PART II, RHK'S IN ASIA
Jun 3rd, 2008 | 08:46 PM
#61
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,025
Likes: 0
Finally had time to read your Bali section Bob. Wondreful to have you there "on the ground' doing great reporting; a nice change from Nick Robertson and Christiana Amanpur (both of whom I admire) .
Thanks for helping me relive my Bali trip thru you. I too thought Prapen was an architectural gem of a jewelry showroom and I think of it every time I wear a piece I bought there.
Thanks for helping me relive my Bali trip thru you. I too thought Prapen was an architectural gem of a jewelry showroom and I think of it every time I wear a piece I bought there.
Jun 7th, 2008 | 08:26 PM
#66
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,664
Likes: 0
May 31, 2008 Saturday
Easy day.. we got up around 7AM…coffee delivered to our room….we all went over to the dining room for breakfast…..the woman in charge of the dining room is a real sweetheart….she is so friendly and even makes fun of andy…..she loves hanging around our table….
Karen says the biggest decision of the day is which chair to sit in on the beach….
The ladies sat the whole day on the beach under their huge umbrella, and still got toasted a bit…
Andy and I hung back, me on the computer---free wi-fi and andy drifting in and out smoking his cigars and reading….
The girls had lunch delivered on the beach and andy and I took it on the boardwalk adjacent to the beach in the shade…
At nite we walked down to the Village Restaurant…about a 5 minute walk…nice Italian dinner….on the way back from dinner, we picked up our laundry which andy had taken in the AM to a local shop….$2.70 for a huge pile of laundry…
Bed after a day of doing nothing…
June 1, 2008
The ladies decided it would be another lazy day…they started the day with a walk north along the brick beachside walkway….this followed their coffee being delivered again to the room….
The ladies spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon sitting on the beach….in fact they did not leave the beach until about 4PM…
Andy and I hung out all day: computer, cigars for andy, read…..etc….just a lay back day…
The OZ couple whom we first met in ubud when they were touring our hotel complex, and whom andy ran into here in sanur joined us for dinner at their favorite sanur restaurant: Apa Kabar on danau tamblingan 190….it is an Indonesian restaurant….they also supply transportation upon request: 0361-282153… the restaurant is an open air place with a large bar near to the street…..we all chose standard one plate combos for two…andy and beth had the seafood and the rest of us had a mixed indonesian plate….they were quite good….the ladies also had lorraine teach the how to mix an arak attack, a local drink: arak is a local rice wine, which you mix with sprite, lime juice and ice….sort of like a wine spritzer….they loved it….we had some spring rolls with our drinks….denis and I had bintang beers and andy had some sweet drink….some had ice cream for dessert….
We had lots of laughs during the dinner as lorraine, who can out talk both andy and I, and denis are real OZ characters….they are about out ages—mid-60’s….
Ride back to the hotel and we fell into bed, exhausted from a day of doing nothing….
June 2, 2008
Coffee delivered to the room as usual…. Instead of a beach day, the ladies decided that this would be a shopping day in sanur… breakfast in the restaurant….btw, this is not a buffet but rather a la carte from the breakfast menu: eggs, toast, Danish, croissants (the best in asia), tea/coffee, chocolate milk for andy, fresh squeezed juices, pancakes, fruits,bacon, etc….
Andy remained at the hotel, playing poker on our computer, while the 3 of us took a taxi to the other end of sanur to begin some shopping…..first stop is the fantastic all black and white shop called Pisces….K had purchased things here on our last trip and they stood up very well so she wanted to return….beth loved the place as she wears lots of black…every item is a combo of black and white or black and white itself…pants, tops, and accessories…both women tried on most everything in the shop and made a few purchases….i heard Karen tell beth that unlike most black items, these items hold their color fast….
From there we went to a shop next door where we had had things made before…basically it is a robe and sarong shop, but they also do custom work if you have two days….don’t have the name, sorry…but it is right to the left of pisces….
From there we took a taxi along the beach road to a shop that lorraine had told the girls about called animale….they were having a big sale….each woman bought a few items there as well….great selections of clothing, shoes and jewelry….
From there we walked to A-Krea, a gift/home accessory shop….they had been in the one in ubud and wanted to return here….they both bought slippers here and we bought a nice leather business card holder as a gift….
Back to the hotel for a beachside lunch…..delicious….
Andy and I left the hotel and went for haircuts…..the hotel suggest Chic as the place for us and in fact called to warn them that we were coming….andy was placed in the hair washing room and I was taken by the owner to her chair for my haircut….i also agreed to my first manicure and pedicure, complete with nail polish….now I am a metrosexual…haha…
The assistant cut andy’s hair and then the boss tweaked it a bit….
So at one time I had three people working on me: head and one on each hand….later I was moved to another chair for my feet where both assistants did my toes….
Great haircut and wonderful nails….price 175,000 rp ($18.)…plus 50,000 for each assistant….
Cocktails were taken on our rooftop balcony…..dinner followed at a table by the pool/beachside…..great final dinner with the 4 of us….there was a stiff breeze and we ate by candle lite….they provided flashlites to see the menu….an all Indonesian meal….
Andy and Karen had the nitely special, a slow cooked pork dish……I had a chicken and noodle dish and beth had delicious chicken and noodle soup (I had had it the day before for lunch)…we all had the baby coconut baked dessert, sort of a pudding….
So basically our time together was finished except for breakfast the next day….this is a friendship made through fodors that has now lead to almost two weeks together in a far off land…..we had so much fun….we talked fodors sometimes, but more than not we just made fun of andy and he made fun of the world….he has outrageous behavior which endears him to everyone, well almost everyone… we look forward to a time when we might do something similar in the future…
Btw, the speedos were there but barely visable---that is to say not that often…the cigars however were in view most days….
June 3, 2008
We were up about the regular time and coffee was delivered…we had the morning to pack up and get ready to move on as the car was not coming for us until noon….
Tandjung Sari in retrospect was a perfect choice for all of us….the property is old (1960’s) but is well maintained….our bungalow, the family bungalow, was as close to the beach as one can get…andy and beth really liked this for its real beach feel….between us and the beach was the pool, the dining room, the library and a huge sala for relaxing….everything was very convenient….we all would return here in a heartbeat….the food was decent, some of it even delicious…the breakfasts were excellent and the staff more than accommodating….i prefer a chair without arms, so everytime, after the first time, that I went to sit down to a meal the staff were there with a chair especially for me….not sure but maybe they were bringing a reinforced chair??
We were ready to go when the car arrived….i had arranged the car to take us to the airport first and then continue on to nusa dua to drop andy off at the westin… 300rp total…
Checkin at the airport was very easy as were all our dealings with air asia….our flight to Kuala Lumpur was about 3 hours…..we left early and we arrived about 30 minutes early….air asia flights arrive in Kuala Lumpur’s special “low cost airport”….this is a simple airport with no direct airplane access, rather you walk down a stairway and then along walkways which are covered from the sun….the airport is simple, but has all major services which one needs….bags come out quickly….if they can do things simply and efficiently why can’t the major airlines….we look forward to our next flights with them…the planes are mostly new airbuses….3X3 with all leather seats….all food, water, etc. are for sale…you are not allowed to bring food or drink onto the plane…the staff cleans the bathrooms during the flight…
They allow you to purchase express boarding for a couple dollars….this allows you to enter the plane before anyone else…you get to choose seats that you want…they also offer inexpensive trip insurance…..all of this is offered easily on the internet…
Upon arrival in K/L we took a taxi to the pan pacific airport hotel….it has been voted the best airport hotel….it is quite nice…..we went for a swim in their nice outdoor pool….for dinner, we chose the hotels’ Indian restaurant….we were the only people in the restaurant…there is an open kitchen so we watched our food being prepared .
We had nan, murgh chicken marsala, rice, a delicious mixed veggie dish in coconut milk with nuts (vegetable korma), our favorite pureed spinach with cheese dish, and kulfi ice cream for dessert….
Bed with full tummies and boring CNN election coverage…
Easy day.. we got up around 7AM…coffee delivered to our room….we all went over to the dining room for breakfast…..the woman in charge of the dining room is a real sweetheart….she is so friendly and even makes fun of andy…..she loves hanging around our table….
Karen says the biggest decision of the day is which chair to sit in on the beach….
The ladies sat the whole day on the beach under their huge umbrella, and still got toasted a bit…
Andy and I hung back, me on the computer---free wi-fi and andy drifting in and out smoking his cigars and reading….
The girls had lunch delivered on the beach and andy and I took it on the boardwalk adjacent to the beach in the shade…
At nite we walked down to the Village Restaurant…about a 5 minute walk…nice Italian dinner….on the way back from dinner, we picked up our laundry which andy had taken in the AM to a local shop….$2.70 for a huge pile of laundry…
Bed after a day of doing nothing…
June 1, 2008
The ladies decided it would be another lazy day…they started the day with a walk north along the brick beachside walkway….this followed their coffee being delivered again to the room….
The ladies spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon sitting on the beach….in fact they did not leave the beach until about 4PM…
Andy and I hung out all day: computer, cigars for andy, read…..etc….just a lay back day…
The OZ couple whom we first met in ubud when they were touring our hotel complex, and whom andy ran into here in sanur joined us for dinner at their favorite sanur restaurant: Apa Kabar on danau tamblingan 190….it is an Indonesian restaurant….they also supply transportation upon request: 0361-282153… the restaurant is an open air place with a large bar near to the street…..we all chose standard one plate combos for two…andy and beth had the seafood and the rest of us had a mixed indonesian plate….they were quite good….the ladies also had lorraine teach the how to mix an arak attack, a local drink: arak is a local rice wine, which you mix with sprite, lime juice and ice….sort of like a wine spritzer….they loved it….we had some spring rolls with our drinks….denis and I had bintang beers and andy had some sweet drink….some had ice cream for dessert….
We had lots of laughs during the dinner as lorraine, who can out talk both andy and I, and denis are real OZ characters….they are about out ages—mid-60’s….
Ride back to the hotel and we fell into bed, exhausted from a day of doing nothing….
June 2, 2008
Coffee delivered to the room as usual…. Instead of a beach day, the ladies decided that this would be a shopping day in sanur… breakfast in the restaurant….btw, this is not a buffet but rather a la carte from the breakfast menu: eggs, toast, Danish, croissants (the best in asia), tea/coffee, chocolate milk for andy, fresh squeezed juices, pancakes, fruits,bacon, etc….
Andy remained at the hotel, playing poker on our computer, while the 3 of us took a taxi to the other end of sanur to begin some shopping…..first stop is the fantastic all black and white shop called Pisces….K had purchased things here on our last trip and they stood up very well so she wanted to return….beth loved the place as she wears lots of black…every item is a combo of black and white or black and white itself…pants, tops, and accessories…both women tried on most everything in the shop and made a few purchases….i heard Karen tell beth that unlike most black items, these items hold their color fast….
From there we went to a shop next door where we had had things made before…basically it is a robe and sarong shop, but they also do custom work if you have two days….don’t have the name, sorry…but it is right to the left of pisces….
From there we took a taxi along the beach road to a shop that lorraine had told the girls about called animale….they were having a big sale….each woman bought a few items there as well….great selections of clothing, shoes and jewelry….
From there we walked to A-Krea, a gift/home accessory shop….they had been in the one in ubud and wanted to return here….they both bought slippers here and we bought a nice leather business card holder as a gift….
Back to the hotel for a beachside lunch…..delicious….
Andy and I left the hotel and went for haircuts…..the hotel suggest Chic as the place for us and in fact called to warn them that we were coming….andy was placed in the hair washing room and I was taken by the owner to her chair for my haircut….i also agreed to my first manicure and pedicure, complete with nail polish….now I am a metrosexual…haha…
The assistant cut andy’s hair and then the boss tweaked it a bit….
So at one time I had three people working on me: head and one on each hand….later I was moved to another chair for my feet where both assistants did my toes….
Great haircut and wonderful nails….price 175,000 rp ($18.)…plus 50,000 for each assistant….
Cocktails were taken on our rooftop balcony…..dinner followed at a table by the pool/beachside…..great final dinner with the 4 of us….there was a stiff breeze and we ate by candle lite….they provided flashlites to see the menu….an all Indonesian meal….
Andy and Karen had the nitely special, a slow cooked pork dish……I had a chicken and noodle dish and beth had delicious chicken and noodle soup (I had had it the day before for lunch)…we all had the baby coconut baked dessert, sort of a pudding….
So basically our time together was finished except for breakfast the next day….this is a friendship made through fodors that has now lead to almost two weeks together in a far off land…..we had so much fun….we talked fodors sometimes, but more than not we just made fun of andy and he made fun of the world….he has outrageous behavior which endears him to everyone, well almost everyone… we look forward to a time when we might do something similar in the future…
Btw, the speedos were there but barely visable---that is to say not that often…the cigars however were in view most days….
June 3, 2008
We were up about the regular time and coffee was delivered…we had the morning to pack up and get ready to move on as the car was not coming for us until noon….
Tandjung Sari in retrospect was a perfect choice for all of us….the property is old (1960’s) but is well maintained….our bungalow, the family bungalow, was as close to the beach as one can get…andy and beth really liked this for its real beach feel….between us and the beach was the pool, the dining room, the library and a huge sala for relaxing….everything was very convenient….we all would return here in a heartbeat….the food was decent, some of it even delicious…the breakfasts were excellent and the staff more than accommodating….i prefer a chair without arms, so everytime, after the first time, that I went to sit down to a meal the staff were there with a chair especially for me….not sure but maybe they were bringing a reinforced chair??
We were ready to go when the car arrived….i had arranged the car to take us to the airport first and then continue on to nusa dua to drop andy off at the westin… 300rp total…
Checkin at the airport was very easy as were all our dealings with air asia….our flight to Kuala Lumpur was about 3 hours…..we left early and we arrived about 30 minutes early….air asia flights arrive in Kuala Lumpur’s special “low cost airport”….this is a simple airport with no direct airplane access, rather you walk down a stairway and then along walkways which are covered from the sun….the airport is simple, but has all major services which one needs….bags come out quickly….if they can do things simply and efficiently why can’t the major airlines….we look forward to our next flights with them…the planes are mostly new airbuses….3X3 with all leather seats….all food, water, etc. are for sale…you are not allowed to bring food or drink onto the plane…the staff cleans the bathrooms during the flight…
They allow you to purchase express boarding for a couple dollars….this allows you to enter the plane before anyone else…you get to choose seats that you want…they also offer inexpensive trip insurance…..all of this is offered easily on the internet…
Upon arrival in K/L we took a taxi to the pan pacific airport hotel….it has been voted the best airport hotel….it is quite nice…..we went for a swim in their nice outdoor pool….for dinner, we chose the hotels’ Indian restaurant….we were the only people in the restaurant…there is an open kitchen so we watched our food being prepared .
We had nan, murgh chicken marsala, rice, a delicious mixed veggie dish in coconut milk with nuts (vegetable korma), our favorite pureed spinach with cheese dish, and kulfi ice cream for dessert….
Bed with full tummies and boring CNN election coverage…
Jun 7th, 2008 | 11:35 PM
#67
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,664
Likes: 0
June 4, 2008
We got up and lazed around our room for a while….i wrote some of this report and Karen packed some more as we had left a bag at this hotel while we went to bali….we had decided on a late breakfast and to skip lunch…
The breakfast buffet was good but not fabulous (55 R each)…
We took a hotel car to the low cost airport, about a 20 minute ride….the main K/L airport is reached directly through a golf cart ride….60 R…..
Quick check in with no line at all….150 R for overweight luggage….they are very strict about this….there is 15 minutes of free wi-fi per passenger at this terminal…
The flight took off exactly on time….its a 2 hour and 5 minute flight to Bangkok….we love the new airport in bkk and find it very easy to use….immigration was busy but moved along quite fast…..we did have to wait about 30 minutes for our luggage however…
Taxi from the airport was under 300 B and took 35 minutes to the Marriott resort and spa…
After checking in we jumped right into another taxi and headed to the jeweler at the nana hotel to see how our projects were coming and to add a couple more using some Lombok pearls that we had purchased, plus a couple of other things…
From there we headed to karen’s seamstress to check on a few things as well….
From there it was off to harmonique on soi 34, new road for dinner…..we had a mixed appetizer platter, chicken cashew, pomelo salad, beers, rice, fried morning glories and lemon chicken….as usual it was very delicious….we sat with a couple for florida, who also have been in bkk quite often…cost was in the mid-$30’s in contrast to prior years bills being low $20’s….
Taxi back to the hotel and crash…. We are only here for one nite and tomorrow we leave at noon for pattaya to visit our friends there….
June 5, 2008
Up late and more packing and consolidating as we plan to leave some parcels at the hotel for a couple of weeks while we go south….delicious leisurely buffet breakfast….
Showers and hang out for a bit as we need to go out front for the bank---found out they no longer have a currency exchange….
After that attempt we wait for jack, at monet il sarto, our tailor to arrive about 10:30++….i check on my shirt projects and Karen orders a pair of wool slacks…
Back into the hotel and check out and head to the airport where our pattaya friends were picking us up….we were meeting at starbucks on the level between arrivals and departures…..i did change my cash there on that level….btw, that starbucks does not have wi-fi which annoyed me….
Into the car and off to pattaya….about a one hour drive….
We are spending the next 4 nites at our friend gal and cherry’s villa at ‘view talay villas’ in jontien beach….cherry, as in “one of thailand’s very best guides”…. Our unit is just lovely…there are two full bedrooms and baths, plus a large livingroom and a large kitchen and dining area….in the garden there is a nice pool….the unit is completely walled off making it very private…
We plan to meet gal for dinner about 8…..cherry had to stay in bkk until tomorrow….
Gal picked us up about 8:30 and we headed over to pattaya city center…..he wanted to show us the new mall on 2nd street which is called The Avenue…..there are tons of restaurants there and lots of shops catering to both east and western tastes…. There is a villa supermarket there as well…
Karen picked an Italian place, called Pizza Pizza…I had a delicious pizza and they had pasta dishes….it looks like one step above a fast food place but actually was a nice restaurant with custom cooked dishes…1500B with 3 beers and one glass of wine, plus 3 desserts….
Back to the villa after dinner and bed….
June 6, 2008 Friday
A really good nite’s sleep…. We ate a lite breakfast of pastry that we had purchased at a convenience shop as we had driven into jontien…..
I did some internet on the office computer of the villa complex…..then we both read for a while… talked to our family at home and also to our daughter from her hospital room in boston where she had an operation yesterday…..
About 11:15 we had the complex tuk tuk take us to the main road by the beach where I hired a songran (sp---pick-up truck taxi with benches in the back) to drive us back to the Avenue…..we had a number of things we wanted to do…. First however was some lunch…we went to au bon pain, a boston institution, and each had a delicious sandwich….i had santa fe chicken and Karen had beef and peppers….both were outstanding….next was a hair cut for Karen….we went to a really nice shops which was bustling with activity….first a leisurely hair washing, then a very serious looking man with a pony tail started cutting her hair….he was passionate about doing it (doesn’t often see gray hair she thinks)….he cut and he tweaked, and he cut some more….he sprayed things on, and he cut some more and this went on and on….he was fantastic…he hardly ever spoke but paid strict attention to the look of the cut…finally they were finished and it was a bit of a “rock star” look with bits and bobs sticking up….she liked it and so do i…350 B plus generous tips….next we left a stick from my camera to be downloaded to a DVD including “righting” all pics turned….about 1200 pics---200 B….it took about 2 hours to do…I also toped up our phone with 600 B more….we went to villa supermarket and bought some breakfast items: bread and jam, plus some mangos….
We looked at all the shops….karen bought a bunch of hair pins and hair clips for the grandkids and one daughter….how can you spend $40 on this type of plastic stuff??
I bargained with a songran again to take us back to the villa—100B, he started at over 250 B….
Guess we will swim for a while in our pool and hang out until dinner time….
We called for the tuk tuk to take us to the main road to get a songran….i again bargained and agreed on 100 B to take us up the beach to the Pan Pan Italian Restaurant…on the way we were held up for an official convoy of some VIP…..lots of flashing lites and many many police cars and motorcycles…..
PP is a nice simple restaurant offering good food at a moderate price…we shared an order of bruschetta. K ordered the nitely special of grilled sea bass and I had angle hair with red sauce…..they have a fantastic dessert choice…..i had walnut torte and K had an apricott cake….wine, beer and water…..an excellent meal…
Hit the ATM across the street from the restaurant, using an account card from our investment company…..it worked fine…songran back to the hotel…
June 7, 2008 Saturday
Up at a decent hour for a lazy morning….we had purchased some dark breads and jam for our breakfast….quite nice to have a simple small breakfast…..believe it or not, one does get tired of eating so much all the time….along that line I must say that I am missing the 2-3 veggies that I have each dinner at home….
We sat around the rest of the AM, reading, K doing some of her personal laundry, internet in the main reception building and a swim in our pool….
Our friend Gal picked us up about 1…..we headed into town for some lunch….we ended up at Fuji at the Central Market Mall….the sushi was delicious…..
We returned to the hotel….i read for a while and then took a nap….
Gal came by about 6….we sat around for a while because Cherry was attending a meeting at a local hotel in connection with the arrival of several US Navy ships…. The company she works with some times has the concession for tours, etc. for all US Navy visits to Thailand….
We met up with Cherry at Pizza Pizza for dinner…. One advantage, or disadvantage, of being unique is that people remember me…. The manager came right over and welcomed us back….shut up Andy!!!
We had a delicious dinner: capriccio of beef and a baked cheese and spinach dish for starters for us….tomato and mozzarella salad and melon and proschutto (sp) for them…
Karen and I split two dishes: eggplant parm and lasagna and they had seafood pizza and spaghetti and meatballs….. all were very good…..for dessert we went across the mall to a shop called New Zealand Natural for ice cream…..
Cherry had to be on the ship by 8 AM so we said our good nites to her….Gal drove us back to the villa…
We watched TV for a while and Karen crashed while I stayed up to see the Hillary Clinton’s self-centered concession speech….YEA!!! one down one to go….oh, I forgot this is a travel forum….
June 8, 2008
Up a bit late today…..we had purchased pastry at au bon pain the nite before so we had that as breakfast, plus K at ½ mango we had purchased a few days ago….1/2 was rotten...
We got up and lazed around our room for a while….i wrote some of this report and Karen packed some more as we had left a bag at this hotel while we went to bali….we had decided on a late breakfast and to skip lunch…
The breakfast buffet was good but not fabulous (55 R each)…
We took a hotel car to the low cost airport, about a 20 minute ride….the main K/L airport is reached directly through a golf cart ride….60 R…..
Quick check in with no line at all….150 R for overweight luggage….they are very strict about this….there is 15 minutes of free wi-fi per passenger at this terminal…
The flight took off exactly on time….its a 2 hour and 5 minute flight to Bangkok….we love the new airport in bkk and find it very easy to use….immigration was busy but moved along quite fast…..we did have to wait about 30 minutes for our luggage however…
Taxi from the airport was under 300 B and took 35 minutes to the Marriott resort and spa…
After checking in we jumped right into another taxi and headed to the jeweler at the nana hotel to see how our projects were coming and to add a couple more using some Lombok pearls that we had purchased, plus a couple of other things…
From there we headed to karen’s seamstress to check on a few things as well….
From there it was off to harmonique on soi 34, new road for dinner…..we had a mixed appetizer platter, chicken cashew, pomelo salad, beers, rice, fried morning glories and lemon chicken….as usual it was very delicious….we sat with a couple for florida, who also have been in bkk quite often…cost was in the mid-$30’s in contrast to prior years bills being low $20’s….
Taxi back to the hotel and crash…. We are only here for one nite and tomorrow we leave at noon for pattaya to visit our friends there….
June 5, 2008
Up late and more packing and consolidating as we plan to leave some parcels at the hotel for a couple of weeks while we go south….delicious leisurely buffet breakfast….
Showers and hang out for a bit as we need to go out front for the bank---found out they no longer have a currency exchange….
After that attempt we wait for jack, at monet il sarto, our tailor to arrive about 10:30++….i check on my shirt projects and Karen orders a pair of wool slacks…
Back into the hotel and check out and head to the airport where our pattaya friends were picking us up….we were meeting at starbucks on the level between arrivals and departures…..i did change my cash there on that level….btw, that starbucks does not have wi-fi which annoyed me….
Into the car and off to pattaya….about a one hour drive….
We are spending the next 4 nites at our friend gal and cherry’s villa at ‘view talay villas’ in jontien beach….cherry, as in “one of thailand’s very best guides”…. Our unit is just lovely…there are two full bedrooms and baths, plus a large livingroom and a large kitchen and dining area….in the garden there is a nice pool….the unit is completely walled off making it very private…
We plan to meet gal for dinner about 8…..cherry had to stay in bkk until tomorrow….
Gal picked us up about 8:30 and we headed over to pattaya city center…..he wanted to show us the new mall on 2nd street which is called The Avenue…..there are tons of restaurants there and lots of shops catering to both east and western tastes…. There is a villa supermarket there as well…
Karen picked an Italian place, called Pizza Pizza…I had a delicious pizza and they had pasta dishes….it looks like one step above a fast food place but actually was a nice restaurant with custom cooked dishes…1500B with 3 beers and one glass of wine, plus 3 desserts….
Back to the villa after dinner and bed….
June 6, 2008 Friday
A really good nite’s sleep…. We ate a lite breakfast of pastry that we had purchased at a convenience shop as we had driven into jontien…..
I did some internet on the office computer of the villa complex…..then we both read for a while… talked to our family at home and also to our daughter from her hospital room in boston where she had an operation yesterday…..
About 11:15 we had the complex tuk tuk take us to the main road by the beach where I hired a songran (sp---pick-up truck taxi with benches in the back) to drive us back to the Avenue…..we had a number of things we wanted to do…. First however was some lunch…we went to au bon pain, a boston institution, and each had a delicious sandwich….i had santa fe chicken and Karen had beef and peppers….both were outstanding….next was a hair cut for Karen….we went to a really nice shops which was bustling with activity….first a leisurely hair washing, then a very serious looking man with a pony tail started cutting her hair….he was passionate about doing it (doesn’t often see gray hair she thinks)….he cut and he tweaked, and he cut some more….he sprayed things on, and he cut some more and this went on and on….he was fantastic…he hardly ever spoke but paid strict attention to the look of the cut…finally they were finished and it was a bit of a “rock star” look with bits and bobs sticking up….she liked it and so do i…350 B plus generous tips….next we left a stick from my camera to be downloaded to a DVD including “righting” all pics turned….about 1200 pics---200 B….it took about 2 hours to do…I also toped up our phone with 600 B more….we went to villa supermarket and bought some breakfast items: bread and jam, plus some mangos….
We looked at all the shops….karen bought a bunch of hair pins and hair clips for the grandkids and one daughter….how can you spend $40 on this type of plastic stuff??
I bargained with a songran again to take us back to the villa—100B, he started at over 250 B….
Guess we will swim for a while in our pool and hang out until dinner time….
We called for the tuk tuk to take us to the main road to get a songran….i again bargained and agreed on 100 B to take us up the beach to the Pan Pan Italian Restaurant…on the way we were held up for an official convoy of some VIP…..lots of flashing lites and many many police cars and motorcycles…..
PP is a nice simple restaurant offering good food at a moderate price…we shared an order of bruschetta. K ordered the nitely special of grilled sea bass and I had angle hair with red sauce…..they have a fantastic dessert choice…..i had walnut torte and K had an apricott cake….wine, beer and water…..an excellent meal…
Hit the ATM across the street from the restaurant, using an account card from our investment company…..it worked fine…songran back to the hotel…
June 7, 2008 Saturday
Up at a decent hour for a lazy morning….we had purchased some dark breads and jam for our breakfast….quite nice to have a simple small breakfast…..believe it or not, one does get tired of eating so much all the time….along that line I must say that I am missing the 2-3 veggies that I have each dinner at home….
We sat around the rest of the AM, reading, K doing some of her personal laundry, internet in the main reception building and a swim in our pool….
Our friend Gal picked us up about 1…..we headed into town for some lunch….we ended up at Fuji at the Central Market Mall….the sushi was delicious…..
We returned to the hotel….i read for a while and then took a nap….
Gal came by about 6….we sat around for a while because Cherry was attending a meeting at a local hotel in connection with the arrival of several US Navy ships…. The company she works with some times has the concession for tours, etc. for all US Navy visits to Thailand….
We met up with Cherry at Pizza Pizza for dinner…. One advantage, or disadvantage, of being unique is that people remember me…. The manager came right over and welcomed us back….shut up Andy!!!
We had a delicious dinner: capriccio of beef and a baked cheese and spinach dish for starters for us….tomato and mozzarella salad and melon and proschutto (sp) for them…
Karen and I split two dishes: eggplant parm and lasagna and they had seafood pizza and spaghetti and meatballs….. all were very good…..for dessert we went across the mall to a shop called New Zealand Natural for ice cream…..
Cherry had to be on the ship by 8 AM so we said our good nites to her….Gal drove us back to the villa…
We watched TV for a while and Karen crashed while I stayed up to see the Hillary Clinton’s self-centered concession speech….YEA!!! one down one to go….oh, I forgot this is a travel forum….
June 8, 2008
Up a bit late today…..we had purchased pastry at au bon pain the nite before so we had that as breakfast, plus K at ½ mango we had purchased a few days ago….1/2 was rotten...
Jun 8th, 2008 | 04:43 AM
#72
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,138
Likes: 0
Living vicariously through you (gasp) Bob!
My previous plans for next year fell apart, I e-mailed Alam Shanti and they were booked for the days I was considering in April!!! Because of them I was willing to give Bali another try.
Back to the drawing board.
My previous plans for next year fell apart, I e-mailed Alam Shanti and they were booked for the days I was considering in April!!! Because of them I was willing to give Bali another try.
Back to the drawing board.
Jun 8th, 2008 | 08:11 PM
#76
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
Femi, I bookmarked the website for those hotels: www.alamindahbali.com
Jun 8th, 2008 | 08:23 PM
#77
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
nikki, we were over 10 kilo on one flight and it was $50, still making the flight a real cheap one...
another time it was less at $27...i think it was 45,000 rp per kilo..
don't cut back on muffin's make-up or he will be in a snit....or his speedos either....
another time it was less at $27...i think it was 45,000 rp per kilo..
don't cut back on muffin's make-up or he will be in a snit....or his speedos either....
