This morning I woke up early and went for a walk along the beach before breakfast.  I'd been watching the surf every day and promised myself I'd get out there when it wasn't too big.  I've been 'learning' to surf for quite a few years now, but I'm still not very good at it!  This morning there were quite a few people out & it was big - well big for me that is..... maybe later....

Legian Beach early morning

After my walk, I headed back to the hotel and ordered my breakfast.  I started with a fruit platter and bali kopi, then waited for the other girls to arrive.  While waiting, I checked the internet and sent texts back home.  Once the others arrived I ordered some banana pancakes and a lemon juice.

Breakfast over, Roomie & I walked back to our room & changed for the pool.  As it was still early we went to the pool near the restaurant - it would get too busy later on, so we'd make the most of it now.  We lazed for an hour or so then Roomie decided to do some shopping.  I stayed by the pool a little longer.

About 9.30 I walked back over to the beach & there seemed to be some perfect little beginners waves for me.  I went & asked the fellow hiring boards how much it cost - it was 50K - don't know if that was a good price or not.... but it sounded cheap to me.

Surfboard hire across from Puri Raja -
notice how flat the water is....this was taken another day!

  

I was tossing up whether to go out when I ran into 2 of the girls.  They were keen to watch me & egged me on.  Ok I thought, it's now or never!  So I went back to the room, changed and came back with my 50,000 rp.

I picked a board that was closest to the size of my one at home (although it was a fair bit longer) and started paddling out.  My husband had forewarned me the dangers of rips at Legian, so with that in mind, I tried to make sure I was around others.  The fellow who hired me the board was giving a lesson to another guy & waved me over.  There were sets breaking in closer to the shoreline & another lot breaking out the back.  I couldn't for the life of me get past the first sets & couldn't believe the shear power of the white water.  It knocked me around like a washing machine.  This was nothing like back home with easy beach breaks like Coolangatta, Rainbow & Byron Bay!

I did manage to get up a few times on the white water, but couldn't seem to get a green wave.  I had no rash shirt or board shorts & was out there in a bikini.... some times I looked down to see my top pushed to the side & when my pants went down to my knees & the board hit me in the back of the head after being knocked over by a wave, that was it for me... time to get out!

The girls got a good laugh & a few photos & I got a good work out!

Back for a rinse off under the shower... reckon I had almost a bucket full of sand in my bikini bottoms.... then jumped in the pool.

After a while relaxing by the pool, I decided to get changed and go for a walk.  I had forgotten to pick up some suede sandals the other day that were being made at a little shop in Jl Werkudara.  Unfortunately they were'nt ready - tomorrow they tell me.  As I have already shopped this area, I jumped in a taxi and headed to Kuta Square.  Last year I found some good bargains at some of the surf shops when they were having half price sales.

No blue bird taxis were coming past so I hopped in another blue coloured one.  When this happens, I ask them straight away to put the meter on.  No trouble.  I forget how long it takes to get there, especially when you get stuck in traffic along Jl Legian.  The meter is ticking away, 13000rp, 14000, 15000.... I check how much money I have - only 17,000 ($1.85) .... so I tell the driver he might have to drop me off soon as I probably wouldn't have enough money.  'No problem' he says and drives me all the way to Matahari.  From memory the meter was 22,000 - so there are good honest taxi drivers out there after all - even some that don't drive blue birds!

Jumping out of the taxi I went for a walk to change some money then went into a few surf shops - nothing much in the way of sale items this time, so I come out empty handed.  Next stop is Matahari's.  I don't really feel like going into the department store part upstairs (been there, done that every other trip), I just felt like shopping in the supermarket on the ground level.  I stock up on some facial products & buy some more gifts - vanilla soap on a bamboo tray 10,500 & cempaka soap with night queen oil gift pack 13,500.  Plus 2 small wind chimes 25K & 35K ea. 

After that I'd had enough so I headed out the front of Matahari's and started walking towards Jl Pantai.  I stopped in for a quick look in Sooks - some nice clothing in there - but I was hot & tired and had a few shopping bags weighing me down - I just couldn't be bothered trying anything on.  Turning left I head towards the beach and I keep turning back to see if a taxi is coming.  Once again when I need one, there are none free!  Walking, walking in the hot sun, shopping bags in each hand.... hungry, thirsty, winge, winge, winge.... finally along comes a free taxi.  We drive to the end of Jl Pantai and it just dawns on me that with all the one way streets, it will take me a lot longer in the traffic to get to my hotel than it would if I get out now & walk the beachfront path.  So out I hop, walking with the midday sun beating down on me.  What I would do for a cold Bintang right now!

I finally make it to the Puri Raja & think I'll just check to see if any of the girls are at Hitana having lunch.  Sure enough, there's a group there... so I dump my shopping on the chair beside me and order a Bintang straight up!  For lunch I try chicken quesadillas, only a small meal but enough for me.  We have been to this place so many times now the staff all know us really well.  I know I have said this in my past blogs before, but I could never really understand why people keep eating at the same place & not try something different every day.  We just keep going back to Hitana because it's so close to our hotel, has excellent food, great service and such wonderful ambience.

After lunch I head back to the room & see Roomie for the first time since breakfast.  She's been out shopping too with some of the other girls.  We show each other all our purchases then decide to hang around the pool for while.

The girls shopping

Market shops across from Puri Raja

At 3pm I had booked an hour appointment at Santai Spa.  Not sure what treatment I felt like so I browsed through their menu while sipping the complimentary cool hibiscus tea.  I chose 1/2 hr ear candling 70K & 1/2 hr foot massage 35K.  I'd never had the ear candling before, so did not know what to expect.  This treatment was done in the same room as they do the massages, so you are lying down on your back with your head turned to the side.  It was quite relaxing and only hurt a tiny bit at the end when they jabbed a cotton bud into my ear (they obviously had never heard the saying 'never stick anything smaller than your elbow in your ear').... 

For the foot massage I was moved to the reflexology room & seated in a reclining seat with a footrest.  An eye pillow is placed over your eyes, aaahhhh this is pure bliss!  It ends with a warm ginger tea.

Some of the treatments from Santai Spa

Floating on cloud nine, I head back to the hotel in search of the others.  It's now about 4.30 & we've planned to catch the sunset at La Plancha this afternoon, so we start getting ready.  Some of us head up around 5pm and manage to get a few bean bags together.  The place is really quite busy.  The others turn up about 30 mins later and the staff look for spare bean bags & bring them over so we can sit together.

I just love this place.... the chill out music, the cheap drinks & the people watching. 

A fellow stops by to show us his paintings, we look through them all and 2 of us buy one each from him.  They are so cheap at 100K ea (about $11)... I'm kicking myself now that I didn't buy another.

Colourful umbrellas at La Plancha

I bought the canvas on the right for 100K

Bintangs all round

Watching the Sunset

Mine are the red toes - in dire need of a good Pedi!

After a couple of drinks each we decided to find somewhere for dinner.  Before we left, a few of us needed to go to the ladies.  One of the girls had a bad experience with a toilet on her day trip to Ubud and made me go in first to check it out (she even asked for photo evidence - so I took some video footage!) and I can honestly say they weren't too bad at all!

So we head north along the beachfront path & walk as far as the Anantara Hotel.  Then I remember that most of the girls haven't yet been to the Delicious Onion, so we decide to dine there.  

 

 
 

I order the pork & cabbage rolls and calamari again as I enjoyed it so much last time.  Everyone enjoys their meal and after a few more drinks a few are up & dancing.

Look what happens after a few drinks!

Our tall friend with Roomie & I 'the shorties'

Heading off...

Time to head home and the girls want to have a turn on the back of a moped like a few of us did last night.  We turn right out of Jl Drupadi & head towards the beachfront.  We can't find any bike riders by the time we reach the beachfront, so we turn left on the path heading towards Legian.  On the way we have a quick look at a building site - must be a new hotel going in - they are still working & it's past 9pm.

We walk a while before one of the girls get a ride.  She's off and no-one else gets a ride until we get to Jl Double Six.  Then we all get rides back.  It's fun zipping through the streets, all the girls on the back of mopeds with their drivers, Roomie & I still share one with our driver - so there's 3 on our bike.  

The first lady heads off...

When we get back to the hotel, the first lady is at one of the market stalls and has about 15 silver bracelets up her arm haggling for some pieces for her daughter.  I comment how nice the silver anklet is - next minute, one is slapped around my ankle too.  Then along comes another one of the girls & she gets an anklet as well.  We must of all sounded like a bunch of chooks, all haggling, talking over the top of each other and trying to get a bargain.  Learnt something that night... never barter when you've had a few drinks.... what we paid for our anklets was 3 times as much as he offered them to us the next morning!  We paid 50k each and the next day he sees us walking past & the cheeky bugger holds up the anklet and yells 3 for 50!  

Now I have to admit that paying only $5.50 for a silver anklet is not really being ripped off - however I did think for that price, surely it would end up green before too long - esp since I couldn't get it off & had been wearing it in the pool every day.  I still can't get it off and it's been on my ankle for almost a month now... and still looks shiny & new!

Well after our late night silver shopping it was time to head off to bed... well for most of us it was... but Roomie & I sneaked in another few drinks - duty free ones which we drank by the pool.