30.3.2013
Tim:
The kids' first
priority was a morning swim. There really wasn't a second priority. Saturday was a day for getting acclimated. Shelley went to get some groceries while
everyone else stayed at the villa to swim. She was able to get a local SIM card for her
phone, but cash is proving to be a challenge. Our debit card has shut us off,
I'm sure due to peculiar charges from Indonesia. I should have drawn 4m Rupiahs
while I had the chance. If only I knew I would only get one bite at the apple.
Sunrise swim.
Shelley:
The helper at the
villa took me grocery shopping. We had
the foresight to bring extra rice milk and breakfast food in our checked
luggage so around 10am I went shopping.
No big deal right? Wrong!!!! I had to go on her motorcycle behind
her! Do not get me wrong, our helper is
the sweetest person ever. I just do not
like to trust my life to someone I do not know. (Uncle Rick and the Harley are my upper limits
of trust on motorcycles!) So, 6 grocery
bags later we were done (how on earth on a motor scooter?) Somehow, we made it home with nothing broken
(yes, I did buy eggs!). I must say that
both my BoA check card and credit card were turned off! Thank-you Lord for my Costco card!! (I still miss Costco!)
Tim:
We found a nice
restaurant for lunch (that accepted credit card) so we settled in for a leisure
meal followed by a slow walk on the beach. JP is the reason it was slow, insisting that
we stop for every clam, crab, jelly fish and crawdad. The local beach in Sanur
is much less densely crowded than Kuta beach, or so we hear. There is a Hyatt
near by that claims a chunk of the beach. It looked nice - waiters serving drinks on the
beach, etc. – but we have no regrets with our villa. The secluded feel of a private pool and living
quarters is priceless (or at least preferable to a couple of hotel rooms and
competing for service at the hotel).
Shelley:
Lunch was
interesting. I ate chicken satay and Tim
had another interesting local dish.
Afterward, I looked up and Jason was sticking a flower in the nose of
the “house god” who I must say was wearing some amazing plaid dress. That was the end of peaceful — I just wanted
to pay and leave although no one else seemed perturbed by the nose
picking! We walked to the beach. It is amazing. There are some guards at the entrance to the
portion by the Hyatt. I was not sure
what would happen but we just pretended we knew what we were doing and they
ignored us (racism can be good—I could get used to it!) The beach there was
amazing. Freshly raked with lawn chairs
all over in rows and umbrellas! However,
we kept walking and the kids actually enjoyed the beach that was covered in
coral fragments and sponges better.
There were tide pools with all sorts of sea life and there were some
very pretty jellyfish that we looked at.
Many weird types of seaweed as well.
So much for nicely raked! I would
have enjoyed it!
Tim:
We returned to the
villa (after stopping to look at what felt like every last crab and jellyfish)
for a nice swim and game of monkey in the middle. We ordered pizza – the credit card was denied
of course so had to pay out of our dwindling cash reserves – and had a relaxing
evening. That was until JP got sick. As with battle plans, a family of six has to
understand that a game plan is just meant to get things in motion with an
understanding you that have to nimbly change course on the fly...
Shelley:
I am so grateful for
our helper! Jason was throwing up all
over. I was christened, as were our
sheets. Thankfully, we cleaned up the
best we could and then our helper mopped and did laundry the next day. Fortunately, the flue was short lived so we
could enjoy our trip.
Someone swam until he just slept!
Jp had some stomach flu. Thankfully, we had a washer and dryer and it was short lived!
