Saturday – Woke up feeling ok, a little bit seedy after the previous days consumption of Bintang so we just mooched around the room, not in too much of hurry this morning.

We hadn’t looked at the photos from the previous day so decided to check them out as we had heaps and then head over for breakfast.

I went and had a shower while Robbie connected the camera to the TV so we could view the photos on the big screen.

The water pressure in our room was a bit hit and miss, it was barely more than a trickle and was either too hot or too cold. I just stuck with having a cold showers it was just easier, as warm wasn’t an option on these taps and I wasn’t in the mood for 3rd degree burns.

Anyway I got out the shower feeling refreshed never the less and just had the big fluffy towel wrapped around me and laid on the bed to have a look at the photos. Anyway nothing too unusual about that but then I got a rumble in my tummy , oh ohhhhhhh, , oh no , before I could stop it lets just say it got a tiny bit messy.

Seems I should have gotten some red cordial or stayed away from the chicken.,’ opps too late’ , well I won’t give you any more details than that but it was definitely time for some gastro stop. 🙁

Well that sort of sorted out what we would do for the day no temples or too much adventure away from western style toilets for us. I thought it might be best to stay close to amenities. So we decided to start the day with a bit of pampering. Robbie wanted to have a massage and I thought I might have a crack at a pedicure I had never had one because I am so ticklish I hate people touching my feet. I guessed even if it was horrid it was only going to cost about $2 so I could just ask them to stop and still be able to pay them. And not have wasted too much money. Better to see if I like it here rather than pay a fortune is Australia to find I hated it.

So we headed on over to have breakfast but given the massive evacuation of my body that had occurred earlier I decided dry toast might be the best option today. I ran into the lady who had told me about the red cordial the day before to kill germs in the belly and she was leaving on that day so she went and got the rest of cordial and gave it too me which was good of her , so I went and had a nice big glass of that as did Robbie. He was ok but thought some prevention might be in order !

Then we went off to Legion in search of a massage place. Well there was no shortage of places to go and some nice girls approached us out side one of the massage shops. It looked ok and they looked friendly so Robbie did some bartering and we agreed on a price. Then we got lead not into the nice looking shop but through the restaurant which was next door and up some bizarre, dodgy stairs that were seriously steep about 60cm in height each tread . Anyway I was looking back at Robbie who was following up the rear he was there in case I tumbled down or he had to shove me up the stairs. We were looking at each other wondering where the hell the girls were taking us. They giggled though and said “ so sorry steps are so high you ok ?”

Hmm well to be honest I was worried that I was about to wake up in a bath tub full of ice and a kidney missing. 🙂

We made it to the top of the stairs and were lead into a salon that may have been nice about 50 years ago but was a little worse for wear now. Anyway the girls were very hospitable so we didn’t want to renege on the agreement, and decided to stay.

Robbie got ushered up a couple more steps to the massage area and I was asked to sit on the couch and the girls got to work. Robbie got a massage while I had my feet done. The girl doing my feet giggled when my toes curled and I said I was ticklish so she said don’t worry and I don’t know what she did but it didn’t tickle anymore. So I had my feet scrubbed, filed, sanded and polished. I couldn’t believe how soft and beautiful my feet felt afterwards and then she asked me what colour polish I wanted so I said purple of course.  She showed me some pictures of flowers and said which ones you want on toes so I picked out a simple design of a spray of white flowers and then she got to work putting the design on the big toes. Don’t know what happened but I got a dodgy looking hearts instead of the flowers. How that got lost in translation I cannot work out as I pointed to a picture.  There wasn’t even a heart picture on the list. She  must have decided  to go free range on me .. hehehehehe.

My pedicure took nearly an hour so I had about 10 minutes to wait till Robbie’s massage was over I could hear him getting slapped around a bit so I couldn’t help myself I got up and sneaked a picture and he was sitting up with this very small framed girl behind him doing karate chops on his back. He looked like a giant in comparison to her small Balinese size but she was bloody strong, that much I could tell.

So we finished up, paid up and were lead down the Big stairs again this time Robbie went in the front in case I fell forward. Seriously I was tempted to slide down on my bum they were that steep.

By this time it was lunch time so we decided to have something to eat. a couple of doors down there was a place called ‘Sheepy’s’ which had an Aussie flag hung proudly in the café so we decided to eat there.

I had some water first a I wasn’t sure how my tummy was going to take nourishment at this stage . Water went down fine so I thought I would steer away from the Balinese food until I was sure the Bali Belly was gone so ordered a hamburger and chips. When it came out it look yummy. I took one bite as soon as the food hit my stomach the rumbles began . Ok so decided to give the food a miss and stick with the water.

We sat there is the café just relaxing and watching the world go by. There is never any end to the sights you can see with just ordinary people going through the every day motions of their life. Robbie snapped away taking action shots of traffic and venders peddling their wares on the camera while I did my best not to ‘pass wind incase I had a follow through’ Gross I know but true!

While we had been sitting there I had a good view of the Legion markets so was sussing out what I wanted to buy, so off we went again for some more shopping.

It was very quiet in the market and everyone was eager for a sale. Some of these ladies were hard core. They just didn’t invite me in to have a look at their wares they dragged me in. It wasn’t aggressive but at the same time they meant business and there was no escaping their clutches. One very old lady was determined I would buy a bag from

her come hell or high water. I didn’t like her bags, but was trying to be respectful because she was and old lady but she was determined I would have a bag. Robbie distracted her while I made my escape, hehehehe only problem is he couldn’t shake her, he ended up asking if he could take her picture to distract her and she let him . He ended up paying her for the photo opportunity just to get away. We didn’t end up buying a bag from her.

In my escape effort I dashed away from the old lady in the eager waiting arms of happy short lady … again she was going to sell me something . I got invited (dragged) into her shop for a look. (free to look they all say just not free to get out.) I actually saw top that I liked & made the mistake of saying” I like that one” so it would be mine !!!!! I got Robbie my negotiator on the job, so had a laugh watching Robbie and the lady barter they enjoyed themselves and I ended up with not one but two tops which I think cost us all up about $12. They were good tops though so I was happy, lady was happy & Robbie had bartered well. I didn’t leave without a hand full of business cards also so I could pass on to all my friends. 🙂

As we were wandering around the market we saw 3 young boys having a game of soccer they were having so much fun as their parents watched on. We stopped to watch and laugh along with everyone and the father saw Robbie had a camera in his hand so he called the boys over to have their photo taken . Big smiles from them all and Robbie had to show all the kids and the family the shots they were all so excited seeing the pictures, of the boys. So we thanked them and off we went. We did a bit more wandering, looking, haggling and purchasing and we were done with the shopping. 🙂

Anyway we were standing on the street just scratching our heads wondering what we would do next and as my tummy was getting bit rumbly & I thought a trip to toilet might be in order so there just happened to be the Paradise bar across the road so we decided it looked like a nice place to sit and watch the world go by and have a rest and a cool drink and a toilet break.

While were standing there an old aussie lady was just going for a walk and got hit by the mirror of a passing kombie full of surfer dudes. The street was very narrow and shared by cars motor bikes and pedestrians. The car just keep driving they probably didn’t even realize they hit the woman, so Robbie helped the lady up made sure she was ok which she said she was. She was more pissed off than anything else as you would be but I think she would have ended up with a mighty bruise on her arm and it would have bloody hurt for sure.

Ok now where was I, yeah time for a drink. So in we went to the Paradise bar. There was some sort of band playing aussie songs so we found a comfy spot on the veranda Robbie got some drinks in and I went to the toilet .. every thing under control. Yes a western style toilet too!

Where we were sitting across the road there was a beauty parlour , well that’s what the sign said ! Now one thing we know is that every other beauty parlour we had see in Bali had a board out the front with prices of treatments and the girls in uniforms trying to get customers inside. Wasn’t exactly happening at this place. There were girls sitting out the front, all pretty well dolled in trendy clothes and not hassling anyone. They just chatted & laughed. Every now and then one would ride off on a motor bike and another would come back on a bike. Hmmmmm we didn’t think this was your average beauty salon. Some of the girls looked too beautiful to be girls too. I think we had some lady boys there for sure.

Robbie went across the road just to take some pics of me waving at him from the veranda of the bar and he instantly had two new friends they didn’t try to sell him anything at all ( which is odd in itself in Bali) but they wanted their pictures taken so posed for him . He had no choice but to take it . He wasn’t too upset though hehehehe. 🙂 He showed the girls/boys whatever, the pics and they giggled and he thanked them and came over for his Bintang . So we sat up there for quiet awhile watching the comings and goings. One girl rocked up on a motor bike with a big strapping white guy who got off the bike kissed her on the cheek and then vanished into the crowd up the street. She skipped inside the salon looking very happy with herself.

Robbie and I believe this was a brothel of types but like a ring a girl type place that just used the beauty salon as a front . Well that’s our story and we spent ages enjoying the show. The girls were friendly towards gentleman wandering up the street, but not in a sleazy sort of way just full of smiles and giggles. No men went inside though., But they were all very interested in what the girls had to say. Unfortunately we couldn’t hear what was going on they may have been telling the men how to ‘catch a bus ‘ hehehehe.

So we had a few drink I got stuck into the red fanta thinking this was going to magically fix my Bali belly it didn’t. but I wasn’t feeling too bad.

It was dark now so went for a bit more of a wander and it was dinner time, so we found a nice place and ordered a pizza.

Yes it wouldn’t be a Godden adventure without at least one Pizza & it was only right that we sample the local pizza. The one we ordered was so  good only problem was I had one bite and tummy went rumble, rumble. I was not happy & poor Robbie had to eat the whole thing . It is amazing the things he does for me! He is such a trooper ! 🙂