Day 11, Oct. 20

We awoke to fresh smells after a summer-like rain.  We all enjoyed another relaxing breakfast.  Mr Julian, our booking agent, visited and asked us how things were going.  We made plans with him for the airport transportation the next morning; everyone except Kimiko and I had to leave at 6:15 am to catch a 9:15 am flight.  Kimiko and I had a later flight at 1pm.

We all were so impressed with the staff; they were not thought of as servants or staff anymore, but service professionals.  We wanted to give the staff a nice tip, and avoid as many middle men handling the tip as possible, so we took up a collection of $20 USD each of the seven, and we presented it to Mr. Oka to distribute since he was the most senior staff member.  Mr Oka in turn split the tip evenly among the active staff members – they were very grateful.  Mr Oka commented it seemed like we were all family – this warmed our hearts to know he felt this way.

Today’s agenda was a trip to the fancy spa.  The Maya Spa and resort was touted as one of the most exclusive and exotic places to visit in Bali.  Upon arriving, we were directed on a 5 minute walk across the property to a small jungle-like river canyon where we took a elevator down to the spa area.  It was quiet, except for the sound of the waterfalls of the river.  People were laying out in the sun, or bathing in the swimming pool.  We enjoyed some drinks while we awaited our treatment; I especially enjoyed a cold tomato soup gazpacho.  The tab for the 6 of us – non-alcoholic drinks, a salad and soup came to $35 USD.  We had stumbled upon US-like prices in Bali.

Cottages hug the jungle cliffs above a river at the Maya Spa outside Ubud, Bali

After our refreshments, we were called up each in couples to our own immaculate private cliff-hanging bungalow, with river water and falls below.  Kimiko and I ordered a 60 minute deep tissue massage with 60 minute facials.  I figured I’d find out what all this fuss about facials was about, cucumbers over the eyes and mud in your face.   I skipped the flower petal bath as it didn’t seem worth the money.  Each 60 minute session came to $50 per person, still below typical prices in US and Japan.

I did enjoy the experience, but the first ‘housecall’ massage after the bone-jarring boat ride from Gili Trawangan was the most satisfying for me, probably because I needed it and the price of $20 for 60 minutes made me feel even better.

Tranquil massage cottage at Maya Spa.  Sounds of river waterfalls below.

Kaori had skipped the spa and instead went basket shopping where she found some goods to take back to Singapore.

We spent a few more hours shopping in downtown Ubud with Kaori, Tanya, and Alan.  With some comparison shopping, Kimiko convinced me to get the abstract painting.  I was able to get some price reduction, a cash-price on a credit card, and get it packed up nicely for airline baggage.  They delivered the painting to the villa a bit later.

Tanya and Alan had left behind some items costing about $1 at a store; they let Made know and she had a driver bring them from over 30 minutes away.  I haven’t witnessed something like this since I was in Japan.  They clearly value their visitors, and want them to come back.

We learned some more about life in Bali from the driver, Wyan and one of the staff, Made.  Most of the people work several jobs, and some of these jobs have loose or flexible times. Most shops were open early on Saturday and Sunday, but frequently the owner would be out running errands or taking care of other business.  Neighbors would watch their businesses.  Wyan admitted much of the Balinese work, while it’s long hours, is not so hard.  Never have I seen such a sense of low stress in the population, yet they have a healthy balance of skilled industriousness with built-in leisure all with a strong sense of pride.  It reflects strongly in their personalities and the way they project to visitors – content, and always willing to help the visitors with a genuine smile. 

Our only dinner out in Bali was at a restaurant called “Mosaic”; our driver informed us that it seemed everyone at Villa Kirana dined there at least once.  We had to guarantee our reservation with a credit card, something that annoyed me.  However, all turned out well.  The atmosphere was unbeatable with candlelight walkways and tropical themes.  The staff was pretty good at knowing what glasses to use for wines, and when to take our plates, and what to recommend on the menu.  We chose between a 6 course menu or a larger portioned 3 course menu.  Food quality was excellent and innovative especially for Indonesia.    It was like a good San Francisco restaurant that you’d go back to again

                     Dinner at Mosaics on our last night.

A Carmel Valley Galante Pinot Noir was our last bottle from our stash.