OMG cannot believe a month up, this trip has been one of chillaxing, recharging and indulging in the wonderful food that Bali has to offer. Lots of long walks checking out all our old haunts, strolls on the beaches, lots of pool time and deciding where our next dinner is going to be! The weather has been superb, around 30 each day, just one afternoon of heavy rain so just the perfect environment to relax and recharge the batteries, a good healing time after having lost both my parents in the last few months, just the getaway that was needed to get up and go on our big trip in July to the USA and Europe. EVERYONE here has done it extremely hard through COVID, of course no Centrelink in Indonesia so everyone has had to help each other, things are very slowly picking up but there are still hundreds of shops and businesses that are still closed and may never open. I think one of the worst hit areas is Kuta, where they totally rely on the overseas travellers to,not many people actually live there and the expats are more in the outer areas like Canggu.
Lovely. Catch up with Mikhael and his wife Susi and their son Darren. Mikhael did a lot of work for us at Bali Yarravillas.
Went out to Canggu a couple of times and its nuts busy! Have managed to catch up with a few friends who have all had a tough time, their businesses just reopening and starting to get more business. We had a couple of credits to use so we have stayed in three locations since been here. Our last one which was not a credit is the Mutiara Resort which is just behind eat street in Jalan Braban, such a good spot and so cheap, I think we paid $32 a night for a room and they upgraded us up to a better room and a lovely pool to us each day, huge room, and it is within walking distance to many of our favourite restaurants, Seminyak Beach and Pettitenget Beach. Reg, Adele and Noah have now moved to Ubud to live but we have been very lucky to catch up with them quite a few times. Our fave meals have been at Basil Kitchen, Casablanca in Seminyak, Dahana our old fave Japanese, Sarong which is on a shorter menu at present but still as good as ever, Warung Souvlaki Milos fantastic Greek food, for local cheap food we love
Warung Dedalu in Pettitenget St near Mystique Hotel, La Vecchia Tanna (change of name from Italy Cafe) still run by Igor and Sabrini from Northern Italy, Gateway of India fab food and have had a major renovation and a newly Madame Gou out towards Canggu, mix of Asian food but so well done and super tasty! Some places I dont think will reopen,Sardine (derelict) no signs of life here, Metis (closed building for sale), Ultimo as we knew it derelict, and they have moved into their sister restaurant Cha Cha, Rumours no more,Salazon gone, Moka Seminyak gone. We had a gorgeous Sunday brunch at La Laguna Luxury Resort and Spa, quite different to the Mulia, not glitzy at all and not a huge buffet, but it was beautiful sitting on the beach under the big shady trees enjoying lots of tasting plates and a great array of cocktails and wine and a lot of dishes ordered on demand like sirloin, lobster, prawns and lots of other tasty dishes. I think I have read four books and John has watched numerous movies in between. Sad to be leaving but be nice to get home for a few weeks to organise and
