Archive for December, 2006
Ubud is loaded with lovely shops and galleries selling art, antiques and interior design gear. This afternoon I stopped into a couple of places on Jl. Raya Ubud. The first was Gender Mas, a shop stocking original work by a selection of artists from all over Bali, including Karangasem. I asked the staff, a muscly young guy called Gede (single women take note), how much the merchandise was. He quoted prices or 30m rp, 25m rp etc. for the small 3 foot status. he told me there is another shop in the village of Mas, a few kilometers away.
The second place I checked out was Suarti, across from Gender Mas on Jl. Raya Ubud, same side as Cafe Lotus. Suarti specializes in interior decoration, including dining, silver wear and elegant ornaments. Open 8am-8.30pm. Other shops located in Kuta, Sanur. The head office is located at Jl. Raya Celuk #100X, Sukawati.
Gender Mas
Jl. Raya Ubud (across from Cafe Lotus)
Ubud
Bali
(0361)971492
Open 10am-9pm
Suarti
Jl. Raya Ubud (same side as Cafe Lotus)
Ubud
Bali
(0361)298914
source : www.baliblog.com
December 22nd, 2006
Bali has been steamy today, or least the part where I am. Arriving in Ubud, we were hoping for rain, to cool the place down. Sure enough, around 2pm it poured. Realizing this and wanting to crank out some articles, I ducked into Cassa Luna on Jl. Raya Ubud and sat out back, under the roof.
As the rain lashed down, I smoked my key board with finger power, belting out the facts of my Ubud adventure so far. This while session was powered by 2 arak madu’s which Casa Luna does very well. An hour I was feeling tired, you know that part of the afternoon, when your head gets heavy and you just want to crash? Solution: a lime cream pie, full of sugar and just the thing to counter the arak. Now I’m zooming again, and will head back to the losman (that’s an old time term for guest house), and shower. Toby put Maya to bed for a nap, hoping she can stay awake tonight so he can go out after 6pm. I tell you, I am so lucky with Jevon, I can take that little bugger anywhere, the coffee shop, the bar, the restaurant, he just doesn’t care. Hope Toby gets some free time while he’s in Bali.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 22nd, 2006
Bali has incorporated ideas from all over the world into something called ‘Bali Style’ That goes for interior design and gardens, but in a way, Bali is a melting pot for other ideas, such a food. One of those imported ideas is the lassi, from India. A lassi is a drink made with water, yoghurt, honey and fruit. It is blended and served in a glass. My favourites are banana lassi and mango lassi. The consistency is rather like a thin milkshake, (only more healthy) and they can really hold you over till the next meal.
Mango season is October onwards pretty much, so you can’t order a mango lassi is July. Today at lunchtime, Warung Max served up some okay lassies, which we enjoyed, kids love them too.
Just as the Wikipedia article says, there is a version called a bhang lassi, which is served in India, the origin of the drink. I’ve had one or 2 and they definitely live up to the billing. Not found in Bali alas. One place I like to go for a cheap and good lassi, is Bamboo Corner, on Poppies I. Last time I went they cost 7,000rp.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
Phones in Bali are super easy. You buy a SIM card at one of the many places selling it, and together with some units of ‘pulsa’ (credit, available in 25,000rp, 50,000rp, 100,000rp blocks) can be in action fast. That is of course, if you are able to register your phone. I bought my new SIM cards for the 2 spare phones my friends from Oregon have, from the booth outside Bintang supermarket. The attendent told me I had to register and could not use the phone until that time. Last night at a Thai food place on Jl. Padma, my sister in-law Ningrum, told me I can use the phone, but have 3 days to register it, otherwise I’ll lose the number. She has managed to register one of the phones, the other has some problem with it.
Anyway, having a local friend who is savvy really helps. Ningrum is a trip. She works as a receptionist at a healing center 6 days a week, earning good money. I told Ollie from Oregon (sounds like some kind of Forrest Gump), that Ningrum is an expert in consumer products, especially cell phones and motorbikes. Ask her about the economy, world affairs, or sports and she won’t have clue. Reciting the specs on Nokia’s whole range, no worries. How many miles you get per liter, on any Honda motorbike, easy. Info on cost, reliability and financing, also possible. I took the opportunity to quiz her on new Honda’s, and she told me one of the latest bikes has a micro processor, like the cars, that tracks some of the vehicles data for a mechanic. She reckons Honda’s have the best reliability over Suzuki and other brands and also the best mileagle. She told me she didn’t think Tiger’s (200CC) stood up to the pounding of potholes very well. Anyway I’ll pick up the cell phone today and somebody will be able to contact me easier.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
My situation right now in Bali, is having friends visit, who like hving me show them around. I like exploring Bali and feel lucky to be here, but showing people around is exhausting. My 2 days with my friends included a day at a scorching hot beach, followed by a hot, dusty trawl through Legian and Kuta, looking for the cheapest deal on AC rooms. It occurs to me, that group dynamics is an endlessly fascinating subject.
When you travel, the number of people you go with, will have a huge impact on your trip. The fewer people means more mobility, the greater number means the harder it will be to get anything done, whether it be going out for a meal of exploring. I said to Toby this evening, its a shame we can’t just jump on my motorbike, and go traveling.
In our group there are 4 adults and 1 kid. Two of us have major commitments. Toby takes care of his daughter Maya, 24/7. If she needs a nap, everything stops. I have my website and need to get online, meaning there is a stress to type stuff and get to an internet cafe, after doing all the stuff in the day.
Tonight we were talking about how we could maximize our time. Maya is awake usually during daylight hours, meaning 6am-6.30pm in Bali, after that its lights out. For me these big sessions in the sun and heat, mean a nap at 4pm, followed by waking up like a dead body, and getting into my work sometime later.
Tommorow we’re going to Ubud, which has plenty of guest houses, places to eat and internet access, some of it even useable. I hope to show my friends around a bit, take a dip in the river, learn more about the challenges of family travel (I have a family, but for some reason for us its easy) and manage to keep pumping out content, for all the info hungry Baliblog readers. Yeeah!!!
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
Bali Nine member Martin Stevens, plans to marry the lady who bring him breakfast in bed. That might be stetching it a bit far, but its definitely breakfast in jail. I don’t blame him, hell if I was on death row in a foreign country, I’d probably marry Mal Meninga (Brian Bosworth for you Yanks) if he brought me breakfast everyday. You’re never going to to be alone with them anyway, so who cares?
Steven’s girl is a 31 year old former Muslim from Java, who converted to Christianity. So looking at the situation objectively, we have a couple of very needy people, who take comfort in unrealistic salvations.
Pro’s for him: Free breakfast…for a long time
Con’s for him: She might run into a nag and there’s no escape
Pro’s for her: Aussie passport. Aussie relo’s. Access to the prison ‘breakfast market’.
Con’s for her: No free lunch, she’s got to make him lunch. Of all the Aussies who visit Bali, this one really isn’t ‘going anywhere’.
Good luck to both of them.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
To get to Green Ball, you head up the hill onto the Bukit, from Bypass Ngurah Rai (heading to Nusa Dua), then at the 4 way intersection (Nusa Dua, Uluwatu, Balangan), turn left towards Nusa Dua. You will see a sign for the Bali Cliff Resort, and the surf beach at Green Ball.
Arriving at Green Ball you’ll see a dirt parking area, with an old guy selling drinks. A small water was 3,000rp, so best to bring your own drinks if price in a concern. There are a couple of hundred concrete steps leading form the cliff, down to the sand beach. We saw some small surfable waves and while we were there, probably 5 or 6 other surfers were there also. Ollie paddled out and caught many long rides, although the swell was small. Green Ball is a reef break and is the southern most tip of Bali, next stop Australia.
For us non surfers, Green Ball is an okay beach to relax on. Devoid of trees, the cliffs provide some shade. The water is relatively clean and to the right of the beach is a large cave with bats. Ollie liked Green Ball because there seemed to be many spots to catch a wave, which combined with the lack of people, meant a mellow time. I have been to the cliffs overlooking Green Ball before, but never to the beach. The stairs got us sweating on the way up, poor old Toby dragging a backpack and carrying his daughter.
Green Bowl
•What is it?
Green Bowl is a beach / surf spot on the Bukit Peninsula.
•Where is it?
Located next to the Bali Cliff hotel on the central southern coast of the Bukit.
•How do you get there?
From Kuta, Bypass Nusa Dua, Jl. Uluwatu up the hill, take left hand turn, to Nusa Dua, look out for turnoff for Bali Cliff hotel. Road to beach is indicated.
•How long does it take from Kuta?
30 minutes.
•Services:
Parking, drink seller.
•Who is Green Ball good for?
People who want a nice beach, turquiose water, hot sun. Surfers who are looking for surf, when there’s none anywhere else. Green Ball picks up swell from all directions.
•Who is Green Ball not good for?
People who don’t like stairs, driving more than 5 minutes, or need creature comforts.
•Best time to go?
To enjoy the beach you need mid-low tide. For surfers the waves suck up more when it starts to get low ide, of course. It is reef, so factor this in.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 20th, 2006
Lucky Day restaurant in located on Jl. Dhyana Pura, about 150 meters in from Jl. Seminyak. Last night Toby, Maya, Ollie and Asia went for dinner. Lucky Day is one of those places that makes an effort all round. Inside the place is a selection of seating options from 2 person, 4-person, 6 person, or large Japanese style low tables for groups.
The extensive menu covered Indonedian, western food with seafood and steaks, plus appetizers. I ordered the satay ayam for 30,000rp which was lovely. Ollie ordered a grilled shrimp dish which had massive shrimp on sticks. Everyone was very happy and the staff were very attentive to us and Maya. All the while we ate, a trio of Balinese musicians played jazz, and popular songs on electric guitar. These guys were real musicians, who could play, adding some tasty touches here and there. I felt sorry for the staff, that we were the only customers.
Lucky Day is ideally located for people staying in the Seminyak area. It is literally 300 meters from the beach, and close to the nightlife on Jl. Dhyana Pura. The problem in Bali is the amount of choices available. Lucky Day still puts out quality, in service, food and presentation. give them a try if you are in Seminyak.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 20th, 2006
We are at December 20th and the wet season hasn’t really shown up. Sure there have been the occassional morning shower, but mostly its been dry here in Seminyak.
My friends from Oregon were looking forward to hot sunny days, and that’s what they got. It was cooking down on the Bukit today! Our 10 day weather forecast says the sunny weather will continue, with a 10%-20% chance of rain. Great news for tourists coming for Christmas/ New Years. The western part of Indonesia get more rain than Bali. Recently, the north of the country got hammered with a storm, the Batam area suffering damage.
Visitors to Bali should bring the sunblock and hat. We’ve all been doing that and still got caught out in places. I wore a wide brim felt hat all day today, still got a bit pink on my abdomen, which doesn’t get out much. Staying hydrated is key also. I see westeners, who look like they are suffering sometimes. You get someone a bit overweight, out in the sun, no hat, dehydrated, not a happy camper. I’m encouraging my friends to knock back a Pocari Sweat, isotonic drik now and then (found in every Circle K).
source : www.baliblog.com
December 20th, 2006
Illegal foreign tour guides have been arrested in Bali. As Bali Discovery reports, 2 Europeans were caught at a Balinese temple, leading groups of foreigners around. Fancy that!
The 2 guides, one from Poland, the other from Russia, were snapped by cell phone camera, by a rival tour guide (another big surprise!) and forwarded to the cops. As the article points out, there are some hoops to jump through, if you wannabea tour guide in Bali. This kind of thing is run of the mill, as far as the way things go on this island. As soon as you show up on someone else’s rader scope, watch out. I was chatting with a Latin American guy the other night, who told me, “When they know you have money you are a target, and they are waiting for you to make a mistake.” I guess the same is true, if somebody feels you are stepping on their tows. Aussie guys have told me, they have called ‘La Migra’ on other foreigners! Then what happens is the immigration show up with a video camera, to get evidence of you working.
In order to be a foreign guide in Bali, you have to undergo testing, to show knowledge of the language and culture. Funny thing is, some of the local ‘guides’ at temples in Bali, don’t know much at all about the place, or Balinese history. Maybe the government just wants the best educated set of expats in the world.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 20th, 2006
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