Road back to Bali 2016: Day 1 of 7 in Bali

We got up at ...... early for here, late-ish for home.
We had to share one teabag for our first hot drink for the day as the villa had no coffee products whatsoever.

We took a few pics of the place ...

From just inside the front gate

From the corner of the pool

Bathroom shrubbery

From the outside lounge

From the pool

Garden shrubbery

Crab claw

... and then we headed out for breakfast and supplies.

Warung Ocha is just a short walk down the road, and on the way to the Bintang, and they serve up a pretty reasonable if not inexpensive breakfast

Vegetarian omlette with smoked salmon and two Bali coffees

plus Eggs Benedict and a watermelon juice

It all cost ~AU$30

And then it was off to the Bintang Supermarket. I know this place well and it is a treasure trove of interesting and yummy foods and beverages.

You need to be a little canny as the local, and equally good, versions of overseas products can be as little as 30% of the imports.

Me, in a natural habitat - a slightly exotic supermarket -

Bintang Supermarket

Here is what ~AU$34bought us

Yes, what you see is DEET, 'cos it's about the only thing that keeps the odd mossie away, Nescafe Gold, which is about twice the cost of home, Bintang beer, just because, tonic water, because it is the natural partner of gin, which we must drink one litre each in seven days, prawn crackers and pork scratching, again, just because, and finally some bread, because Tiz likes toast first thing in the morning.

At this point it is approaching midday here, 2pm at home, and Tiz has suggested it is time for a G&T!

In fact, based on past performances, it's way overdue.

Yes mam'. And my contribution to this great idea of hers it that we sit in the pool and drink it!

Afternoon G&T's, with pork scratchings, by the pool

As the afternoon got a bit cooler we decided to go for walk down Jalan Camplang Tanduk, past where we used to stay, down to the beach.

So much has changed, and I don't know why I would be surprised.

A lot of money has been spent on infrastructure and there are so may new buildings. In general, the whole place seems tidier, cleaner and far better kept.

Despite all the clean up the girlie-boy bars are still there and I'm sure the folks that stay in our old villa still "enjoy" the nightly "oontz oontz oontz" beat and the good natured call outs from the pretty and funny lady-boys to come in and enjoy all the bar had to offer.

We went past our favourite masseur but could not even talk to her as she was busy. Hopefully tomorrow we will make a booking.

We made it down to the shoreline and walked south for ~30 minutes soaking up the sun and enjoying watching people from everywhere enjoying the beach life.

By the time we got back, over an hour later, the call of the Tanqueray and Bintang was too loud to ignore. Both calls we answered and a drink'n'swim was had.

Dinner was looming. Jillian, from the flight over, had suggested we try Ginger Moon. Although she admitted it was not quite to her taste, not being a fan of fusion, she knew the chef and his reputation and she said if we liked Asian fusion we should try it.

Ginger Moon is on Jalan Laksmana aka Jalan Kayu Aya aka Jalan Oberoi, a street we know well. We wound our way through the back alleys dodging the constant stream of scooters sharing the same alley ways.

We finally found our way to the eastern end beginning of I have always called "Eat Street". Wow, hasn't this place changed too!

This is becoming a recurring, but nonetheless shocking, observation.

For what seemed forever there are hip dress shops and shoe shop and shops that are really shiny but do not sell food. We kept walking as we knew we would eventually get tothe part of the street that would sell food, an we did.

We walked straight in to Ginger Moon and got a table without any problem.

The drinks and dinner were simply a great way to do fussion. Pictures tell 1000 words .....