Bali 2013 - Day 13

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.

Bali 2013 - Day 8

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!

Bali 2013 - Day 6

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.

Bali 2013 - Day 5

Today is the day we move to our regular Bali home - Londo Bungalows.  But first, the market!  We let the kids sleep when we went the other day, and today they get to experience the chaos.  We bought the Javanese cake things again, this time laying down 5,000 Rp and receiving a package of 10.  We also tried a sweet rice cake (more like a very thin rice crispy treat, only not as sweet), bought some fried peanuts and 10,000 Rp worth of grapes.  We only got a small handful of grapes, but we found out later that they were imported - probably from California - and very expensive.

With treasures in hand, we went back for our last breakfast at Puri Saraswati.  Ibu had not been in the temple yet, so after breakfast, we dressed (for temple) and grabbed the cameras for another look around.  Ibu shot video and I took lots more still shots, then it was time to pack for our move.

By the time Made got there, we had almost everything out on the porch.  He just stood there and stared.  After all these years, he shouldn't be surprised at the amount of stuff we have.  After he determined that we would fit in the car along with all of our junk, he loaded everything in.  We stopped at reception to check out and settle our bill.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that we didn't owe anything.  Some other places we've been charged for the bottled water in the rooms, and apparently since I made my phone calls from the reception desk, they were free as well.

We all squeezed into the car and took off for the printers.  We ended up having to choose new cardstock because both of our cards were made with stock that is now finished.  We ordered 500 cards for each of the three businesses, then asked about labels.  Yay!  They can do them in time, and there is only a 1000 piece minimum.  So all of this for less than $120, and they'll be done in about a week.  Wouldn't happen at home.

After the printer, Made asked if we needed to stop at the store for any supplies.  We figured it would be a good idea, so he took us to the Bintang supermarket just up the hill from the Campuhan Hotel.  We picked up snacks, beverages, cereal & milk, art supplies and shop supplies to take home, and burgers, bacon, onion and rolls for the dinner I'd promised Jake I would cook.  Then, finally, loaded like pack mules, we were dropped off for the walk up the path to Londo.

All of the bungalows have been renovated since our last visit.  I've always preferred the Frangipani because it was the only one with a balcony.  Now, all but the newest bungalows have balconies, most have indoor kitchens and renovated bathrooms.  This time, the kids are too big for all four of us to share two bedrooms, so Ibu and Jake stayed in Kolam, and Macaela and I ended up in Bintang, the new bungalow.  More on this later in a separate post.

Kadek came to see us with the younger children Vika and Komang.  Vika was just a baby last time we were here, and this was our first meeting with Komang.  We visited and chatted and doled out all the clothing and gifts we had brought for our Bali family, then walked down the path to Ibu Putu's for a late lunch.  Ibu Putu's daughters were home visiting from America, and her son Ketut sat down with us for a while and told us about the recycling program he has helped to put in place.  It was great to be able to visit with most of the family and catch up with what everyone has been doing.

The kids headed back home to play cards and use the computer, while Ibu and I walked down the path to check out what's happened beyond the main path.  There is a new restaurant here called Yellow Flower that Kadek has recommended.  It is small and cozy, looks and smells good, and has good prices.  Since we've just eaten, we'll have to check it out later.

Back at the bungalows, we set up the computer for a slide show for Kadek.  We showed her pictures of our home, some of the kids activities, snow, and flowers from home.  Around 8:00, Putu (the oldest daughter) dropped in to say hi and visit for a while.  She was just getting home from school, and still had homework to do, so everyone agreed it was time to break up the party.

Bali 2013 - Day 4

Another busy day on tap - got to get those orders going so we will actually be able to take our goods home with us when we go!  Made came to pick us up at 9:00 for our return to Suwarsa.  We picked up all the pieces we had chosen from their stock, and chose styles for our stones to go in.  They had combed through the stones and matched them up for earrings and multi-stone rings, and separated them for various styles.  Can't wait to see the finished products!

After we got back to Ubud, we took our T-shirts and totes we had made a few years ago back to Sama-Sama Shop to see if they could fix our screen printing (our web address has changed since we had them made).  We also checked on getting labels made for our Pink Gecko products, but they are made in Java and will take too long.  Plus, there is a minimum order of 6000 pieces.  I can't imagine making that many products!

We walked back down the hill and across the old bridge for lunch at Murni's, another of our old favorites.  I'm sorry to say that the food here has suffered since our last visit.  Our "chicken schnitzel" was actually a thick, heavily breaded, over cooked chicken filet, accompanied by frozen fries and a salad.  The salad dressing had the same flavor as before, but was thicker, so it didn't coat the salad as well.  The prices here are higher than before (as expected), and our lunch cost almost $50.  Macaela says that the milkshake was still the best she's ever had, so I guess Murni's will stay on our list for shakes.  We didn't even try the fried tomatoes and onion rings that we usually get.  I think the lack of fresh cut potatoes scared us.

We still had a stop to make, so we asked Made to come pick us up again and take us to the printer.  We always have our business cards made in Bali because they are so much cheaper than we can get at home, and because we can't get cool cards at home like we get here.  The traffic was horrible, partly due to a ceremony going on further up the road, and parking was not available because we had come at the peak of the lunch hour at Ibu Oka's.  Made suggested we turn around and try again early tomorrow.  We agreed and had him drop us at the market for more shopping.

We went back home to regroup, drop off our purchases and pick up the kids, then we went back out to explore Jalan Kajeng.  This is another of those streets we have walked past for years and never gone down.  There are a lot of little places to eat down here, many with decent prices.  There are also several accommodations and spas.  We chose Fortuna for dinner and really enjoyed it.  The atmosphere was more like the old Bali we are used to, the food was good, and the prices were cheap.  After dinner we headed back home to bed.  Tomorrow we're taking the kids to the morning market before breakfast.  Nothing like an early walk to work up the appetite!

Bali 2013 - Day 3

Market Day!  Ibu and I got up early and walked to the market to experience the local market.  This is not something we've really been able to do before, because we've never stayed this close to the market.  The morning market opens at 5:00 and is cleaned up and closed by 7:00 so arriving at around 6:30, we had already missed most of the excitement.  Even so, it was quite an experience.  The place was packed with people, very few of them were not locals.  We learned pretty quickly that morning market shopping does not work the same way as what we are accustomed to in our regular market shopping.  Ordinarily, you have your eye set on something, you ask the price, then either walk away laughing or begin the bargaining.  If you ask a price at the morning market, you will be charged at least twice the going price.  Watch what others are paying, take out your money and lay it down.  You might still get less than the locals for the same price but you'll get more than if you ask the price.


We bought a large bag of ready to eat krupuk (shrimp crackers) and some Javanese cake things with chocolate sprinkles.  The woman ahead of me had paid less than 5,000 for a pack of ten of these, but this was before I had learned the trick, so I ended up paying 7,000.  We wandered around taking pictures and generally getting in everyone's way - imagine Costco just before Thanksgiving with a couple of people stopping to photograph every display - then we headed back to Puri Saraswati to get the kids and have breakfast.

After breakfast, we all headed back to the market to do our regular shopping.  It was a bit shocking to find that the prices have increased to about three times what we have been accustomed to.  I walked away from many sales because I couldn't bring myself either to pay what I thought we'd bargain down to, or to try to bargain down to what I wanted to pay.  We did manage to get some good deals on some clothes for personal use and a few new items for the shop.  It was a troubling trip through the market - I can't remember ever having the vendors really beg me to buy.  The new market buildings are pretty on the outside, but I don't think they make the market better for either the vendors or the shoppers.  I'm sure that the rent on spaces is much higher now, and that, along with the economy, plays into the lack of deals to be found here.

We walked out of the market by way of the back street which intersects Jalan Dewi Sita near the soccer field.  We found a little restaurant with decent prices and decided to stop for lunch.  Ayuk's Warung faces the side street, and is a restaurant, money changer and wood carver's shop all in one.  While we waited for our food we wandered around the shop.  We have purchased from Ayuk in the past, and his shop hasn't changed much.  You can get good quality wood carvings here, and he does bargain.  Lunch was good, but not great.  After lunch, the kids walked back to the hotel, and Ibu and I went exploring.  We walked down Jl. Dewi Sita to Jl. Hanoman, back to Jl. Raya Ubud and past the market to the hotel.  Lots of new glass-front shops with very expensive goods for sale, and a Polo shop every half-block.  Okay, not really, but I've seen at least four of them in downtown Ubud, and the prices are not good.  $62 for a shirt?  I think not.

Back at the hotel, I finally dragged out the laptop to work on photos and start my blogging.  Unfortunately, the free wi-fi is not strong enough to easily access the internet from the back of the property where our bungalow was located.  Then I discovered that my laptop has succumbed to old age, and was operating so slowly that I'd never be able to get any work done.  No problem, Macaela has hers.  Only I've never used hers to access my Google account before, and when someone tried logging into my account a few months ago, I accepted Google's double authentication procedure.  So they sent me a text with a code.  To my Sprint phone.  Which I can't use here.  Ugh!  So I started the lengthy process of getting Google to give me access.  Who remembers when you started using Google?  Neither do I!

In the afternoon, we went out to check out Jalan Bisma which we've been walking past for years, but never ventured down.  This is a quiet little street with several places to eat and stay.  We were invited to come see Three Dewi house, so we checked out the place.  It is a nice three-story house set in the rice fields; each floor rents separately.  Unfortunately, we didn't take pictures, and I don't remember the price, but I do have the owner's card, so we can get in touch if necessary.

We opted for dinner at Ayu's Warung on Bisma.  The prices were good, but the portions were small, and the food wasn't very good.  Jake's BLT sandwich had about a half piece of bacon on each half, and the mayo was strange.  The lumpia were very greasy, and Ibu's black rice pudding was gritty.  Macaela and I had chicken steak, and each looked like it was a half portion.  But we had food in our stomachs, so we headed home to get some rest.

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.

Bali 2013 - Day 1

Upon arriving at our hotel, Puri Saraswati, at 2:00 a.m., we asked for a wake up call for 7:00.  We were afraid of sleeping most of the day away, and we really don't want to waste any of the short time we have here sleeping.  Not to worry, 6:00 found me awake and ready to go.  Macaela and I were up and on the porch when Putra, one of the hotel staff, came down the path.  We exchanged greetings and he invited us to visit the temple that was attached to the hotel grounds.  It was still some time before breakfast would be served, and the rest of the family was still sleeping so we donned our temple garb and went to check it out.

The hotel is owned by the royal family, and the temple is one of their family temples.  I don't think I've seen any other temple adorned with so much gold.  Due to the early hour, we had the place to ourselves, with the exception of a man quietly going about his cleaning duties.  I'll post more on this later.

We were back in the room in time for our wake up call.  We all showered and gathered our stuff and headed to breakfast.  Everyone was starving, so the generous breakfast that is included with our rooms was greatly appreciated.

We have found that the only way to really get into the Bali schedule (being 12 hours off from our usual) is to hit the streets and walk.  With the hotel's excellent location, we had easy access to the market and downtown in one direction and Campuhan and Penestanan in the other.  We walked down Jalan Raya Ubud and checked out a few shops, then headed into Penestanan to visit friends.  Our stop at Londo found nobody home, and lunch time was approaching, so we continued down the path to Ibu Putu's Warung.  Nothing has changed here.  Ibu Putu's smiling face still greets you, and the basic menu of traditional favorites is still the same as it has been for years.  We all had iced lemon tea, the kids and I had chicken satay with rice, Jake and Ibu had carrot salads, and Ibu had french fries.  All this for only about $14.

After lunch we shopped our way back to the hotel and called Made to make arrangements to pick us up later.  The kids wanted milkshakes, so we stopped at Coco Bistro nearby for drinks.  I don't recommend this place.  It was expensive, service was slow, and the milkshakes were small and thin and the kids said they tasted like they were made with UHT milk.

Hurried back to the hotel, and got there just as Made was arriving.  His shock at seeing Jake, who was a little kid five years ago, had him almost speechless.  Made took us to purchase cell phones.  Everyone else in the world can bring their usual phones to Bali and purchase a sim card, but not us.  Cell phone companies in the U.S. (except AT&T) don't work that way.  No matter, we got two cheap phones for about $52 including pulsa, which is the Indonesian equivalent of minutes in cell-phone terminology.  (It doesn't really equate to minutes, and I don't understand it, but that's how it is.)

We chose to go to Nomad for dinner because we had enjoyed it so much last time.  Unfortunately, it was a disappointment.  Of course the prices have gone up, but along with that the service was not as attentive, and the food not as good.  But it was filling, and we were ready to head back and end a very long day.

Monday, 21 November

We wanted to buy Made a new pair of glasses. He said Denpasar would be the best place to go, and that while we were there, we could shop for fabric. We said that sounded great, and it was determined that we would go on Monday. So, after breakfast and a little shopping, we set out for Denpasar. Along the way, we did the usual ogling out the window at the wonderfully interesting shops we were passing - mostly furniture, but we also saw a bakery with a beautiful selection of birthday cakes in the window, puppies and fish for sale (not in the bakery), floral shops, and many other things I had never seen in Bali before.

While Made had his eyes examined, we all looked at frames and watched TV. Jake helped Made choose just the right frames, and they look great. The total cost for the exam, frames and lenses was Rp 600,000 ($60) and they would be ready in an hour. The children informed me that they were lapar (hungry) and that it was time for makan siang (lunch), so we told Made and he said he knew a good place. He took us to Tiara Dewata. This is a Bali shopping mall with a food court, kiddie rides, and a swimming pool. Lace and I ate at the dim sum stand; we both got noodles with meat, vegetables, mushrooms, crispy fried noodles and broth for $1 each (total meal with tax $2.20). Made helped the kids with their lunch decision and they ended up with pizza and sate ayam (chicken) with white rice. He also bought a plate of Balinese treats for all of us to try. After they finished lunch, Made took the kids to ride the carousel and play in the ball room.

After all that excitement, we headed back to get Made's glasses and then on to the fabric shopping. Although Lace keeps saying I went crazy, I say we exercised quite a bit of self control in not buying a piece of every fabric we liked. Cotton batik in all variety of colors and patterns cost Rp 15,000 per meter, and rayon batik was only 13,000. I think in all we bought about 50 meters. What are we going to do with it all? Ummm . . .

Friday, 18 November

After a wonderful breakfast (banana pancake, toast with scrambled egg, egg and tomato jaffle, fruit salad, and hot tea), we headed out to walk around and see what was going on in Ubud. Monkey Forest Road was extremely quiet. On returning from dinner the night before, we had been approached by the manager of one of the restaurants with an offer of free beer if we would just come in and listen to the music for a while. We had declined because we all needed sleep, but it was a little depressing to see so few tourists.

Made had said he would get us around 10:00, so we went back to the rooms to repack everything for the move. We didn't want to offend anyone, so we had Made explain our situation before he loaded the bags in his car. When we got to Londo, we settled right in. The kids went upstairs to work on their schoolwork, and I started taking pictures. It is amazing how much those plants grow in two years. The lotus in this picture was just a tiny thing when we were here last. The rice fields had just been planted, and the fields were calm and glassy.

Well, we can't go to Ubud without a trip to the market on the first day. Lace had packed light - real light - we had to go buy her some clothes. Since we hit the market pretty late in the day, we didn't spend much time. We found what we were looking for (we thought), I did the bargaining, and then whipped out the camera to get some quick shots. I've never gotten market photos before because when I'm there, I'm shopping, and I don't want my bargaining power spoiled by a camera hanging around my neck. We had finished buying, but we had to walk past the shoe men in the courtyard. One man told me I could buy his shoes for "only 1,000 ma'am!" Hmmm, a 10 cent pair of shoes? I'll take 20. I didn't even try to bargain with him. I knew I'd end up paying more than I really wanted to for some shoes I didn't really want.

So anyway, the clothes we got didn't fit, and we had to shop more another day! Whee!