Archive for December, 2006
Ubud is loaded with lovely shops and galleries selling art, antiques and interior design gear. This afternoon I stopped into a couple of places on Jl. Raya Ubud. The first was Gender Mas, a shop stocking original work by a selection of artists from all over Bali, including Karangasem. I asked the staff, a muscly young guy called Gede (single women take note), how much the merchandise was. He quoted prices or 30m rp, 25m rp etc. for the small 3 foot status. he told me there is another shop in the village of Mas, a few kilometers away.
The second place I checked out was Suarti, across from Gender Mas on Jl. Raya Ubud, same side as Cafe Lotus. Suarti specializes in interior decoration, including dining, silver wear and elegant ornaments. Open 8am-8.30pm. Other shops located in Kuta, Sanur. The head office is located at Jl. Raya Celuk #100X, Sukawati.
Gender Mas
Jl. Raya Ubud (across from Cafe Lotus)
Ubud
Bali
(0361)971492
Open 10am-9pm
Suarti
Jl. Raya Ubud (same side as Cafe Lotus)
Ubud
Bali
(0361)298914
source : www.baliblog.com
December 22nd, 2006
My friends were getting hungry around noon today and I offered some alternatives. My final choice was KAFE, located on the lower section of Jl. Hanuman. “This place is a little bit of Eugene (Oregon),” I said, meaning the hippy / new age person would be drawn there.
KAFE is open for breakfast lunch and dinner and serves a lot of healthy organic fare. My meal was a California burrito for 30,000rp. It included rice and beans and a nice tasting salad dressing.
The menu at KAFE is as follows:
Breakfast served all day – including Tomato Basil Omelette (24,000rp)
Appetizers – including Chips & Salsa (11,000rp)
Bowl Food – including spiced Pumpkin Soup (14,000rp)
Salads – including KAFE Caeser Salad (25,000rp)
Bread Food – including Madras Tuna Salad Sandwich (24,000rp)
Main Courses – including Tempe Cashew Nut Curry (20,000rp)
Kids Menu – including Small Sized Spaghetti (12,000rp)
There is also a decent dessert menu, but my photo of the menu was blurry.
Coffee & Espresso – including Cappuccino (11,000rp)
Tea Heaven – including Herbal Energizer (9,000rp)
Fresh Fruit Juices – including mango juice (16,000rp)
Healthy Vegetable Juices – including Spinach, Apple, Cucumber (12,000rp)
Lassis, Smoothies & Health Shakes – including Blueberry Lassi (15,000rp)
KAFE Natural Soda’s – including Lemongrass Spritzer (13,000rp)
Package Drinks To Go – including Local Javanese Apple Juice (7,000rp)
Water refills are available (2,000rp small bottle, 3,000rp large)
KAFE is an internet hotspot (1 hour 50 minutes for 50,000rp)
The consensus on KAFE was pretty good. The place is longhair friendly, although a few of the ‘Seminyak soccer moms’ try to break in there. You can relax, and read a book on the comfortable cushions, sit inside at watch the people go by or sit inside at a table.
KAFE
Jl. Hanuman #44b
Ubud
Bali
(0361)970992
source : www.baliblog.com
December 22nd, 2006
Phones in Bali are super easy. You buy a SIM card at one of the many places selling it, and together with some units of ‘pulsa’ (credit, available in 25,000rp, 50,000rp, 100,000rp blocks) can be in action fast. That is of course, if you are able to register your phone. I bought my new SIM cards for the 2 spare phones my friends from Oregon have, from the booth outside Bintang supermarket. The attendent told me I had to register and could not use the phone until that time. Last night at a Thai food place on Jl. Padma, my sister in-law Ningrum, told me I can use the phone, but have 3 days to register it, otherwise I’ll lose the number. She has managed to register one of the phones, the other has some problem with it.
Anyway, having a local friend who is savvy really helps. Ningrum is a trip. She works as a receptionist at a healing center 6 days a week, earning good money. I told Ollie from Oregon (sounds like some kind of Forrest Gump), that Ningrum is an expert in consumer products, especially cell phones and motorbikes. Ask her about the economy, world affairs, or sports and she won’t have clue. Reciting the specs on Nokia’s whole range, no worries. How many miles you get per liter, on any Honda motorbike, easy. Info on cost, reliability and financing, also possible. I took the opportunity to quiz her on new Honda’s, and she told me one of the latest bikes has a micro processor, like the cars, that tracks some of the vehicles data for a mechanic. She reckons Honda’s have the best reliability over Suzuki and other brands and also the best mileagle. She told me she didn’t think Tiger’s (200CC) stood up to the pounding of potholes very well. Anyway I’ll pick up the cell phone today and somebody will be able to contact me easier.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
My friends were getting hungry around noon today and I offered some alternatives. My final choice was KAFE, located on the lower section of Jl. Hanuman. “This place is a little bit of Eugene (Oregon),” I said, meaning the hippy / new age person would be drawn there.
KAFE is open for breakfast lunch and dinner and serves a lot of healthy organic fare. My meal was a California burrito for 30,000rp. It included rice and beans and a nice tasting salad dressing.
The menu at KAFE is as follows:
Breakfast served all day – including Tomato Basil Omelette (24,000rp)
Appetizers – including Chips & Salsa (11,000rp)
Bowl Food – including spiced Pumpkin Soup (14,000rp)
Salads – including KAFE Caeser Salad (25,000rp)
Bread Food – including Madras Tuna Salad Sandwich (24,000rp)
Main Courses – including Tempe Cashew Nut Curry (20,000rp)
Kids Menu – including Small Sized Spaghetti (12,000rp)
There is also a decent dessert menu, but my photo of the menu was blurry.
Coffee & Espresso – including Cappuccino (11,000rp)
Tea Heaven – including Herbal Energizer (9,000rp)
Fresh Fruit Juices – including mango juice (16,000rp)
Healthy Vegetable Juices – including Spinach, Apple, Cucumber (12,000rp)
Lassis, Smoothies & Health Shakes – including Blueberry Lassi (15,000rp)
KAFE Natural Soda’s – including Lemongrass Spritzer (13,000rp)
Package Drinks To Go – including Local Javanese Apple Juice (7,000rp)
Water refills are available (2,000rp small bottle, 3,000rp large)
KAFE is an internet hotspot (1 hour 50 minutes for 50,000rp)
The consensus on KAFE was pretty good. The place is longhair friendly, although a few of the ‘Seminyak soccer moms’ try to break in there. You can relax, and read a book on the comfortable cushions, sit inside at watch the people go by or sit inside at a table.
KAFE
Jl. Hanuman #44b
Ubud
Bali
(0361)970992
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
Warung Max in Kuta, is located on Jl. Benesari, next to SurfTravelOnline. Its the same location as former Good Luck restaurant. Lunch today saw Toby, Maya, Ollie, Asia & myself head down there (they are staying in the guest house next door). Warung Max has a definite Latin feel, with music, design and colors, all pointing south of the border. The menu is slim, but that can be an advantage. I’ve often been confronted with a 20 page menu that incorporate everything from, Thai to pizza. With a small menu a lunch party can get themselves in order faster.
Warung Max is open for breakfast lunch and dinner.
Today Maya declared he was not hungry and did not want to go to the warung. Once introduced to a plate of chips, spring rolls, tomatoes and fruit, she was all hands and mouth. My choice was a club sandwich which was packed a good. For drinks we ordered various lassis and juices.
Warung Max’s menu includes:
Breakfasts - including American Breakfast (25,000rp)
Wraps - including Breakfast Wrap (17,000rp)
Sandwiches & Burgers - including Club Sandwich (27,000rp)
Snacks & Salads - including Max healthy fried rice (21,000rp)
There is also a small Mexican selection and a Dessert menu.
Warung Max
Jl. Benesari
Kuta
Bali
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
Bali has 20,000 hotel rooms supposedly. Today is December 20th, which is high-season. That means prices are increased and rooms are harder to get. My friends from Oregon wanted to change hotels this morning. The Puri Cendana in Seminyak was nice, but they didn’t want to pay the 300,000rp price tag. Their combined requirements were, a cheaper place, close to the beach, AC, pool, double beds. At 7.30am I took the car back to the shop on Jl. Padma Utara, and walked home. Arriving at the Puri Cendana an hour later, Ollie and I jumped on my motorbike for a tour of the accommodation in Legian and Kuta. I had some places in mind, but he wanted to see the rooms.
We also needed to know the availability and current inflated price. It was an interesting exercise for me. Starting off in the Padma area in Legian and working our way across Jl. Melasti to Jl. Benesari, we viewed maybe 6 places all in the 250,000rp range. When a decent place has a restaurant, hot water, pool, AC and its high season, you are looking at 250,000rp+. I think many backpackers get it in their mind that Bali is cheap and expect 40,000rp a night. You can get that, but for a small guest house with no pool, restaurant, hot water, AC.
I knew the cheaper places would be on further down Jl. Benesari and Poppies II. We checked both of those streets and Poppies I, never really finding the prefect balance between pool, room and cost. Finally we decided to settle for two places, the Suka Beach Inn, that had a pool, twin beds and AC, for 150,000rp, for Toby and Maya, and the Beneyasa, which now has some AC rooms, double beds on the 3rd floor, for 120,000rp per night, for Ollie & Asia.
Having a motorbike allowed us to hit a dozen or more places, check out the rooms, talk about price, and get on to the next place. At this time of year (wet season) its hot and humid. You will be much better off with AC. After May and up to October a fan room will do. On many occassions, Ollie and I talked about price with the staff, them allowing us to leave without going for a cheaper rate. This shows me they know they’ll get customers.
Advantages of staying in these type of guest house rooms, is that you are close to everything. The beach is a 5 minute walk, bars and restaurants are within a 30 second stroll off of the property.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
Bali has incorporated ideas from all over the world into something called ‘Bali Style’ That goes for interior design and gardens, but in a way, Bali is a melting pot for other ideas, such a food. One of those imported ideas is the lassi, from India. A lassi is a drink made with water, yoghurt, honey and fruit. It is blended and served in a glass. My favourites are banana lassi and mango lassi. The consistency is rather like a thin milkshake, (only more healthy) and they can really hold you over till the next meal.
Mango season is October onwards pretty much, so you can’t order a mango lassi is July. Today at lunchtime, Warung Max served up some okay lassies, which we enjoyed, kids love them too.
Just as the Wikipedia article says, there is a version called a bhang lassi, which is served in India, the origin of the drink. I’ve had one or 2 and they definitely live up to the billing. Not found in Bali alas. One place I like to go for a cheap and good lassi, is Bamboo Corner, on Poppies I. Last time I went they cost 7,000rp.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
Illegal foreign tour guides have been arrested in Bali. As Bali Discovery reports, 2 Europeans were caught at a Balinese temple, leading groups of foreigners around. Fancy that!
The 2 guides, one from Poland, the other from Russia, were snapped by cell phone camera, by a rival tour guide (another big surprise!) and forwarded to the cops. As the article points out, there are some hoops to jump through, if you wannabea tour guide in Bali. This kind of thing is run of the mill, as far as the way things go on this island. As soon as you show up on someone else’s rader scope, watch out. I was chatting with a Latin American guy the other night, who told me, “When they know you have money you are a target, and they are waiting for you to make a mistake.” I guess the same is true, if somebody feels you are stepping on their tows. Aussie guys have told me, they have called ‘La Migra’ on other foreigners! Then what happens is the immigration show up with a video camera, to get evidence of you working.
In order to be a foreign guide in Bali, you have to undergo testing, to show knowledge of the language and culture. Funny thing is, some of the local ‘guides’ at temples in Bali, don’t know much at all about the place, or Balinese history. Maybe the government just wants the best educated set of expats in the world.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 20th, 2006
We are at December 20th and the wet season hasn’t really shown up. Sure there have been the occassional morning shower, but mostly its been dry here in Seminyak.
My friends from Oregon were looking forward to hot sunny days, and that’s what they got. It was cooking down on the Bukit today! Our 10 day weather forecast says the sunny weather will continue, with a 10%-20% chance of rain. Great news for tourists coming for Christmas/ New Years. The western part of Indonesia get more rain than Bali. Recently, the north of the country got hammered with a storm, the Batam area suffering damage.
Visitors to Bali should bring the sunblock and hat. We’ve all been doing that and still got caught out in places. I wore a wide brim felt hat all day today, still got a bit pink on my abdomen, which doesn’t get out much. Staying hydrated is key also. I see westeners, who look like they are suffering sometimes. You get someone a bit overweight, out in the sun, no hat, dehydrated, not a happy camper. I’m encouraging my friends to knock back a Pocari Sweat, isotonic drik now and then (found in every Circle K).
source : www.baliblog.com
December 20th, 2006
Lucky Day restaurant in located on Jl. Dhyana Pura, about 150 meters in from Jl. Seminyak. Last night Toby, Maya, Ollie and Asia went for dinner. Lucky Day is one of those places that makes an effort all round. Inside the place is a selection of seating options from 2 person, 4-person, 6 person, or large Japanese style low tables for groups.
The extensive menu covered Indonedian, western food with seafood and steaks, plus appetizers. I ordered the satay ayam for 30,000rp which was lovely. Ollie ordered a grilled shrimp dish which had massive shrimp on sticks. Everyone was very happy and the staff were very attentive to us and Maya. All the while we ate, a trio of Balinese musicians played jazz, and popular songs on electric guitar. These guys were real musicians, who could play, adding some tasty touches here and there. I felt sorry for the staff, that we were the only customers.
Lucky Day is ideally located for people staying in the Seminyak area. It is literally 300 meters from the beach, and close to the nightlife on Jl. Dhyana Pura. The problem in Bali is the amount of choices available. Lucky Day still puts out quality, in service, food and presentation. give them a try if you are in Seminyak.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 20th, 2006
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