Day 15 Moving down to Kuta

Day 15 Moving to Kuta

Woke at 6:30 and read my e- book until it was time to get up. We packed our cases before breakfast. We went down for breakfast. Since yesterday afternoon they are using different water causing the cups of tea to taste awful. As if they had added chlorine. Same breakfast, with a few new families- more kids around. Val was much better this morning and able to join us for breakfast, although she ate sparingly.

Chris went to the office and organised that we would get a “free” lunch in place of the mistaken dinner of last night. The office staff believed we were staying another night- but we had made our next booking based on the night staff telling us there would be no rooms! Atypical of the lack of internal communication.

While Sandra, Chris and Val went for a pedicure/ manicure, Pauline and I minded the bags before having lunch with the others.We got some staff to take the big bags up to reception. We had carted them down the stairs. The two shuttle cars came on time (2pm) and we loaded bag after bag into the two vehicles and set off for our next hotel. Our driver was from Java and had minimal English, but drove well. He was exceptionally kind to let other vehicles enter into the traffic. There were many small back streets and very narrow roads.

Our last “road’ was very narrow, almost a laneway. But they pulled up in front of the “Manggar Hotel, Kuta. 

The staff greeted us with a complimentary drink. Because Jetstar was paying and I had used my computer to make the booking, I used my credit card to pay. We need every receipt for our refund. Val and Sandra/ Pauline were on the ground floor, but we were on the second floor- steps up. So we opted to leave our heavy bags down stairs and just take up what we would need for the night/ flight. The rooms were smaller than the last hotel and the grounds are MUCH smaller, as is the pool. But everything is clean and the jug was soon on to make a cuppa. Noisy and rude kids here as well. Holiday time for some and the feast of Ramadam. Val had a drink and then went to have a rest. Sandra went for a dip in the pool.

It was very muggy. I got out my computer and wrote a review for our last hotel, then my diary.

We walked down a long dark narrow alley to the main road, for dinner,passing by some small laundries, and shops. The traffic was at a standstill or crawling along. Lots of big tour buses caught up in the traffic. We managed to cross the road twice and walked along till we found a lovely restaurant “Kafe Batan Waru”. While the inside had lovely décor, it was hot so we quickly opted to sit outside where there was a occasional breeze. We all had great meals. After dinner we took the escalators down stairs to the mall to go to the toilets. The escalators are automatic- slow while no one is on them, but speeding up as soon as they are used.

Home again via the big Catholic St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral over the road. Very plain interior but peaceful and open! Coming back down the lane we were glad to be in a group. It was very dark. Back to the hotel where our peace was quickly destroyed by three young boys running around the pool and then kicking a ball over the pool. I got cross when the ball started coming towards us and my computer. They just laughed, but eventually settled down. PS: Not at it again. Parents nowhere in sight. But they are keeping clear of me because I yelled at them. 

Looking forward to a good night’s sleep. These beds look comfy?