The mornings start the same, I am up at 4.30am and wait for hubby to wake up (…no I don’t, I nudge him awake as I can’t be left to my own devices). We leave before sunrise to head to the beach for our daily exercise.

Morning Activities

More Morning Activities

It’s amazing in the morning, we see a lot of Balinese people going about their daily routines (I think, it’s a little glimpse into their daily lives). Everyone is always smiling and saying good morning, I love this time of day.

On the way to the beach – I almost fall into a hole in the pavement.

Watch Your Step

That’s a thing to watch out for in Bali as the pavements can be disasters laying in wait. I survive the traumatic experience ?, must be all that squash I have been playing. I must have developed the reflexes of a cat (do I now have nine lives too? I won’t test that out).

The beach is quiet with people setting up, but there are early risers like ourselves – walking, taking photos of the sunrise, walking or running. We decide to watch the sunrise for the millionth time (we never have time back home to appreciate the simple things as this – always rushing, running late for work or sleeping in during the weekend). I am used to saying ‘good morning’ to everyone we pass, as it’s a thing back home – some people do respond some look at me suspiciously and don’t (that’s alright – I am just happy to be here ?). The walk is the same, before we head back home, we stop at a local ‘warung’ (family restaurant), and ask for coconut water (morning hydration and to get those electrolytes in ?). We take a seat looking out at the beach *bliss*. We watch a man sweep the sand – piling the seaweed into little mounds in front of his stall. The coconut takes FOREVER, I am thinking at this point they must have gone to climb a coconut tree and get them. I look out in the distance and we see the owner of the store walking from another ‘warung’ with the coconuts. We find this funny, as someone else has gone on the hunt for coconut water. His wife brings them out on plates with spoons to scoop out the flesh. We finish up and decide to head back – exercise done for the day, and topped up on electrolytes.

We meet a lovely Australian couple and we have a little chat with them – we discuss how lovely the mornings are (I find most tourists, including myself – are always interested in chatting, which is awesome because I LOVE to chat!). We head back, and have breakfast at the homestay.

Simple breakfast but enough to fuel us for the morning, at IDR25,000 each, who can complain. I decide it’s time to head out to a Supermarket (Pande Putri), need to get the supermarket itch scratched whilst in Sanur (Hardy’s didn’t do it for me). I check it out on goggle maps – it’s a 42 minute walk (that turned into a hour and 22 minutes). I have already completed exercise for the day – but husband insists we walk so as to experience Bali – he says. I resist, I don’t want to be out in the sun and sweaty – I want to ride in air conditioned car (and keep my face on. It takes me forever to lather my face with makeup, I can’t waste it on sweat). We engage in a debate, husband still insists (he makes a good point that he is coming along to a supermarket run for me) and eventually I relent begrudgingly. After lathering myself up with sunscreen (I am doing a lot of lathering at this point), wearing comfortable shoes, we head back  to the beach to use the walk way instead of walking along the express way (safer option – I didn’t come to Bali to get hit by a car, because I was desperate to get to a supermarket…).

Along the way we pass many store owners who insist we ‘take a look at their shops’.

Stalls along the way

A polite ‘no thank you’ does the trick. It is super hot (like every other day).

Oh-oh thirty minutes into the walk, I am in need of a restroom. I say a little prayer, begging the universe to provide a bathroom I make the promise to be nicer to my husband hahaha). Husband spots a public bathroom – it is literally music to my ears!! We stop by the bathroom –  there is a sign by the door IDR5,000.

Bathroom break

At this point I would have sold my husband to use the bathroom, I am not going to be picky. My desperation overrode my disappointment (the only positive thing is the water worked) – again I am not a happy customer, but desperation wins.

We continue on – it’s so hot; I am starting to really sweat… now I am really not happy with my husband, but I REALLY want to get to this supermarket (ah life is hard). I regularly keep checking google maps for directions, husband thinks I am being dramatic. The walkway is endless and at last google says ‘turn left’ *almost leapt for joy*. We walk for about 5 minutes and get to a busy road. Things start to get dicey when we have to cross the road to get to the expressway. We develop a tactic – I check the right, husband checks the left; once both are clear we run for our dear lives. The ordeal was yet to be over, more was to come. Things get even more interesting – we have to cross the expressway to get to the elusive destination. The traffic is crazy busy – there is a zebra crossing with lights, but we know from experience nobody follows the rules.

Green man says go, but some traffic doesn’t stop

I’m beginning to sweat a little more as I am frightened that I may not get to the supermarket!! At this point my husband has to hold my hand (he says he was being supportive but really he suspected I was going to turn back and hail a taxi just to get me across the expressway hahaha). We check for oncoming traffic – when it’s clear we run across and stop at the island in the middle. We wait and wait, not sure whether to run across as the traffic is a continuous stream.  We were so busy checking out the stream of cars that we missed the little green man until a kind soul on his motorbike signalled us to cross – if it wasn’t for him I am not sure if I  would have been confident. I wanted to fall on my knees and say a prayer to the universe for saving my life – but the supermarket is beckoning.

We keep walking, no supermarket in sight – google says 5 mins away. As we are walking I notice there are no taxis around – but I brush the thought aside (I should have known). Finally we see the sign *hallelujah* ?, air conditioning!

Entrance

By now I am a real sweaty mess, and the makeup ?… We get to the entrance, we are asked to leave our backpacks in the lockers – and we get a key.

Security check point

I am basically running into the building and alas there is no air conditioning! I am disappointed, but the disappointment doesn’t last long, too many things to see – I have the attention span of a gold fish.

FRUIT!

We walk from isle to isle – everything is interesting (especially the fruit isle). The isles are a little tight, so we had to squeeze ourselves into each isle (some I had to give up).

Can’t fit?

We pick up a few supplies. Then in the distance I notice the cosmetics section – I run to it and it’s air conditioned! Husband feigns interest in the products! I find bargains – makeup brushes, eyeliners – all for IDR20,000 or less.

Heaven

I spend a large amount of time looking around and trying to cool down too. Finally we are done and purchase our things and head on out. Now I am thinking finally we can get a taxi back. We walk along the road, waiting for that familiar *beep beep*; but nothing. Then I spot a bluebird taxi parked, I charge towards it, but there is no driver insight – he is taking a break. I almost want to weep at this point, I am tired. We keep walking as we are approaching the dangerous expressway – and a tiny bit of me dies. Again we play, ‘how did the chicken cross the road’. My husband leads I just follow, and we make it across ?.

Husband then innocently (right…) suggests we walk back to the beach walkway and grab coconut water to ‘cool us down’. Well I can never resist coconut water.

Bribed – and I didn’t see it coming

Unbeknown to me this was his plan to walk back to the homestay – so I agree thinking the plan is get the drink and then walk back to catch a taxi. So we get to the beach walkway and we walk for a few minutes and settle down to grab my favourite drink.

Husband waits for me to settle in and relax – and then he dropped the bomb! And that is, we walk back instead of catching a taxi! I am trying to keep my cool, but he then drops the H-bomb (health). I am currently working on getting healthier and he appealed to health conscious self, that is buried deep. It must have been the coconut water, that got to my head – I relent. So off we head back – this time no one bothered us to buy anything from their shops. The walk back was arduous and I was not a happy camper, but too late now. By the time we got back home, we were both tired, I was a real sweaty heap and my feet were in protest. Decided to take a dip in the pool, to cool down, and reward myself.

Had to take a break

By now we are both hungry, so we decide to check out a local restaurant, which is a few minutes from us.

Delicious

The meal was really good and inexpensive for the both of us (IDR129,865). Headed back to the room – decided to rest my aching feet and watch YouTube, *we are really loving Sanur*

Later in the evening, we decide to head to the Sindhu night market for dinner (my feet still ache, but the excitement of the market outweighs the pain). This time I insist we use a taxi, as I may not be a very good, kind, travel buddy if I have to walk again. We jump into a taxi and in 10 mins we are at the market. The market is small, but very busy – about 50% tourists, 50% local people.

Night Market

Night market

It doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to walk around the whole market. Now the real issues arises – where to eat. We use the process of elimination to decide where to eat (if there are no people at the stall – it’s a No). We spot a stall, being run by a man and there is a long line.

Warung

We decide to join the line – his speciality; nasi campur, buffet style (you point and he puts it on your plate).

All you have to do is point

Food looks goods – I make my choices, and he literally takes your plate and puts it on the table (you don’t pick where you want to seat – service with style).

Spicy, but good

It’s spicy but really delicious packed with tonnes of flavour (cost IDR111,785 for 2). My travel companion hahaha struggles to eat his food, as it’s a tad too spicy for him. We are seated next to a couple from Germany, we have a chat about Bali, and how many trips we have taken, and how we are finding Sanur. Most people we have met in Sanur are friendly.

The place is buzzing with music, lights, smells of various dishes, people chatting, children crying in the distance – it’s ALIVE! After dinner we decide to have desert (nothing exciting), but plain fruit. There is a bustling fruit stall selling juices and smoothies, we order (IDR20,000) and take a seat.

Fruit stall

To our surprise its a heaped plate of fruit – delicious!

Fruit Mountain

As we are seated (people watching) we spot rats, casually strolling from stall to stall, not afraid of people – that’s it for me I am done! I had wanted to watch some food being prepared, but the rats were the straw that broke the camel’s back. We finish up and walk to the main road to catch a taxi. A driver from across the road, yells at us “taxi!?!” – husband yells back ‘meter?’, he laughs and signals ‘yes’ – so we hop in. We find a lot of taxi drivers are chatty and friendly. He asks us if were are from America, we play the where-are-you-from game ?, we play this game at least twice a day or more.

By now we have learnt our lesson of carrying small notes, and insisting for the meter to be turned on. We return home, by this time we are both exhausted (as if we have walked the Sahara desert from one end to the other – not that I would know that kind of life, but it feels so), and head straight to bed.

We have really loved Sanur, the vibe is definitely different – it’s laid back, there are a lot more families and mature clientele. We will definitely be back, as this sleepy, but bustling town is absolutely beautiful. We didn’t get to see too much as the plan for this holiday is pure relaxation (we did a lot of tours on the first two visits), thus a return trip is warranted.

The next chapter of our adventure begins as we head to Amed – never been, not my idea (husband). I resisted for the longest time, but marriage is about compromise ?. It’s only for few days, so we will see how it pans out… I hope I survive (Lord give me strength)!