BALI STORY 2000   -   Day 13.
Wednesday 27 September 2000.


This is just over six pages in length and nothing earth shattering happens. 
Don’t even try to read it if you’re not patient.

Day 13

The two boys, Scot and Jay, are not well. 
Scot has had a pretty intensive week of flying and study, with the tension of his first solo thrown in for good measure.  I think that his systems have just begun to relax from the high that he has been maintaining and he’s crumpled into a heap.  He has a bit of a temperature and the doctor says bed for a couple of days.  When he turns down the chance to go White Water Rafting he’s certainly not on top of the world. 
Jay’s got a bit of a cough and a sniffle but he’s also had a pretty tumultuous month or so, moving from Adelaide to the country, leaving old friends and making new ones, a new home and a new school in an unfamiliar place.  His funny tummy of last night seems to be a bit better this morning.  He might be in sympathy with his big playmate too. 
Whatever, they’re rooming it for a while, under watchful eyes.  When kids are sick everyone’s holiday gets put on hold for a while.  Things that you might delay about at home, with a wait-and-see attitude suddenly become a bit more of a concern when you’re thousands of kilometres away in a somewhat unfamiliar country. 

‘What is your program for today?’ 
Every one seems to ask.  The room cleaners, the waitress at breakfast, the Desk Clerk, the girls on the beach.  Certainly the taxi drivers and mini-bus drivers, and if you don’t have one they’ll try to sell you one.  Rest days just don’t seem to be very satisfactory for them. 
For this morning ours is not too different from yesterdays or the day before or the day before.  The girls need to change some money and are going ‘last minute shopping’ would you believe?  Since this is Wednesday and we don’t leave till Sunday morning this is going to be the longest ‘last minute’ in history.  Phil wants to have a look at some alternative hotels for future consideration, but I think it will take an earthquake to shift him from the Inn after all these years.  And he makes a good point too.  We have tried other hotels at Nusa Dua and at Ubud and found things to like about them but the Inn is familiar territory with more that a few good points.  Yes, its tired and need a good re-vamp, and my pet hate is the short necked showers which lack good adjustment, and I don’t think anything that wants to be more than a two star hotel should have showers over the bath.  It’s uncomfortable and damn dangerous.  But the place is right on the beach, and that means right on.  It’s compact.  You don’t have to go down five floors and walk a long way to get to the pool.  The towel shack and the icecream counter and the pizza hut are all within sight of the pool and the kids playing.  The grounds and gardens are not really big but they are interesting and varied.  The staff are friendly and we know most of them, and its not hard to get to know other guests if you want to.  Perhaps above all we know it and feel comfortably ‘at home’ there. 

I think that I’ll go with Phil on his investigations and so do the others, after all we’ll be walking towards the markets, old and new, and towards the shops of Kuta and Legian.  This should take care of the morning program, and I’m sure the afternoon will take care of itself when the time comes. 
One of the images I have of several hotels along the way to Kuta is of bright, soaring and spectacular entry lobbies.  They are really impressive but you don’t live in the lobby and the downside of this space is that its just so much further to go to get to the pool or a restaurant or the road or your room. 

I have a processed film to pick up and a dozen 10R Jumbo enlargements also.  10R jumbos are 31 cm x 21 cm and cover the full length of the negative which is best for very rectangular subjects especially panoramas.  10R size prints are a bit cheaper but you loose a little off the ends of the negative, which is OK if the subject is squarish or round, like many flowers. 
The 10R cost is Rp12,500, A$2.70.  At home they would be five times this although I also have to say that they would be better prints.  There does not seem to be any quality competition amongst the processors in Bali.  They all tend to run their solutions beyond exhaustion, allow the temperatures to vary too much and accept the machine’s automatic exposure and filter settings without really looking at the image and making manual adjustments to best suit the photo.  At times things seem to get just too much out of whack and the old telltale problem of the photo whites being grey when compared with the paper back of another print is a dead giveaway. 
Anyway they are not to blame for my images.  This is not a good result from four films, three decent shots per film, but I manage to convince myself that I’m still getting used to a new telephoto/macro lens and coloured filters which I have never used before at all.  I seem to be getting better, there was only one decent shot in the first film but six in the last one. 

At the Inn there is a wood carver, I Nyoman Sujana who, besides the usual figures and scenes, carves all sorts of name plates from the most intricately baroque to a very plain piece of wood if that is what you want.  I usually get some thing made each year.  These have included a business card holder with a company logo carved onto it, a flat wall name plate, a desk stand with ‘Ducatti’ on it, for a friend who restored one of these Italian beasts, and a couple of BMW trademarks as paperweights for friends who own these bikes.  This year I think that a triangular block with ‘Grob G115’ and the date of Scot’s first solo flight will be an appropriate memento for him.  The letters are to be coloured sky blue just like the BMW signs that he did for me last year. 
Nyoman was intrigued with this unusual sign and I explained to him what had happened.  He was a little amazed, I think, that young Scot can really fly an aeroplane. 
The sign would be finished this afternoon so I could give it to Scot at Happy Hour that evening.  The price we agreed on was Rp30,000 and a daily supply of Chupa Chups for which he has developed a passion, just as Adi has a passion for chocolate eclairs.  Every time Nyoman saw me he stuck his finger in his mouth and sucked, imitating the destruction of another Chupa and the need for more supplies.  The price is a reduction from Rp55,000 for ‘Good customer only.’ ‘You not tell friends!’ 
The smiling young girl at the icecream counter also liked Chupa Chups but could not eat them while she was on duty. She was more than happy however with a small koala which she clipped onto the lapel of her white jacket.  She looked for me every time she came past our favourite sun lounges after this, just to smile and wave.  Or was it just to see if I had more Chupa Chups? 
Nyoman’s brother (or is that cousin?) works with him most days, painting egg shells with traditional Balinese themes or images of Bali scenes.  The work is executed in incredibly fine detail, as I suppose it has to be when your ‘canvas’ is limited to the surface of an egg, and in rich, brilliant, glowing colours.  They have devised a packaging system that comes in the price and which virtually ensures the eggs safe transport back home.  I have found that a major part of the satisfaction in owning one of these is that you can actually watch it being planned and then painted day by day.  I don’t think I could ever buy one at a shop now, and not know something of its creation. 

Little bits of nothing much. –
* At the Kuta markets software CD’s are Rp50,000 compared with 35,000 or even 25,000 at Denpasar. 
* Honda Astrea, or Astrea Impressa, Astrea Grande or Astrea Supra’s make up about 29 out of 30 motorbikes in Bali.  The other one is either a Suzuki Bravo or a Yamaha.  The police bikes are Yamaha 250’s and I don’t think the cop at the ‘Station’ on the corner of Kuta square was joking when he offered to hire me one for Rp500,000! 
* A brimmed sun hat with your favourite logo printed on it could be purchased in the Kuta markets for Rp120,000, particularly if you were Japanese, or for Rp7,000 if you were a really persistent haggler and the day had been slow for the seller. 
* Today a Calvin Klein watch could be purchased for either Rp75,000 or for Rp35,000.  Tomorrow the price was to be two for Rp50,000. 
What really is the cost of things in the markets? 
* Matahari’s has fly spray and insect repellent in familiar brands such as Mortien and Johnsons.  This is cheaper than at home. 
* Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce is Rp18,500 for 150 mils. 
* Tomato Sauce is Rp 4650 for 400 mils. 
* Smiths crisps are Rp19,900 for 100 grams.
* A large Anker beer was Rp7,600 here but cheaper in the street shops and only Rp7,000 served cold at most Happy Hours.
* Chuppa Chups were Rp750 each. 

When I bought one supply of Chupa Chups I offered one to the girl who served me.  She was initially very reluctant to accept but, with the encouragement of the other two assistants she eventually accepted it, but only if she could keep the sales docket.  I suppose that this was her insurance in case she was accused of stealing it as she left the store after work. 

On the way to lunch we stopped at the Kodak shop so that I could pick up the photo enlargements.  I was disappointed to find four of the twelve were covered with white dust spots and/or white lines from either hairs or scratches.  The operator did not want to re-print them, and I really can’t blame him as there was a large building project in full swing just next door to the shop. 
I took the negatives back to the Kodak shop on Kartika Plaza, opposite the Kin Khao restaurant to have these four done again, as well as two from the new film.  I was later even more disappointed to find similar problems remained with two of the new prints.  Without asking the operator here offered to re-do them but the results were no better and he demanded full payment even though the spots on each had changed places on the new prints, clearly indicating that the problem was with the cleanliness of his machine and not with the negatives. 
Later, at home, I had them done at my local store which is a Fuji franchise.  The owner operates the printer himself and I think is a photography club member.  He is sufficiently interested in his work to do more than the usual amount to rescue my negatives and produced two prints that we were both proud of. 

We had lunch eventually, at the SA Café in Jl Wana Segara.  We were able to sit in the raised bale at the side of the café.  With its three open sides, raised and tiled floor and vaulting roof overhead it was pleasantly cool, particularly with a cold drink in hand. 
Our food choices included soups for Rp9,500;  Club Sand Triple ‘Dekker’ Rp 14,500 and what a feed it was with fries piled on top;  ‘Chesse’ Burger Rp14,500;  ‘Mixican’ Burger Rp 15,800;  Pastas from Rp 15,750 to 17,500;  Fillet Mignon with Pepper Sauce Rp23,000;  Sweet and Sour Fish or Fish and Chips Rp20,000;  Nasi Goreng Rp13,500,Pizza Rp15,500. 
My Bakmi Goreng was spicyand tasty.  A full plate for Rp13,000. 
House wine by the glass was Rp6,500. 
The toilets were graded at 5/10. 
The atmosphere here is nice, cool and relaxed.  Roosters crow in the back yard under the row of bamboos that sway in the afternoon breeze.  A large, striking cabinet stands against the wall.  It is made from solid teak with carved door panels and back.  The workmanship is good and the piece would be worth a fortune back home.  Here it just sits in the open bale.  The cavernous ceiling of the bale is lined with cedar plywood, clear finished and with marvellous grain patterns in many sheets.  The sheets seem to be at least 9 mm (3/8”) thick as they are clearly self-supporting at the edges between the roof beams, over a span of perhaps 600 mm (2’) or more. 

It must be hot.  Even the locals are saying ‘Panas panas’.  One ‘Panas’ is enough to indicate that it is hot, two indicates very hot.  The cardboard covers of my notebook are limp and the paper is difficult to write on as they have been soaked in so much sweat in my shirt pocket.  Frequently the cab drivers don’t turn their air conditioning on until they get a fare.  Today the two cabs we’ve caught have both been almost chilly inside, instantly cool as we opened the door to enter, indicating the drivers have felt the need for it even when they had no customers. 

Back to pool-side for relief.  I sat down to talk to the wood carver, Nyoman.  (The name is virtually universal for all third-born in Bali. I Nyoman signifies male and Ni Nyoman signifies female.  The oldest child is Wayan, the second Made and the fourth, Ketut meaning tail.  If there are more children the cycle is often repeated.)  Nyoman wanted to see what I had in the cardboard folder so I took the photos out to show him.  Not unexpectedly all the nearby clan gathered round out of curiosity, even the Security Guard and the girl from the icecream stand.  A guessing game followed, trying to identify the locations of the photos.  Some, such as those of the temple at Lake Bratan and the ‘Floating Palace’ at Mengwi were easy to identify but others, particularly if I had used a colour filter, had them stumped.  They were a very appreciative audience, however, and I rewarded them all for their good taste with Chupa Chups. 

After Happy Hour, because we had a late lunch and were not yet hungry, we walked off down the street to see Yoyan at ENI tailors.  There was another fitting as it’s cooler now.  Some pieces were OK and some need more minor adjustments.  Yoyan took it all in his stride, calmly and with diplomacy, though if he was seething inside one could not blame him too much.  Those items that were deemed OK were paid for as we go so that his cash flow is not disrupted and the extra workers can be paid. 
On the way back to the Inn we stopped to talk to Tony Marrone in his corner of the shop.  A number of his friends, probably aged in their twenties or early thirties, were siting in the street just outside and gradually became involved in the chatter.  Claire turned the conversation around to school and we were a bit surprised that some of them had only gone to elementary school for a few years. They are mainly from small villages in the deep country, having come to the city for work to support their families.  Most could neither read nor write, Tony being the exception in this regard, perhaps indicating the reason he was running his own business and they were sitting in the street.  All of them could handle figures with an easy facility and had an apparently good command of several languages including English, Japanese and German.  The lack of reading and writing skills, even in their own language, was a handicap they regretted and of course it was the one that fixed their employment status.  Education, and even access to books, is financially way out of their reach.  I resolved to try to get an Indo-English dictionary for Tony so that they might learn something from it, but I never succeeded in this. Maybe next year.  There is always a reason to go back to Bali it seems. 

An e-mail from #1 daughter, Emma, lets us know that Max has settled into her bed each night, sharing with her cat, Sasha, one on each side of her legs.  They evidently start off with the greatest possible distance between themselves but relax more as the night goes on.  I readily understood that there was not much room left for her. 

Champagne and nibbles on our room verandah turned into room service for dinner. 

A Bintang or two for me leads to bed after a quick swim.  Some of the others’ who have yet to come to an understanding of the reason the sun goes down at night, carry on and may even have seen tomorrow arrive if they were alert. 

That reminds me of the old army joke:  

BE ALERT!
The world needs more lerts.


PS. Yes, the day did start with a massage.



20.10.00
Now there’s a funny date!


And the links are down there.
Holiday Inn from the Royal Suite balcony.
Reception, observation deck and shops and the little O'Briens 'night club' are in the top right hand corner building.
The Ratna Satay bar is in the tower to the left of reception. Outdoor dining tables are set up for a Theme Dinner in the bottom right, and the Pool Bar is under the square thatch roof between the Dining area and the main pool.
The kiddies pool is in the fore ground. The Activities Board for the Kiddies Klub is at the head of the pools and the Pizza Bar is under the coconut palms to the right of the board.
The beach and sea can just be seen in the top left over the tops of the palms with Kuta Beach at the right end of this horizon.
The accomodation wings are just out of the photo to the right.
All nice and compact. Quiet at night when you want to sleep but an easy distance to the excitement of Kuta.
LINKS - 

On to Day 14? 
Day 14 includes the mysteries of massage,
Peter's Dragon kite,
the fishermen and
lunch at the SA Cafe as well as coconut lessons
and a trip around the reef on 'Capt. Wayan'.

Back to Day 12?

The Day 5 to 10 photos again?

- or the Days 1 to 4 photos?

Sick of Bali? Need a change of diet?
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