereal at home anyway, so he went back to Londo. Macaela and Ibu walked down the path and down the Campuhan steps to Sama Sama to change money. They don't have the best rate, but they are the closest.
So now, with full wallets, we headed back to Sari Bamboo and had a wonderful brunch. We've kind of gotten into a two-meal-a-day habit, since we've been eating "breakfast" so late. Afterwards, Macaela went back to Londo to hang out with Jake. Ibu and I walked back up the road and checked out a few little shops and restaurants along the way. We continued down the hill and across the river into the village.
Somewhere along the way, we decided to make our way through the village and back home by way of the jungle path. It has been five years since we've made this walk and things have changed a bit - not to mention that our memories have gotten a bit foggy. So we steered by intuition. When we weren't sure about our next move we stopped at Vespa Cafe for a cold drink. We each ordered an iced tea for about 20,000 each, and while we thought the place was nice and had a good bathroom, the tea was not that great and definitely not worth the hefty price tag. But the tea did refresh us and perhaps lifted the brain fog a bit, because we emerged from Vespa pretty sure about where we needed to go next.
Talk about change! The jungle "path" is now a road, and where once there were only small private homes and a few secluded rentals, there are now immense villas, a couple of expensive hotels, shops and restaurants. The traffic is still mostly on foot, but motorbike access is easy. Close to home we found a new hotel property which has only been open for 10 days. Ubud Heaven Villas is lovely, and in a couple of years when the screening vegetation grows in, it will be even better. They already had guests when we were there, although their restaurant was not yet open. We asked to look around and a nervous young man named Wayan showed us a one bedroom and a two bedroom villa. Each villa has a complete kitchen and a small pool. These rent for $250 and $460 per night, but they're set up for long term rentals.
After our tour of Ubud Heaven, we made our way back home and rested for a while. I had promised Jake a home-cooked burger meal and we figured tonight was a good night to do it, so we took our supplies out of the freezer to thaw. We were running low on snacks and stuff, so I called Made for a ride to Bintang Supermarket. I'm used to big American bikes, not little Balinese motorbikes, so I almost knocked Made over when I got on his.
I tried to hurry at the store, because Made had come directly from playing badminton and had not had a chance to go home yet. But while I was shopping, I realized that some of the things I was buying had BOGO deals on them. So I shopped carefully, making sure that I was picking up the right free items. Well, it doesn't work the same as in the U.S. I ended up paying for all the items I put in my basket, and I had to go to the information desk to get my free items. Except when I got there, they told me they were finished. I did get a free milk to go with our cookies, but I had to surrender my receipt. I think next time, I'll ignore those deal signs.
So back home to cook dinner. I made sauteed onions, fried the bacon and cooked the burgers. It was sort of like cooking at camp, but in a kitchen. It was a good dinner, but I won't buy those pre-made burgers again. Everyone liked them but me, but I just couldn't finish mine. The flavor was very different!
Today we're headed up to Bedugul to try out the high ropes courses at Bali Treetop Adventure Park. We planned for an early departure, because it is a long drive, and the clouds roll in shortly after noon, obscuring the views. So we didn't eat breakfast, just snacked on things we had at the bungalows. Our friend and driver Nyoman Santra stopped by for a bit to chat and apologize for not being available last night. One thing led to another, and an hour or two went by before we were finally ready to leave.
Made usually takes us on a quite scenic route to Bedugul, but this time he said we needed to go "the regular way" because he thought there might be some closed roads along his preferred route. No problem!
We had nothing else planned, and we know about the clouds, and we've seen the view. Well, the regular way was, as Made said, a very artistic road - full of very large potholes and places where the road had crumbled away to one lane or less. But Bali is always an adventure, and we made it through with no damage to persons or property.
By the time we got to Pacung, we were starving and ready for the buffet at Pacung Indah. We've been coming here for years, but the place is under new management now, so we weren't sure what to expect. It hasn't changed much. The staff is still attentive and the food is still good. They did run out of one of the buffet items while we were there, but they replaced it with another choice, and we did arrive later than usual, after all. The buffet was 80,000 per person, with soft drinks etc. extra. The drivers are usually fed separate from their group, but Made is not just a driver, he's family, so we always have him eat at our table. Not a cheap meal by Bali standards, but it is all you can eat, and the buffet includes salad, bread, rice, noodles, soup, meat and vegetable dishes, krupuk, fruit, dessert and coffee or tea, so it still goes on my list. Oh, and while we were here, the clouds did indeed roll in to obscure the view, and it even started to rain a bit.
After lunch we continued up the mountain to the Botanical Garden. There was a fee of 84,000 to enter the garden, which I believe was 12,000 for the car and 18,000 for each person. Made parked next to the ginormous statue of Kumbakarna Laga and we all piled out. The entrance to the tree top park is just to the left of the statue. After paying our fees, we got rigged up and instructed, then we jumped right in. Macaela and I started on the Green course, and then did Orange. They were challenging and fun and not too scary. Jake skipped ahead, starting on the Orange course, then moving on to Red, then Black. We all three finished up at about the same time, and Jake suggested we all do the Blue course together. I wasn't entirely worn out, so we headed back up into the trees. We made it through most of the course, but Macaela and I both lost our arms on the vertical net and had to be brought down by one of the guides.
Okay, so we didn't really lose our arms, they just wore out and there was no going further.
We all turned in our rigging and stumbled back to the car where Made was taking a nap. Driving out of the park, the rain really started coming down. The trip back down the mountain is always faster than going up, and the rain just makes it that much more exciting! Along the way, Made stopped at a roadside stand and bought some local sweet treats for us to try. There were some little green ball things full of syrup of some sort, and some banana slices wrapped in some kind of sticky pastry. Both were topped with finely shredded coconut. They were good - I wish I had gotten him to write down what they were called. After that stop, we rocketed down the mountain listening and singing along to American rock music and eating Balinese goodies. It was a fun end to a long day.
Yesterday morning Macaela and I were out on the porch early in the morning when I noticed something blue across the rice field. I wasn't wearing my glasses so I asked her to take a look. It turned out to be the top of a drink bottle, but I launched into an educational moment about the Java Kingfisher. "If you see a flash of blue in the rice field, grab your camera because it might be the elusive Java Kingfisher."
Meanwhile, there was a dark bird sitting with his back to us in a small tree. I knew he was there, I thought he was black, and I wasn't really paying attention. And remember, I wasn't wearing my glasses. Well, he turned his head, and I saw that huge red beak, and realized that I had been lecturing while my photographic prey sat there right in front of me. Within a very short time, there were three of us lined up along the edge of the veranda with cameras. I'm sure we were a funny sight for anyone who happened to be looking back our way.
So here he is, the elusive Java Kingfisher. The fishing was good, because he stuck around for several minutes. Thank goodness for digital; that would have been an expensive film moment.
Here he is eating an eel he's just caught out of the rice field. They really are beautiful birds.
Now that we've settled in to our regular location, I feel a bit more relaxed.
Up at 6:00 this morning to shower, get dirty clothes together to take to the laundry, open all the windows to let in the sounds and smells of Bali morning, sweep the porch, fill the water bottles, and catch up on writing. We've been accustomed to having a big thermos of hot tea delivered to our bungalow each morning around 6:30, followed by breakfast around 8:00, but things have changed. Made's father had a stroke a while back (and has reached the age of retirement for banjar purposes), so various village and temple responsibilities now fall to Made to take care of. Kadek has two young children and also has temple and family responsibilities. So now we're on our own for breakfast. Not a big deal, since there are several great restaurants within a 10 minute walk.
When everyone was ready, we set out for our day. We started by dropping the laundry off next door at Agus Laundry, then went out to the road for breakfast at Sari Bamboo. The food here has always been delicious, freshly prepared, and very reasonably priced. Their iced lemon tea is just about perfect, too. Macaela had banana juice and banana jaffle, followed up with pisang goreng (fried bananas). I couldn't resist choosing one of the wonderful entrees instead of traditional breakfast fare.
After breakfast, the kids walked back home to lay around and chill for the day. Ibu and I decided to explore side streets. We noticed a for rent sign for a joglo style villa with one bedroom and a guest house for only 10 million per month (rupiah, that is), and decided to go check it out. It wasn't really a side road, more like a side path, but it leads down into the rice fields behind Sari Bamboo. There were several private villas, some great views, and even a spa if you venture far enough back.
We had not planned to be out and about in the sun, and we didn't have our hats, so when things started to heat up, we headed back to Londo. Made stopped by to check on our plans, and we decided today would be a good time to visit Tegallalang for more shopping. It was sad to see the number of shops that seemed to be closed permanently (many were closed for the afternoon due to a local ceremony). Also, it used to be that you could drive through this village and find a huge variety of carved and painted wooden items - toys, puzzles, windchimes, mobiles, key chains, flowers, sculptures - almost anything. Now what we mostly saw was shop after shop of the same things. There are loads of shops selling glass or mirror mosaic things. It seems like all the imagination and creativity we used to see has been replaced by duplication.
Since we were so close, we asked Made to take us to Petulu (15,000 per person to enter the village) to watch the herons come to roost. Now, this is something I've done before, way back in '95, and at the time we parked, looked around and said "OK, now we've seen it, can we leave?" And it is kind of like that; it's a bit dirty, and there's not much to do. But, I enjoy birds, and it is pretty cool to watch the hundreds (thousands?) of herons come in from all over the surrounding countryside and return to their few favored trees. You can easily see which trees those are as you drive through the village. Don't stand on the white parts of the road! After you've wandered around a bit, you can cross the rice field to the tiny warung and order a fresh young coconut to sip on while you watch the show. The sign here claims they have the best view of the birds, and the owner also loans out his binoculars.
After all that excitement, we had Made drop us on Jl. Monkey Forest for dinner at Jaya Cafe again. We ordered tuna steak, baby back ribs, "Chicken Gordon Blue" and a BLT. All were great, except the BLT, which just didn't make the grade. We tried to contact one of our regular drivers for a ride back home, but he was taking people to the airport. So we walked. Just past Ubud Music on main road, we finally hired transport back to Londo for 30,000 (five years ago, it would have been 10,000). Off to bed, for there is a big day tomorrow.
