19. Seminyak Sunset

My flight to Turkey was a late flight, that left at 22.40 Tuesday night, so I had the whole day to check out Seminyak some more.  My niece Suzanne had given me some places to go after advice from a girl she worked with.  I discovered I was right in the thick of things with my hotel being right near all the hot spots..Biku, The Hu’u Bar, Ku De Ta, The Living Room and Potato Head.  If I had of worked that out last night I might have been tempted to head out for a drink, even on my own.  So the hotel was near both the places Suz suggested I go, Biku for breakfast and Potato Head.  I had already been for a drink at Potato Head with my friend Kirstie when I visited her a few weeks ago.  Got up and had breakfast at the hotel (even though Biku is really popular for breakfast) and instead I decided to go there for lunch.    I left the hotel and wandered along the local streets checking out the shops and the spas and the shops and the spas!!  Decided I needed a tidy up (manicure and pedicure wise) before arriving in Turkey so I picked the best nearby spa and sat and got pampered for an hour.

Of course by then I was hungry so off to Biku I went  for a late lunch.  It was very busy but managed to get a table.  It was a funky place and the food was good.  Although the breakfast menu looked awesome, and breakfast is served all day, I settled for a  nice healthy sandwich and an iced biku cooler.  Oh cmon, I had 24 hours of aeroplane food coming up so it was a deliberate choice..:)!   Er um but I did then have a yummy cake from the cake tray with some more tea. Delicious. Check it out here   http://www.bikubali.com/ .  There was a tarot reader in house today and I tried to get an appointment but she was booked out.  I just took this as a sign that I didn’t need to know my future at this stage!

I headed from here to Potato Head to settle in to watch the sunset over Petitenget beach.  I didn’t bother to stop inside for a drink but walked straight through to sit on the beach and watch the waves and the sun slowly drop in the sky.  It wasn’t long before a beach vendor was trying to sell me something.  It appears it has been quiet lately, which I think may have been true as one of the vendors sat down to chat to me for a while before he wandered off to the next group.  It was nice to sit quietly on the beach.  It seemed like such a different world to that which was located right behind me with the enormous clubs and endless shops and spas.  As sunset drew closer, the crowds grew on the beach.  It really is a spectacle.  It reminded me of all the people that used to gather every night on Dominical Beach to watch the sunsets there.  Much more laid back in that little surf town in Costa Rica.   There were also a couple of locals fishing on the beach with casting nets.  I didn’t see them catch anything but it was interesting to watch.

The sun set later than I expected and although I had no intention of missing it I was late back for my 6pm check out.   It seemed there was no problem with that so I quickly showered and checked out.  I had booked Derren, the driver that had taken me back to Candidasa after my last visit, to pick me up about 7.30pm.  I was ready to go about 7pm so thought I would just let Derren know he could come anytime he was ready.  I txted him, he said he was on his way and I turned around and he was there!!  Too  funny.  It was good to see him again and we chatted happily on the way to the airport.  The traffic was good so we arrived in plenty of time.  I bid Derren farewell and entered the airport,  checked in and settled in to wait for my flight, excited to be on my way to Turkey!

18. Last days on Gili Trawangan.. :(

Sunday was another lazy day... tried out the sun beds that are provided by Vila Ombak.  Ended up heading to the beach near where I was staying as the swimming and snorkelling is better there.   Made it to my last Vinyasa Flow Yoga class at 5.30pm.   Went to one of the beach front restaurants for my last dinner and then headed to the Sea View Bar for my last cocktail.

On Monday (5 September) I awoke to my alarm again this morning to watch the sunrise from a slightly different angle.  This was my last day on this beautiful island so I wanted to make the most of it.  The sunrise was magnificent again.  There was another couple on the beach again that morning, although they looked like they got up early also, rather than still out from the night before!  They actually left before the sun came up so they missed the best bit...eek! 

Soon it was time to catch my ferry.  It was fairly empty.  There was a group of “lads” on board who decided to sit on the top deck for the ride.  If you remember, the description of this trip was “finding out what it feels like to be in a high speed boat chase in a movie”.  While the trip over was relatively calm, this was more like the description...rah!   It was quite windy and it seemed the seas got up a bit in the afternoon.  So a 3pm ride was always going to be exciting...eek!  The lads got drenched, then they got sick (along with some others) and most of the passengers were happy to step foot back on land.  

The transport to the hotel was organised efficiently and we were soon on our way.  I shared a car with an English couple who had been over to Gili Trawanga for the day!!  Some seriously bad tourist advice had told them it was a day trip...eek.  They had about 2.5 hours on the island with 5 hours of travel on the speed boat!  They were not unhappy about it, just exhausted actually...:). So just confirming, it is too far to take a day trip to the Gili Islands.  Talking with the driver afterwards we think it was probably Lembongan Island that they should have tried.

So there I was back in Seminyak.  I arrived at Bali Mystique which is loosely connected to Bayside Villas where I stayed in Candidasa.  The place itself looked alright but I think I got one of the unrenovated rooms.  It had an awful feel about it and the bathroom was really strange.  Enormous with a pond in it which the mosquitoes  loved.  I managed to keep them out of the room proper but I don’t know, it was just weird.   I should have been warned when the hotel staff said if I needed anything such as insect repellent not to hesitate to let them know...eek!  Im not complaining though as it was cheap and I didn’t have to check out until 6pm the next day so that was great having a late flight.  I just intended not to spend too much time in my room.   I went out for a meal and had a couple of drinks and headed back to the room to get some sleep before my llloonnnnggg trip to Turkey tomorrow,  yay and rah (going to Turkey, not the long trip)!!

Just a couple of things for noting...I booked this place as I never got a response from the hotel that Sylvia and Stewart had recommended.  So it is in Bali, don’t be deterred, you get used to it!! And these photos are all still Gili Islands.

16 & 17. Finally a boat trip and my new home...Vila Ombak

I had to combine these two posts as blogger wants to date stamp #16 as being posted in 2012!

16. Finally a boat trip
I went to my second yoga class on Friday morning.  Another excellent class.  The instructor was taking a long weekend to see her boyfriend in Lombok so there would be no classes in the morning until next Wednesday.   Doh I leave on Monday!   I prefer to practice in the morning but I decided to get out of my comfort zone and do the evening class on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to use up my 5 pass card that I bought.  This class is a 1.5 hour vinyasa flow class.  Vinyasa means breath synchronised movement so the instructor directs you to move from one posture to the next on the inhale or exhale of breath.  This is generally a more rigourous class.  That means I did two classes on the same day...eek!

Today was also boat tour day.  Actually it was my only day left if I was going to do the free diving course.  Basically, what the tour consists of is a boat out to three of the best snorkelling spots around the three Gili Islands.  This included Goodheart at the top of Trawangan, Meno Wall at the top of Meno and Hahns reef on the north east of Air.  The snorkelling was fantastic and it was a great day.  Meno Wall is good for seeing turtles and as I jumped into the water from the boat a turtle swam right passed me.  Awesome.  We saw about 6 in the area and the guide was excellent at spotting different fish of interest.   He was also a pretty good free diver but I mean really free, no weights or super long fins.  Its really impressive.   

In between Meno Wall and Hahns Reef we stopped for lunch on Gili Air.  I met a lovely French Canadian couple and had lunch with them.  He was a camera man and she was an accountant.  French was their first language but she spoke excellent English and had visited Australia.  He could understand me if I spoke slowly enough.  They were both lovely.  As I ordered before they invited me over, I was a bit embarrassed when my meal came (and went ) and they were one of the last to be served.  In Indonesian terms, this means the meal took about an hour to come.  This also happened a few times on Trawangan.  There is no point worrying about it.  You just have to relax and accept that sometimes things take a while.  Gili Island is more remote and less spoilt than the other two.  Gili Meno looked interesting as well.  It just wetted my appetite for heading back there to spend some more time on those islands in the future.  Ah sigh, maybe one day...so many places and so little time.  

We arrived back about 4 pm after a final snorkel and trip back to the island.  I had plenty of time to shower and get ready for my first Vinyasa Flow yoga class at 5.30pm.  It was amazing.  Kate Middleton was the instructor, not the royal Kate Middleton, but a "student of life and world adventurer" from Canada.  She had a manner about her that really connected you with the practice on all levels, breathing, postures, spirit, mind and body.  It is one of the best classes I have been to.  I have been very lucky to find some amazing yogis in some rather remote places such as Kate here and Laura Kay in Bocas del Toro.  Kate is also a freediver and instructor.  I was looking forward to coming back tomorrow.  Unfortunately that would just be for yoga as my sinuses had completely blocked up meaning there would be no way I could equalise to free dive so I had to withdraw from the class.  Another reason to return!

17. My new home....Vila Ombak

Saturday I set my alarm and got up early to watch the sunrise.  It was beautiful sitting on the sand in just my sarong, listening to the waves caress the shore and watching the light start to illuminate the hills across the water.  The three islands, Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air are all quite close and the sun is actually rising over the hills on Gili Meno.  There was a couple on one of the lounges that were obviously watching the sunrise from the night before!  A great start to the day.

After breakfast I packed all my gear and got ready to check out.  I left my bag while I had some lunch.  About 1pm I picked up my bag and had a chat to Adam about property on the island.  I got his contact details in case I decided to do anything about it.  There was a lot to like about this place.  I then moved from Dive Trawangan to a Deluxe Ombak Room at Vila Ombak for my last two nights on the island.  This resort is located down the other end of the street from our original accommodation where I think the beaches are better.  It was still walking distance though and as I travel reasonably light it was not too onerous.  On the way I saw the French Canadian couple I had met the day before.  They were trying to get the ferry over to Gili Air to spend some more time but had missed the one they thought they were on.  I think they decided to just go for a walk along the beach and settle somewhere in the shade.  

The resort itself and the grounds were lovely and the room was enormous with another lovely, but this time large, outdoor bathroom.  The other bonus about moving here was that I had a TV here and given the two hour time difference, I was able to go to yoga  and be back in time to order room service and watch the Carlton v St Kilda match, the last home and away round for the year.  We lost unfortunately but I was there cheering them on as always...rah!

 

15. Gili Trawangan solo....

So Leah’s last day came and her ferry was booked for 3pm back to Serangan, near Denpasar.  She intended to drop her bags at the airport and then come back into town to have a quick look at Seminyak.  The ferry service includes transfers at the other end as well so they take you to the airport or your hotel.  I would definitely recommend Blue Water Express if you need to get between Bali and Lombok or the Gili Islands.

We had our yummy breakfast in the restaurant on the sand again and Leah thought about how she wanted to spend her last day.  I confirmed with Emma that I was staying with her for 2 more nights and would like to cancel the booking with Kelapa Kecil.  Again she took care of the arrangements effortlessly (well for me anyway).  We spent the day at the beach again and then Leah went for a walk to investigate some other sights she had wanted to see.  We had some lunch and before we knew it she was heading back into the water to get on the ferry and head home.

After she left I went straight to Gili Yoga to find out about the free diving course.  There was a 2 day introductory course starting on Sunday so I booked it.  I was excited.  I took away the book and read it while snacking on some barbequed corn which was delicious.  This is sold in stalls along the road and it is cooked on bbqs fuelled by coconut husks.

14. Yoga, Free Diving, Snorkelling...

In our travels we had found the local yoga studio, Gili Yoga, which offers yoga and freediving activities.  As I am not able to scuba dive as I am asthmatic (and yes I know there are lots of asthmatics that do but lets not get into that here...:)!) I thought this may be a good option!  Take a look at there site here www.giliyoga.com

I thought I would start with yoga though and went along to the 6.30am class.  Leah decided not to come along.   The class was a Hatha yoga class that went for 1.5 hours. This is described as a gentler style but it depends on the instructor as they can challenge you even in these classes.  It was very good so I bought a 5 class pass (IDR 350,000 or about $40) as I was going to be there for another 6 days.  The studio was a large, open air, timber structure and the classes were popular.  There was a flowered foot bath as you entered the studio which was a lovely touch.  I noticed as I walked to the yoga studio that the sun was just rising and it was beautiful.  The combination of the two was a great start to the day. 

When I got back we went to have our breakfast which was significantly better than what we had received at Kelapa Kecil.  Not to mention that it was served at their restaurant which was set up on the sand very close to the water.  Today was Leahs last full day and so we were determined to do a boat trip.  As we wandered along the multitude of providers we discovered that the end of Ramadan had been moved and today was actually the day everyone was having off.  We walked the entire length of the street and unfortunately for Leah it was not possible to do our boat trip today. 

Quite taken with the resort attached to the Seaview Bar so I enquired at Vila Ombak about availability while we were there as part of our walk.  They could give me two nights, Saturday and Sunday so I booked it as an alternative to the extra accommodation I had booked at Kelapa Kecil.  I had already checked with Emma about an extra 2 nights at Dive Trawangan and said I would confirm after I checked if I could get into Vila Ombak. 

It had been a shame that Leah couldn’t do the snorkelling trip, but not to waste the day, we decided to snorkel our way along the beach that we had access to right outside the door!  It was much easier to get into the areas for snorkelling from a surf and rockiness perspective compared to Blue Lagoon and Tulamben on Bali.  The sun was out and the water was warm.  The snorkelling was pretty good.  We walked the entire length of the beach and discovered some of the accommodation options at the top of the island which was good for future reference.  Leah was keen to have a fish dinner for her final dinner on the island (oh and last mojito of course...:)!).  Yet again we ended up at the Seaview Bar.  Another day in Paradise, have I said that before...eek and rah!

13. Unceremoniously evicted...eek!

Given the festivities of the night before we both woke up a little hazy.  We had breakfast but I decided to “rest” a while longer so after breakfast we started watching a movie, “Bridesmaids”.  Both our neighbours were moving out today but we had booked for one more night..or so we thought!  The day before, we had been asked if we were leaving tomorrow.  We confirmed that we were staying another night.  Leah noticed when she went for a swim that they had us listed as leaving today.  Again we told them we weren’t.  As we were lying there, we had a knock at the door asking yet again if we were leaving today.   

Well actually, it was more telling us we were leaving today!  I asked to speak to Jane who had made the booking but she was nowhere to be found.  I ended up having to go and talk to Emma who managed the sister property that we were moving to next which was only two doors down.  She was really helpful and spoke to Jane and confirmed that we had to move.  I asked her to check the confirmation email to advise me if I had made a mistake and she confirmed that we had been booked in for 3 nights.  She apologised but had to play the politically correct game saying this sometimes happens.  She found us a room with her a night early.   So basically, with no notice, we had to pack up all our things and move asap!!  This stuff can happen and Im was not too bothered, as it hadnt really happened much in all my time away.  There were two reasons that made it slightly annoying.  One we never got to watch the end of Bridesmaids and having had a big night the night before, I wasn’t feeling much like moving my body let alone all my luggage!!  The real thing that bothered me was that Jane, who was on the island, didn’t have the decency to come and speak to us, didn’t email an apology afterwards or make any contact whatsoever.  On this basis, and I think her ingoring the issue was really poor customer service, I would not recommend Kelapa Kecil as a place to stay.  I would not hesitate to recommend Dive Trawangan.  Anyway, enough sour grapes, we were in paradise right...:)?  We moved rooms and actually liked our new room better.  Despite an extensive range of DVDs though they didn’t have Bridemaids so I didn’t get to watch the end of the movie.

We moved on fairly quickly from this rather unexpected start to the day and I felt terrible for Leah as I had made all the arrangements but she was cool with it.  Leah’s research had found that it was supposed to be the end of Ramadan today so there were no boat trips going today.  Instead we spent the day on the beach, snorkelling out front of our new hotel and generally enjoying the sun.   We ended the day with cocktails at the Seaview Bar again.