All material including photographs are ©2009 Ronald Dunlap / Doglight Studios
Our last full day in Bali broke overcast and dreary. It had taken us a while to "gird our loins," but by 9:30 we were on the road. We'd discussed staying put, lounging around the pool and resting up for tomorrow's full day of travel. But that's against the RGD Travel Code: Get up, get out, and make sure you're getting your money's worth.
Sanur is about an hour away, but the slippery and wet made the roads a little more dangerous than usual, so we didn't arrive until just before 11 a.m. Halfway there the sun broke through in bright shafts of light that seemed to recharge my energy and brighten my attitude. On the leeward side of the island, Sanur is often much sunnier and less rainy than Kuta or the interior. Nearing Sanur the landscape changed into a more European-looking community, with lots of westerners walking around and lots of shops catering to their needs.
We parked on the south end, in a parking lot that Dewa seemed to know well. The plan was for him to stay with the van, and we'd go exploring. We walked through an opening in the cinderblock wall onto one of the world's premiere swimming beaches, which was practically deserted. The story was that there had been some kind of bad publicity, a tourist being cheated or something like that, and tour bookers were avoiding the place.
What tourists there were, were older Germans and Northern Europeans who had no problem with body image and who sparsely populated the beach with a wide variety of sizes and shapes. I was in awe of their self-confidence and their joy in being in the sun.
The beach had wonderful visitor facilities and tons of vendors willing to accommodate any wish that they (the tourists) were willing to pay for. Plus, it had a wonderful relaxed feel, somewhere you could just grab a beach chair and spend a week reading a book or swimming in the placid waist-deep water and not speaking to anyone. The perfect place for a California burnout to recuperate and regenerate brain cells. I'll make a point of staying there if I can save enough money to return.
We spent two-and-a-half hours just cruising up and down the boardwalk, shooting empty beach chairs and beachfront. Along the way we passed tons of restaurants and juice bars that lined the walkway, but most had single-digit clientele. It looked like it was going to be hard for the locals to make a buck today.
Just as we were getting back to the van, we watched the police arrest and cart away a woman and her little kids, for begging. The kids were crying up a storm and it was in sharp contrast to the harmony of the visitors' side of the beach. Really disturbing. Not a good last impression.
It was time to head back to Alam Sari, but Ann wanted to make one last stop. There was a section of the highway where a lot of sculpture yards were located. We'd passed them a couple of times and they looked photographically interesting. Dewa said he'd drop us off at one end of the district, then drive on until he found a place to park, which would be at least a couple of kilometers away. Hopping out as the van came to a fast stop, we were in the midst of the commercial sculpture district. The shops were right on the roadway and it was imperative not to step back while framing up your shot, otherwise there was a good chance that you'd end up being part of the highway. It took us about 40 minutes to get a few shots and make our way up to where Dewa was parked. The sculpture yards were a lot more attractive from the highway than they were up close.
Dewa pulled out of the parking lot and headed to Denpasar. We'd loved the sarong I bought yesterday, so now we were making a fast run to Jalan Sulawesi to get a few more. The street was packed as usual, but luckily there was a parking space half a block down. When I jumped out, I was full of confidence that I could walk right to the place, but after a couple of tries, I was less confident. On our third try the shop girl who'd waited on us the other day came running out to lead us back to her store. Tripling our last purchase, the shop owner was all smiles.
It was time to head back to Alam Sari, but Ann wanted to make one last stop. There was a section of the highway where a lot of sculpture yards were located. We'd passed them a couple of times and they looked photographically interesting. Dewa said he'd drop us off at one end of the district, then drive on until he found a place to park, which would be at least a couple of kilometers away. Hopping out as the van came to a fast stop, we were in the midst of the commercial sculpture district. The shops were right on the roadway and it was imperative not to step back while framing up your shot, otherwise there was a good chance that you'd end up being part of the highway. It took us about 40 minutes to get a few shots and make our way up to where Dewa was parked. The sculpture yards were a lot more attractive from the highway than they were up close.
It began to rain when we got back to the hotel. It had been a long day, and a bathroom break and a little rest were in order. By 6 p.m. I was renewed enough to get up, collect my umbrella, grab my cash, and head down to the office to settle accounts. The manager led me through the bill, item by item. I kidded her about needing a discount, and after the bill was settled and cash handed over she offered us free full-body massages as a premium. Ann was up for it, but I'd learned my lesson, I'd be happy with just getting my feet done (much more dignified). By now it was raining really hard. The walk up to the spa was dark and slippery. Thank goodness we'd brought high-powered L.E.D. flashlights. The treatment lasted an hour, and my feet were in much better shape when it was over but got a little mushy as we made our way back to our rooms. The storm caused the power to fluctuate, and then it went out altogether. It was a full five minutes until the hotel's generator kicked in. When the lights came back on, we went down to get some dinner. I enjoyed my spaghetti as usual. We finished our dessert, chocolate ice cream, and said our goodbyes to the staff, who had been more than kind to us. They let us know that the local power was out and that the hotel generators would shut down at eleven. It was a little after 8, which gave us three hours to pack and get ready for tomorrow.
We needed to leave for the airport at 4 a.m., so that meant getting up at 3. I laid out what I'd wear and packed the rest, making sure that I had all my camera stuff and that my memory cards were accounted for. Then I made sure my flashlight was near and went to bed.
