| BALI STORY 2000 - Day 12. |
| Tuesday 26 September 2000. This is the fourteenth part of the personal diary of our trip. PROFILE: Our party consists of - * Phil and Nell, middle aged, with 12-year-old son Jay. They have been regular overseas travellers for the last 10 years, mainly to Bali. * Chris and his son Scot, 18 years, are also regular Bali travellers. * Claire and myself are a bit older than the others. We first went to Bali over 20 years ago but did not return until 5 years ago and have been annual visitors since then. We are middle class professionals in upper level management positions or, in my case, retired. The two boys are students. Don�t try to read this if you�re not patient. Day 12 For a couple of days at least I haven�t reported on the massages which have generally started my day or have been slotted in at some time later. They had, however, been ongoing. On the way down on this morning, at about 7, I tried to take a few photos along the water�s edge but I was too late to get the light that I wanted. If Max were there he�d get me up at 6.30 because that�s walk time and I would really have had no choice. Wayan will not be on the beach tomorrow, as it will be the day for the annual ceremony at her temple of origin. This devotion which pervades Balinese life is a bit difficult for the average western semi-atheist to come to terms with. �Pervades� is a pretty accurate word to use because it�s not an �add-on� to their lives. Every day Wayan puts a woven, palm-frond, offering basket on the beach before she even unpacks the mattress, her breakfast, or anything. There is a little ceremony that accompanies this which culminates in sprinkling the offering with water, often using a flower as the water carrier. I�m sure that she would have done the same thing at home as soon before she came to the beach. Mistri is quite sure that she will take care of us when Wayan is away, and so are we. Our plan this morning is to return to Denpasar, me to finalise the purchase of software for myself and for friends, the others to finish (I don�t believe it for one minute) shopping. After re-negotiating friends� purchases with them via e-mail I sent a fax to pcMac yesterday hoping that the order would be ready to collect when I arrive. The reason for the re-negotiation was because the estimate I had given friends, of about $10 per disc, is shattered when I believed the quote from pcMac to be over three times this amount. Their returned fax, therefore, was for about a third of their original request or five programs. When I arrived the order was ready for me but there were only two discs! Eventually I understood that the price I have been given per disc is just that � per disc � containing as many programs as they could fit onto each one. The five programs that I ordered are not Rp750,000 as I expected (5 x Rp150,000) but Rp300,000 because they all fitted onto two discs � at Rp 150,000 each disc! Quick as a flash, before the rules change, (not that I expect they would), I apologise for my lack of understanding and re-order the other programs that were struck off the list. The extra programs, I found out at 2.00 pm the same day when I returned to pick them up, fitted easily onto one disc, so the unused space had been filled up with other programs that he thought we would like. Now that�s service! Bob and Geoff will have an interesting Lucky Dip when they get them. I also called in to Dragon Bali Computer at Jl Imam Bonjol #336G (pcMac is at 226) which I had been told about by a pair of like-minded Aussies I met at Platinum. A different sort of store again, dealing in PC�s and, when you asked, a large cardboard box of software was produced from under the counter which you rummaged through to, hopefully, find your needs. For this inconvenience the programs were cheaper than elsewhere at Rp25,000, but it was strictly, �Seek And Ye Shall Find�. The normal price for PC programs seems to be Rp35,000 for the usual one-disc programs, Rp60,000 for two-disc programs and Rp120,000 for four-disc programs such as �Office�. I returned to Platinum to correct another mistake I had made in yesterday�s order and found out that they are almost ready to open a store in Legian. By the time this is posted it could be open, saving the trip up to Denpasar and, hopefully, give knowledgeable service unlike that which you get at Matahari�s that is a bit hit and miss in my experience. While I am in Denpasar I briefly visit Harry�s Computer College and eventually found the way in. The front door had a �CLOSED� sign on it but that only referred to this particular door, not the shop as a whole. If you pressed on you found an open door at the side of the shop. I had sent three e-mails to my previous contact at the shop but never received a reply. I was eventually approached by an assistant to whom I expressed my disappointment, not failing to mention that I had now filled my order at Platinum. He was very apologetic and gave me his card with assurances that he would personally attend to my calls in future � and I really believe that he will. After all of this walking, with a bit of driving, I caught a cab back to Ramayana where I had arranged to meet the others. As I went into the store I suddenly realised how big it was, and how lucky I would be to find them in the throng of shoppers. I was reckoning without the bulk of Phil who stood head and shoulders above most of the displays. Within a few minutes I had found them all. While here their range of very small, self-tuning AM/FM radios tempted me. The smallest was about half the size of an Aussie matchbox and performed incredibly well even inside the store. I eventually settled for some a bit bigger for Rp 25,000 (about $5) as presents for friends. I was also tempted by slices of Black Forest Cake in the display counter near the radio/telephone counter. I eventually came away with the (not very nice) slice of cake, but not before I was again left to wonder why there should be unemployment in Bali. From the cake display counter one of the three assistants took out the slice that I pointed to and gave it to one of the others. The third wrote out a docket and signalled for me to accompany her. Off we went, into the nearby food supermarket to line up at the checkout. We eventually progressing to the cash till after nearly six minutes, the docket was scrutinised, with explanatory comments (I presume) from my guide. Money was passed to my guide, transferred to the �check-out-chick� and the change, by the reverse route, then passed back to me. I was then escorted back to the cake counter where the cash register receipt was scrutinised, stamped and filed. I was then given my cake, by now wrapped up � and I do mean wrapped! Quadruple wrapped, if there is such a word. When it came out of the counter it had paper on the cut sides of the wedge and under the bottom. It had been over-wrapped on these three sides and placed on a small triangle of cardboard. The whole was then placed into a paper bag, carefully folded so that nothing touched the cream and shaved chocolate topping. The bag was then stapled twice so that it did not collapse under the pressure of another, totally enclosing, plastic bag. This bag was sealed by adhesive tape and had a small carrying flap worked into the top above the centre of gravity of the package. By the time I got it open, much to Phil�s amazement as he watched the execution of this task, I needed the energy it provided. It was a real pity that it looked much better in the display case than it tasted in my mouth. Today, for the first time in this holiday I was given coins in my change, and it has happened twice. I normally try to avoid these, as it only seems to add to the complexities of shopping for little real value. If you can find a small and innocent child they can be given away if the parents are not looking. If anyone sees you, however, there is no doubt that you are immediately branded as a cheapskate. I have collected six coins, two gold (coloured) Rp100 (worth about 2 cents), two silver (aluminium?) Rp100 and another two gold ones valued at Rp 500 each. These Rp500 gold coloured coins are almost exactly the same size and colour as Australian $1 coins. This likeness is to play a part in me being taken for a ride for the second time in the holiday � but that is a tale for later. I don�t mind the little lollies that the supermarkets give you as very small change however, as they are coffee flavoured and nice to eat. We were all eventually shopped out (only a temporary condition for the girls) and retreated to the pool again, for some respite from the heat and for lunch from the pizza counter. Another small Happy Hour at the Pool Side Bar and we went separate ways for dinner tonight. The two boys are not feeling well so their carers decided to have room service. Claire and I eventually settled on the Lotus Tavern, one of Five Lotuses in Bali with another in the chain in Singapore. The Lotus Tavern is in Jl Wana Segara, at the other end from the Inn, near ENI tailors. It has lotus ponds across the street frontage and deeply carved wooden panels across one end wall. The polished timber floors are topped by a traditional Balinese roof structure of open poles and dressed timbers supporting a thatch roof that has beautiful plywood under sheets which I think have sliced surface veneers of cedar and the inner veneers are probably cedar also. I keep forgetting that we are in the tropics where these exotic and beautiful timbers grow, so I�m regularly amazed to see them used for such mundane purposes. Just before the Hot Springs (Air Panas) which we visited west of Lovina on our trip north a few days ago, there were a new group of shops being built. We stopped to watch the workers for a while and it suddenly dawned on me that the carpenter sitting just in front of me, hand planing a flitch of timber, was actually working on an enormous slab of wonderfully figured, solid teak. The waxy surface of the wood gleamed at each stroke of his plane. I looked carefully at the timber, and at the construction, and had to come to the conclusion that he was preparing a simple roof beam to go across the front opening, bridging the gap between the ends of the side walls. I tapped the piece and pointed to the space overhead where I thought it was to go and he nodded in agreement. The piece he was working on was about 5 meters long and 175 mm wide by 125 mm thick (16� x 7� x 5�). My guess is that you would need a few hundred dollars to buy such a piece at home. At the back of the shop there was a stack of probably ten or fifteen such pieces. I know of wooden-boat builders who would kill to have such a stock sitting in the back of their workshops. That roof will be a piece of generally un-noticed magnificence, slowly being covered by dust and rat droppings, and it will last for a hundred years at least, if it doesn�t burn down. But, back to the Lotus Tavern. I had to keep trying the Spring Rolls, still looking for a place to recommend. The Lotus provided two only for an entree, but they were quite the largest spring rolls I think I have ever seen. But best of all they were crispy and tasty! The generous dish of peanut sauce was almost crunchy. All in all worth 9/10 at least � and so they should have been for Rp13,000 + 10%. All prices here are + 10% here. Some restaurants quote full prices and yet others quote prices + 10% + government tax which seems to vary from 10% to 20%, up to 40% for some alcoholic drinks. It can be confusing when trying to compare one place with another. The Nasi Goreng Special is Rp26,000 and good but not as good as that which we had at the Sri Ratu with the amiable Irishman a while back. The Soup of the Day is Minestrone for Rp9,000. It is salty, with an unusual although not unpleasant spicy tang, but no pasta content at all. Herself awarded it 8/10 which is not a bad recommendation as she makes a deadly minestrone herself. I had the Balinese Babi Kecap (pork morsels with Balinese spices and sweet soy sauce) with steamed rice for Rp24,000. The meat is nicely spicy but not chilli hot, firm but not tough. The bowl of steamed rice is very generous and it was came with a very small dish of sliced celery and carrot that was delicious and a nice contrast to the heavy sauces of the pork. Claire as might have been anticipated chose the Grilled Fish for Rp 34,000. It was called a Red Snapper when she asked, whatever that really means. It came sprinkled with olive oil, parsley and garlic accompanied with a small dish of rather nothing, salty vegetables, and not the spring potatoes that the menu promised. The fish was generous with moist and tasty flesh and nice barbecue flavours on the skin but a wedge of lemon would have been nice. The fish was awarded 10/10 but the rest suffered with only 5/10. When the mozzies from the pond got active it was a sign of the attentive service that it only took one slap of the ankles for two smoking coils to be quickly placed under the table. There were only three other tables in use but we found that our waitress, Putu, was charming, helpful and unobtrusively attentive. Perhaps we expected too much of the Lotus, or perhaps some of the meal promised so much, but other parts did not live up to that promise. The Lotus sits in the great divide that we have not been aware of in previous trips. It has some good food but is not good value when compared with others. A nice Balinese atmosphere, if you can ignore the muffled disco beat competing with the exhausts on the street, is not going to compensate for this comparative lack of value. The middle to higher priced restaurants seem to be cutting quality or quantity or service, and in so doing are losing out to the cheaper places like the Pantai and the SA Caf� where the overheads are probably lower. Whatever the reasons it seems to us that repeat custom is going to focus on value, and the more fancied eateries will suffer from this trend when times are tight, as they are now. Our total bill, including Aquas at Rp5,500 each, comes to A$21.30 and you�d be excused for asking how critical can you get for a meal that costs $21.30? A good question but for an answer you only need to go to the Pantai where the food is consistently good. Here the Balinese beach atmosphere is supported by the intermittent splash of the ocean waves on the beach, the quiet sizzle of food in the kitchen and the murmur of conversation floating away on the breeze into the night. I find it hard to determine value when I�m eating a meal. What do you compare it with? If you compare it with a good average restaurant at home then the Bali variety has good food and always wins hands down for value. But, �When in Rome � �. If you�re in Bali you compare one restaurant with the others there that you can choose from, and some come out better than others in the comparison. We have a pleasant walk home, not too far to the Inn, with a cool, gentle night breeze giving the local bats a small soaring advantage when hunting insects in the glow of the street lights. There are little things you see and suddenly remember from past visits. Like the small, faintly luminous arrow that points to Mecca on the ceiling of the hotel room. 18.10.00 Links below as usual. |
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| Flowers cascade over the inner balconies at the Holiday Inn. |
| Sunset on the Holiday Inn beach, Tuban. |
| LINKS - On to Day 13. The boys are sick! We inspect nearby hotels while they rest. Photo problems and wood carving at the Inn. Some odds and sods and education for the watch seller's friends. Back to Day 11. See the large photos again? Back to our Home Page to pick up a different thread? Perhaps 'The Owl and The Pussy Cat', or 'By Bike to Queenscliffe'? |
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