Bali 2013 - Day 2

After breakfast, Made came to take us to Celuk.  This is the silver village, and it is an all-day trip for us.  This year we brought a selection of loose stones to have made into jewelry.  It isn't a long trip from Ubud, but there are not many (if any) places to eat there, so we usually try to eat hearty before we go and take snacks for the kids, because we know it means a late lunch.

We arrived at the shop of Wayan Suwarsa, our favorite silversmith, and realized that we had left the stones back at the hotel.  Made and Jake turned around and went back, and Ibu, Macaela and I started shopping.  Our regular people were not there, and I think we overwhelmed the shop girl.  She seemed relieved when Chandradewi finally showed up to assist us.  We chose several new pieces from their stock, and ordered several more to be made with our stones, along with some special pieces for ourselves and for friends.

On our way back to town, Macaela and I noticed a nail salon advertising OPI polish, and we determined that would be where we will go for our manicures later (and maybe pick up some OPI colors on the cheap).  Not to be deterred by our experience at Nomad, we opted for lunch at Jaya Cafe on Jalan Monkey Forest.  This is a restaurant that we had enjoyed on our previous trip, and still rates high with us.  They have good food at reasonable prices, and an upstairs dining area that we prefer.  It gets good breezes, and we can watch the goings-on on the street below while we wait for our food.  Plus, they have free wi-fi, although it didn't work for me - I think you need to be downstairs for best connection quality.

After lunch, we walked back up the street towards Jalan Raya Ubud and checked out several properties along the way.  Sri Bungalows, where we have stayed on our previous trips to Bali, has undergone new construction and enlarged their restaurant.  They used to only have a small dining area, used mainly for breakfast for their guests.  Now they have a full service restaurant with a great looking menu.  One can even choose to dine near the pool or on the edge of the rice fields.  All of their rooms were full, but they were able to show us their new spa and riverside yoga room.

We also looked in at Sagitarius Inn, where the rooms were basic and clean.  They have a good restaurant, the location is good, the grounds are nice and well kept.  Peeking through the gate at the Ubud Inn, we couldn't help but go in.  Everything was in bloom - I don't think I've seen that many flowers in one place since my last country club wedding.  Unfortunately, the room they showed us was less than impressive and smelled musty.  I hope this was not a good representation of what they offer, because I'm not sure the beautiful grounds would make up for the room.

We were all tired from walking, and wanted dinner somewhere close, so we walked the short distance to Casa Luna.  We have always loved the food here, but found the staff to be a bit arrogant.  I come for the Fettuccine a la Casa (I think that's what it's called) - home made fettuccine noodles with ham, asparagus and avocado in a lemon cream sauce.  I get the same thing every time, and it's always great.  We also got to enjoy the live music from next door while we ate.

Sri Bungalows

Location: Jalan Monkey Forest, Ubud
Rooms: spacious and clean, nice verandah, AC, ceiling fan, refrigerator, comfortable beds, phone
Bathrooms: basic, clean, thick towels
Pool: small but nice; no sharp tile edges
Breakfast: good selection on menu, delicious!
Staff: friendly and helpful

We never thought we'd want to stay on Monkey Forest Road; it is so busy! But our short stay at Sri convinced us that there can be peace and quiet even in the heart of Ubud. The gardens were lush and well maintained, and a thermos of tea is provided to each room. Internet service is available at 200 Rp/minute.

We noticed that some of the rooms were undergoing renovations, so one would assume they can only get better.

Arrival

We have heard from many people about corrupt immigration officials in Bali, but this is the first time we have encountered the problem ourselves. We were taken into an office where I was told that the children's passports were too short. They don't expire until May; more than six months after we will return home. We were told that in order for us to stay, we would have to pay an additional fee of $50, for which he would not give us a receipt. After this, we claimed our bags to go through customs. The customs official told us that it was illegal to bring second-hand clothing into Indonesia, but that he would let us in "this time." Next time, he told us, we need to have the people we will give things to write a letter to customs before we come. We finally left the airport more than an hour later.

Our driver from Escapes Unlimited was waiting patiently outside to take us to Sri Bungalows (report to follow) in Ubud. We checked in there and were shown to our rooms - two downstairs doubles right next to the pool. The kids took a swim while we chatted with an Australian woman who was there with her family. A quick shower and clean clothes and off to dinner we went . . .

Made arrived unexpectedly, but right on time. We invited him to dinner with us, and since it was starting to rain, he took us to the restaurant on his motorbike. I'm not comfortable riding side-saddle, so I hiked up my sarong and climbed aboard.

We ate at the Bamboo Cafe on Jalan Dewi Sita. We've been there many times before and knew the food would be good. We had a table upstairs - nice view, but loud western music. The music was eventually turned off to be replaced by a guitar and bongo duo playing . . . more western music (U2, etc.). Pizza Margarita, Sate Ayam (chicken satay), Spaghetti Carbonara, a pork dish that Made ordered, and 5 drinks (tea, water, etc.) cost us 119,000 Rp (about $12).