Bali April Tuesday-Thursday 26th-28th April 2022
Bali : Tuesday April 26th, 2022
I woke at 6 a.m with a huge cramp in my right calf. I am taking 2 teaspoons of sea salt each day plus magnesium supplements but not potassium, although I’m pretty certain that I am eating enough potassium in my vegetables so what I’m trying to say is that I have no idea what’s happening and why I’m getting cramps but it is obviously due to walking and excessive sweating in such a warm and humid environment as Bali.
In the half hour since abruptly jumping out of bed the sun has risen and the roosters have transcended their night of sleep and are crowing like football supporters at an MCG game.
I’ve got no idea what we will get done today although I do have an appointment at the dentist at 12 noon which will modify our activity to a degree.
Georgie suggested doing the Tjampuhan Ridge walk this morning which I feel pretty good about but maybe we can walk a bit further than we did last Tuesday.
The vegan pho that the guys at Green Lotus was delicious, full of finely cut green veggies and herbs with bean sprouts instead of noodles, the broth was subtle and delicious all at the same time. They only do this dish on Mondays and I had to order my keto friendly recipe on Sunday. here are the contact details ….
Address: F6WW+GVC, Jalan Banjar Penestanan Kaja, Sayan, Ubud, Gianyar Regency, Bali 80571 You can find the phone number online.
I didn’t have my bulletproof coffee yesterday morning and noticed the hunger creeping in mid afternoon so I’m back on it again this morning but with an adventurous addition of kratom powder which is made from drying the leaves of some exotic asian tree. I’ve also added a small amount of nutmeg, chilli, 2 cardamon pods and salt. It’s bitter, intense and I haven’t been able to discover whether there are any carbs but the kratom is supposed to boost your energy so I’m giving it a go before our walk which should happen as soon as Georgie rises out of her slumber.
Another realisation I had yesterday is that I have to deal with Made about all things to do with our driving agreement. I had mentioned to Purnami that I might have to pay on Tuesday but she possibly didn’t tell him and when we got back yesterday he asked about the money. The exchange rate on the Australian dollar has decreased by about 5% since we have been here and like the gambler that I am (just joking) I have been hoping that it will come up again but alas, I will go to the ATM today and pull out $400 worth of rupiah.
The sun has fully risen now, it’s 7.30 and Georgie has finally graced me with her presence so at last we can head off.
It’s now 8.30 at night and going back to this morning we walked up the Tjampuhan Ridge which was fabulous. It’s getting easier all the time. We had a coffee at the last cafe on the walking track and turned around and came down again. When we got back to the Villa, Purnami was already here and I started making a curry to see us through the day. This became a real labour of love and I enjoyed every minute of the create and experimentation with the real herds and spices that got from the Farmer’s Market on Saturday.
Before I knew it the time spun around so fast that it was time to make a quick dash to the dentist who was going to fix my braces up. The walk to Penestanan kaja usually takes about 20 minutes but I had such a spring in my feet that I made it in 15. Quick repair of the jaw and I was on my way back when I noticed that some of the market stalls were set up in random spots along the route home. The herb and spice lady was there as well so I picked up some curry powder and a beaded bracelet which set me back $5. I felt like Jack from the Beanstalk tale and walked the rest of the way home with a big smile on my face.
When I finally arrived Georgie was sitting at the dining table and I didn’t even notice that the 6 new sleek metal and black cord dining chairs had arrived. They looked so perfect in their new location that it seemed like they had been especially created for the space.
By 1.30 we were sitting in Made’s car on our way to Okta’s warehouse to check out the rough frames he is making for us and to take another look at the antique Balinese door that I am so keen about. Then we were off and running again on the long drive down to Razor in Kerobokan. It’s an amazingly eclectic bric a brac warehouse full of uniquely interesting furniture and bits and pieces from all over Java and Bali. We both had so much fun choosing outdoor furniture, containers, artwork, mirrors and decorative pieces. We got quite a bundle of goodies for $1200. We had plans to also visit the stone pot business today but by the time we had finished at Razer it was time time turn around and come back to Penestanan. Peak hour isn’t anywhere near as bad as it was in 2019 but the traffic still clogs and flows pretty slowly. made is very cool calm and collected about whatever the driving conditions are and for me it’s such a luxury not having to drive like I normally do. When we arrived back in Penestanan we dropped Georgie of at the entry to Gang Padma so she could come back to the villa and Made and I headed of to Bintang so I could navigate my way through the process of taking out 4.5 million rupiah out at an ATM to pay 50% of our driving costs plus some money we already owed him for driving and petrol.
The Australian dollar has crashed over the past few days. Before we left Australia it was at least 75 against the US Dollar, now it’s about 71.5 … just our luck. Diminishing Australian dollars and Ramadam seem to be Georgie and my constant companion when we go on overseas trips.
On the way home I got a message from my cousin Glenda. Her sister Roslyn had been battling cancer for several years. She passed away on April 11. This was the cousin who I inadvertently purchased our family home, in what was then Burwood way back in 1986. That’s a whole story in it’s own right which I won’t go into now. Her passing was sad news although it was inevitable. The poor thing had recently had her Covid booster shot!
It poured rain in Ubud this afternoon and as a consequence the village seemed to be waterlogged when we got back and to top things off we have a frog in the rice fields that has been making an incredible racket all night like a drunk drummer who can’t keep time.
I prepared a quick dinner using the yellow curry that I had prepared earlier in the day. For Georgie I did some fried tofu and tempe to add and for me I boiled 2 of the beautiful fresh eggs I bought at Moksa market on Saturday morning.
We watched “Slow Horses” on my Apple computer while we ate our dinner and now it’s 9.30 and well and truly time for bed. The only problem is the frog will probably bellow and bump for the next few hours.
Wednesday April 27th, 2022
I woke up before 6 a.m but slumbered for a while. By the time I got up at 6.20 the day had well and truly started. It looks like I am going out on my own this morning. I stupidly bought Georgie a small bottle of Rose at the Bintang last night when I popped in to go to the ATM and I fear that she may not have slept as well. My plan, which may change, is to walk to the bottom of the Penestanan Kaja stairs and run up and down a few times. I’m planning on seeing what a bit of HIIT can achieve or if I am even capable of doing it.
The plan for today is to set off early and go to the stone shop in Kerobokan before then making our way to the east coast to visit Rod and Carolyn for lunch. Georgie is pretty excited about this. Originally they were going to visit us at our villa but something has come up with their house build that needs their attention. I had even planned to cook lunch for them but that ain’t gonna happen anymore.
I’ve got a cup of Kratom tea in front of me this morning instead of a coffee. This may be a good idea or conversely a bad one, I’ll talk about the effects later.
8.30 a.m – Well, I did go for my walk and I did run up the Penestanan Steps 3 times. The first run up was easy and I wondered what I had been thinking about over the years thinking that it was a strenuous experience going up to Penestanan. The problem was that I tricked myself and after 3 trips up I got a bit shaky and realized that it was hard for me. A bit like when you lift a light weight once compared to 30 times. The point is that I did it and it’s something I can continue doing to prepare for my trek up the 1000 Steps when I turn 100.
Georgie is still in bed and I’ve been clunking around making coffee and cleaning up. I just did something really, really silly. Our gas stove has a glass cover that you can pull down when you aren’t using the stove to cook. After I brewed my coffee I inadvertently left the gas jet on and pulled the glass down. Yep, you got it. The bloody thing exploded all over the kitchen. I got the fright of my life. Small fragments of glass everywhere. It always amazes me to observe the difference between order and chaos. A beautiful sheet of glass can become a real mess when the wrong conditions are applied to it. I’ve cleaned up most of the mess, maybe I’ll leave what’s left for Purnami.
Being out this morning gave me a fresh perspective on the overall beauty of Penestanan. There is quite a difference between Penestanan Kelod and Penestanan Kaja which is near Kori Agung where we stayed a quarter of a century ago. Yes, it’s changing but not in some gross way. For example back in 1996 when we first stayed at Kori Agung we could walk through the rice fields pretty much all the way to Sayan. This has now been built on but they’ve done it just right. Penestanan has a lot to offer as a destination for a tourist. Lots to discover, lots of small gangs (laneways) that are both interesting and naturally delightful. The jungle is still there and waiting to reclaim any bit of land that is left to lie untouched by human hands for any short period.
Thursday April 28th, 2022
My 3 trips up the Penestanan Steps yesterday morning deceptively caught up with me last night when I became aware of muscles in my legs, arms and back that I had long ago forgotten about. So when I opened my eyes this morning and felt my body lying like a sack of potatoes on our beautiful king sized bed I made a hasty decision to close my eyes again and went back into a deep slumber until 7.15 a.m at which point thoughts clicked over and I made the decision to fill our big, deep sunken bathtub set in the deck of our outdoor bathroom attached to bedroom 1. I dragged out my bluetooth speaker and kindle, put on some peaceful music and opened up A House In Bali by Colin McPhee and read about the idiosyncrasies of building a house in Bali in the 1930s just down the road in Sayan. We have actually stayed in the location and I must say, it is truly magnificent in its grandeur and natural beauty. All that was missing in my bathtub this morning were flower petals so I started planning where I could possibly buy some for my next bath experience.
Fortunately Georgie’s design is almost perfect. She’s not really a bath person but she lives with 2 extremists who are both connoisseurs of a fine bathtub which must have rubbed off on her.
We’ve been working Made and his car hard for the past 2 days so today we must pull it back and just do a couple of short local trips to order our large antique mirror (from a business called railroad) for above the 2 hand basins that were also formed out of concrete by our builders. We also need to visit a shop in Angon which is close to railroad to look at outdoor furniture and hopefully find a chopping board.
The other activity on the agenda today will be a make the short trip to the majestic Hotel Tjampuhan where I stayed 3 times throughout the 1980s. This is where I first fell in love with Bali almost 40 years ago. It is literally 5 minutes walk from Villa Tusk on the border of the 2 villages of Tjampuhan and Penestanan. The land is owned by the King of Ubud and back in the 1930s was the home of the German artist Walter Spies who the then King met in Jogjakarta and convinced to come to Ubud to help turn it into the cultural and artistic heartland of Bali. Between them and a few other artists and creative Westerners and Balinese they pulled this off. The gardens of Tjampuhan are exquisite and its location cannot be surpassed.
We will ask them to allow us to take a look at the restaurant where I ate many meals all this years ago and to let us wander around the garden paths to reminisce about our earlier trips. Georgie wants to have some reflexology which I’m good with and I need to do some cooking a bit later. I’d also like to set up my guitar and amp today. Maybe upstairs for now or in the small free standing bedroom.
We hit the road with Made at 11.30 and have just arrived back to the villa now at 3 p.m. We got the big antique mirror ordered. What they do is salvage pressed tin interior roofs in Java and use the pressed tin to wrap around a frame. The effect is amazing. The one we really loved was sold out so we are getting a lucky dip.
While we were at Railroad we met a Western Australian named Barry who was in much the same situation as us. He purchased a villa in Seminyak just as lockdown started in Australia and has been stuck there ever since. He was an interesting guy. 58 years old, in love with Bali, fabulous Japanese inspired legs “tatts” and a serious collector of antique children’s pedal cars. Maybe we can touch base with him again at some stage. Nice guy.
After Railroad we dropped into YuYus in Angon. We chose a few items here in 2020 but looking at them now I wondered what I was thinking. Then to the Sayan Market to purchase a mortar and pestle to crush my spices with. We had lunch with Made at the Indonesian Warung in Kedewatan. Indo food, Indo prices. Enak (delicious in Bahasa).
I dropped the bloody mortar and pestle and broke the pestle on the way back to the villa! Not too hard to replace and I still have enough stone to uncomfortably crush herbs, garlic and chilli.
We tweaked a few more things at the villa this morning. Moved a big table inside to use as a workspace in the living room, moved the side table behind one of the day beds, used a few more of our left over cement tiles in the kitchen. Slowly, slowly or pelan pelan as they say in Bahasa.
Our framing is now well underway and it’s looking like it may be back by the weekend. This is exciting and what a difference it will make for the walls of the villa. Even the Rajasthani wall hangings that Georgie sent across from Australia look amazing now that they are framed and all of the canvases that I painstakingly took off their stretcher bars to transport to Bali and now re-stretched. Very Zen.
We finished the day off with a quick trip to Zest where I had a drink called Cacao Ceremony which is made from 95% pure cacao, whipped coconut cream, chilli and nutmeg. You have to eat it with a spoon and it is bitter but delicious. In theory it’s almost OK for me to have on keto but really I’;m not certain. I may be kidding myself. Georgie had a rosè. Zest is generally full of very hip, beautiful and groovy instagram type travellers who seem, to come there to be seen but I don’t care. It makes me feel like I’m part of some hip scene that may be a bit artificial but it’s something I don’t have in Mooroolbark. Then there was a quick trip to the massage place next to Murni’s where we had to wait for the staff to arrive so we went for a walk down to the Wos River where there was a very muscle bound half naked man standing in the water trying to look very spiritual with 2 dogs staring admiringly at him. We finally got our hour long foot massage which for me unfortunately was like what I get from Georgie when she is half asleep on our couch at home but it only cost $9 so who am I to complain.
Finally we came back to the villa where I cooked dinner which turned out to be delicious but unfortunately hard to eat due to my braces playing up.
Another day in paradise…….
