Mostly Legian

Its day ... ummm. Wednesday, that must mean Galungan, Bali's biggest festival day. Everything in Lovina, Kalibukbuk is closed. Everything. Even the booze shop across from the Masjid is shut. If ever there was a day to embrace ethanol it would be today, so maybe Hindus somewhere are steeping back a bit of arak hooch and remarking on the six month 35 days per month cycle of Galungan and Kuningan and going "Yeah those dead people were great and I wish they were here, Hey Wayan down this"

I could google this up but why not do it yourself?

In Legian on Jalan Double Six, Jalan Legian,  the people were creating towering penjor, bamboo and reed poles that droop over the street.  A bit like how streets have christmas light displays on their houses, just with fewer falls off rooves.

The entire three and half hour car journey from Legian through Bedugul to Lovina the streets were lined with penjor. Its a big deal. Good triumphs over evil and if you are rich enough your penjor is tres outre and schmicko. I preferred the traditional ones, same bamboo but without the ornate precise reed arrangements. I was going to take a photo of them when I got to Lovina but they are less prevalent here.
 I did take a snap as we hurtled up the mountain towards Bedugul.

So the football on Sunday wasn't the best. We got thumped by our own bad play and switching off ball watching. Meanwhile in Legian I had a loud obnoxious Londonderryman Man U supporter who had the chat going90 miles an hour and wouldn't STFU oblivious to who he was with or talking at and just a stream of shit thought speech bubble nonsense and aggressively parading like a fuckwit when slaphead Rooney smashed a cracking goal and he lives on the GoldCoast and married an aussie and his kid's called Seamus and JUST FUCKING SHUT UP

So we left at half time 2 nil down. Crashed asleep and woke at 8.30. Breakfast is nice and sparse. Coffee two eggs toast.

Sandy had a four hour pamper at the hotel spa. Four hours. Count them. Count the minutes. Wow

I wandered north as I saw a sign for Gosha Restaurant (Since 1986). Well, nuh uh. Its dead again.  It was the first regular restaurant we had when we first came to Legian in 1993. Last trip it was about to be swamped by the enormous capital investment and growth along Jalan Melasti as the big four and five storey hotels started chomping down the smaller hotels.  The Gosha was a simple kitchen with a superb eating room with a roof that was a marvel of bamboo and alang-alang. The rent was being exponentially increased and it was looking troubled in 2013.  Along Jalan Camplung Tanduk I wandered towards the beach and on the right hand side was a two storey glass and marble non-descript commercial building.
Shuttered. Dead. Dusty. I'm glad Gosha is finished. This was a stupid idea. I rolled down the hill and had a beer and cumi-cumi.
Rolled into the beach strip and Capil Beach cafe for a beer. Its hot. Played my game which I managed to download that morning.
Arvo kip and we get a cab to Sarong restaurant in Seminyak. Flash, a little bit James Bond, I am looking for the komodo dragon next to the eating floor. Nope.
Beautiful meal, lacklustre service, gave me a wine menu and never came back - cheapest bottle was R600k $A60. Err...hello?


Entree steak tartare with lemongrass chilli and a very gentle soy sauce dressing. Delicious. Sandy was chicken tenderloin salad with anither subtle dressing though not as spicy as mine.
Main whole pan fried baby snapper with a plum sauce - mouthwatering, naan, stirfried vegies. Sandy's twice cooked duck was underwhelming.

Walk down the street and gelato'd out we cabbed back and crashed.

The Pearl is a 16 room small hotel, nice pool, ok rooms from which we might borrow design ideas for a potential renovation. Its on Jalan 66 the top end of Legian Kelod. The shops around are quiet. Three 24 minimarts within 50m I take great pride in announcing that cigarettes are 200,000rp per pack in Aus, versus the 20,000rp they are here. Its a five minute stroll to the beach. The cafe is adequate, it has chair tables and friendly staff but no connection. Four rooms occupied so its quiet. Walls have damp. Otherwise well maintained and secure. Lovely pool and gardens. Bit impersonal. Make your own toast. The owner's wife took my toast. Bad owner's wife. Don't.

Tuesday. 16th. Sydney and Lindt Cafe. social media esp. twitter connects everything.

Coffee toast get a phone sim get in car sit for three and half hours (same time as the flight from Perth) on twisty roads. Using the sim I can direct Nyoman to the hotel. Lovely Rambutan Cottages.

I chose the Putri Villa. Beautiful gardens. Stay in the hotel as we are pretty tired. Indolence is catching.