Monday. First … the tailors.

It starts to pour with rain as we walk out of the hotel so we decide to take a taxi to Poppies II. This means that our great plan of stopping off at the Commonwealth Bank ATM on the way is forgotten!!

Never fear – we remember as we arrive at the tailors. Money is pooled and we have enough to pay without having to walk back to the bank. The work is done. The garments are ready. They look great and Mrs Pie is well pleased. Check her Big Bums in Bali report for more info.

Of course everyone poses for photos! All the Balinese people we meet love photos being taken … and looking at them afterwards almost as much as they love hearing people try to speak their language.

And then we’re on our way. We need to stop at the Kodak shop on the corner of Poppies II and Legian to get a picture printed. (More about the picture later) While I’m upstairs getting the print done – easy and cheap too – Piegirl is downstairs getting mobbed by people selling bangles made from Australian coins. She buys a few … but the sellers persist.

Eventually we cross the street to pay our respects at the memorial to the Bali bombing victims. There are no sellers here. But 10 metres away they are lying in wait.

We’re heading for the Commonwealth ATM on Legian leaving a wake of sellers behind us.

Except one bloody woman – we are polite, she is insistent but eventually she gives up. We dive into the shop with the Commonwealth ATM. We pull the money and its outside again.

And that bloody woman is out there waiting for us ... after I don’t know how many times I hear her trying to sell this bangle and see her pulling at Piegirl’s arm, I turn to her and say quietly and politely but firmly … Hey Lady. I’ll teach you some English. Bugger Off!! Piegirl just about fell through the footpath in shock. An Australian woman following just a couple of metres behind us just about fell over laughing!!

A few nights ago we were down in JL Buni Sari at a Billabong Sale and now Piegirl has had a Great Idea. Let’s go back and buy some sunglasses for the little Party Pies at home – and maybe a pair for Pieboy who, like a dick, has lost his on the tour yesterday. I agree that this is a great idea.

But the news is not good. The Billabong sale has closed. Gone. Kaput. Well, not quite gone ... they are not open though. Most of the stock has gone and they are packing up the remainders. It is All Over. But, taking lessons from the woman I told to Bugger Off, Piegirl has become, shall we say, determined.

Can I please come in? - No sorry closed.
I just want to buy some sunglasses. - No sorry closed.
I can see the case over there. - No sorry closed.
With the sunnies in it. - No sorry closed.
I bought some the other day. I remember you. – No sorry closed.
Think of the extra money. - No sorry closed.
I want to see the boss please. - Sorry, boss in Australia.
I want to see the boss here please. - Um er.
Who is the boss here? - Um er.
But I just want to buy some sunglasses. - No sorry closed.
Can I please see the boss here? - Um er.

And so on.

Then suddenly, I’m outside holding the bags – just like last time.

And Piegirl is inside.

Suddenly huge numbers of Billabong sale staff are pouring out of the shop sucking on Chuppa Chups – I wonder where they came from?

Then everyone is lining up for a photo! All the bloody Billabong sale staff – lined up, posing on the footpath outside the shop. I take a photo! They all call Piegirl into the photo too! I take more photos. Individual staff line up for their photos. Chuppa Chups are sucked. Smiles all round. Email addresses exchanged. A bunch of Om swastiastu’s are said. Many matur suksma’s are said. Sama samas are said. More smiles and laughs. Om swastiastu is a great saying. We just about stopped the shop when we were walking around Matahari and said it. There were floods of smiling shop assistants Om swastiastu-ing back. It was fun.

And with a number of Om santi santi santi om’s we wander away. With sunglasses. She’s a pretty amazing girl is my Piegirl.

Just a few metres down the street we meet the 2nd persistent hawker of the day – not counting Piegirl who is a persistent buyer – not a seller.

It’s that damn line again ... I got your size. I got King Kong size. Yeah right. Come look. Ok. We went. We looked. We bought. Only a couple but they were nice.

Our visit to the Kodak shop was to get a picture for engraving at the Face-to-face stall just outside Matahari for each of the four Party Pies. (I’m thinking about getting a special one for Piegirl too – but she doesn’t know yet.) We’ll pick the keyrings up tomorrow after 5pm.

We eat at Kedin’s Café in Poppies I. We’ve read on the forum about Chicken Gordon Blue and wonder whether it is a joke based on the Bristow cartoon – or what?

So we try it. Chips. Mixed veges. Chicken cordon bleu ... all frozen and probably from home. The chicken Gordon Blue is perhaps a little overcooked. OK. A lot overcooked. But it is one of those things you have to do. Definitely no hint of Bristow.

Time for reflexology. The Ibu Jari people waiting, huge smiles at the ready!

On our way back to the hotel we pass by a shop where the owner calls us in. He’s selling necklaces only and offers them at 10 for 70,000. He says he hasn’t made a sale in 3 days. I believe him too. The last thing we need are 10 shell necklaces … but in we go.

His wife is sitting in the corner obviously in some pain. She shows me her arm with a nasty wound on it. A motorbike accident earlier today. I sympathise and make sure she has something to put on it … she has – sort of. She’s been to the chemist and has some antiseptic lotion.

After completing the sale I notice a picture on the wall. I say Asalam wali kom. Wali kom salam comes the reply. Then many smiles and handshaking. More smiles. Asalam wali kom again. More smiles. Goodnight. I hope – I think that we’ve done something just a little positive.