Travel, Theatre, Music, Cricket, Tennis, Writing, Life
If I thought that a long holiday would bring a rush of creativity to my comedy lyric writing career at NewsRevue, clearly I was mistaken. Best part of four weeks and this is all he wrote, folks:
Lazy day by pool. Early swim – trip into Galleria for supplies etc. followed by more swimming and lunging by the pool. Saved our appetites for evening meal of Betutu Bebek (duck cooked in banana leaves stuffed with goodies) at Rai Restaurant – ordered Babi Guleng there for Friday. Also watched dancing there before departing.
Betutu Bebek is also known as Bebek Betutu – the latter rendering of the dishes name seems to be more common, at least now (2018).
Not an especially memorable day but this was an exceptionally memorable meal. We had been recommended this restaurant to try traditional Balinese dishes, which we had to order in advance.
Janie and I both look a little red in the face in the pictures from this particular evening. Perhaps the old-fashioned flash photography or more likely a touch too much sun that day.
So pleased were we with the Bebek Betutu that we ordered a Babi Guleng for Friday, despite protests from the staff that the latter (suckling pig) is a dish for many, not just two.
We tend to avoid places with “traditional” music and dancing these days, but were more tolerant (or perhaps less discerning) back then:
7th Dec – Day tour to Kintemani & Besakih – just we two. Fortunately Janie feels better today! Stopped off to see Barong & Kris dances on the way – also stopped Celuk village (Gold & Silver)…
Janie, feeling better, took an enormous number of photographs on this day. I took a good few myself. So this day’s write up will be mostly illustrated. We clearly looked at some other crafts at that juncture, not just silverware – e.g. the napkin holders (top photo) and wood carvings:
I do remember us both really enjoying this day and realising that we really liked to tour independently – i.e. with our own private guide when going to places where we needed a guide – or even without a guide if we didn’t really need one.
…then on to Kintemani (Mountain & view of Lake Basur) – lunch there…
…then on to Besakih temples…
Finally stopped in Sanur Market for some shopping and then home.
Janie had used up all of her film by the time we went shopping at the end of the day, so there are no photos from that market. But we did take pictures of us with our lovely sweet guide, Ayu, before leaving the temple compex:
All the photos we took on that day – by which I mean all 82 photos – can be seen in raw form in the Flickr album below:
Went to Galeria for late breakfast & supplies – hired a car & driver for the day to go to Ubud. Went to Monkey Sanctuary & small market…
…then on to main market. Janie was quite ill…
Janie recalls feeling so poorly in Ubud – probably a mixture of mild lurgy and the heat – she needed to lie down fro a while, aided by some kindly locals in the market.
…Went on to the Amandari Hotel for a snack and rest and then headed back to [our] hotel…
…had a lite bite in coffee shop as Janie was poorly – pretty awful grub- early night.
Doesn’t sound as though I enjoyed that meal much.
All the photos we took on the first three days in Bali – by which I mean all 18 photos – including the Ubud ones, can be seen in raw form in the Flickr album below:
4th Dec – Easy day at Melia Bali Sol acclimatizing ourselves and orienting. Went to Galeria (posh local shop bit) for late breakfast & supplies. Sat out by pool (mainly in the shade) and swam. Lite lunch by pool and dinner in hotel’s seafood restaurant in evening (mixed seafood & seafood stew).
It seems the Melia Bali Sol is now simply known as the Melia Bali – still highly regarded though.
5th Dec – slept in – easy day by pool again. Avoided hottest part of day at Galeria and shopping centres (seaweed for Janie’s legs?) by looking into day trips for the next few days, Swam etc. Finally received some bumf from Kuoni & tried one of their recommended restaurants (Bonaventura) in evening – lobster crab.
3rd Dec – Rose packed & worked out in gyn – had final breakfast at Kens followed by farewell to Debbie [Deborah Biber] & then off to airport for Bali Flight. Check in seemed endless. Arrived Bali late after severe turbulence Jakarta-Bali, It’s hot!
Not much to add about this day. There is one photo of monkeys from Janie’s roll which is manifestly between pictures of the Hong Kong Peak and of Bali which I cannot quite place. Actually this was a few days later in Bali, but anyway I thought best displayed as eye candy on the day we went from one place to t’other:
2 Dec Hong Kong – Went to Eastern District & wandered round Hollywood Road and surrounding medicine and food shops & markets. Took MTR to Western District & met Debbie [Deborah Biber] for dim sum lunch. Went across to recommended shoe district and then up to Peak Tram again where we could see this time…
…tea up there…
…then returned to rest/jacuzzi then out to Sichuan Lau restaurant for dinner.
“Sze Chuen Lau” is still a highly regarded restaurant 25 years on, it seems – I suspect we were well advised, not least by Debbie (Deborah) Biber.
All the photos we took in Hong Kong during our four night stay – by which I mean all 34 photos – can be seen in raw form in the Flickr album below:
1 Dec Hong Kong – Ros elate, had breakfast at Kens & said goodbye to Phillipa. Went round Central District (main roads and alleyways) and into Mandarin Oriental. Then took ferry to Kowloon to collect D&P and wander around some more.
Rested/jacuzzi a while & met Janie’s friend Debbie Biber for drinks/light supper – had an early night.
We spent a fair bit of time with Debbie (Deborah) Biber towards the end of our time in Hong Kong; she was very pleasant company and it was very helpful for us to receive some local knowledge.
All the photos we took in Hong Kong during our four night stay – by which I mean all 34 photos – can be seen in raw form in the Flickr album below:
While in China, I did a great deal of thinking about the planned book which became Clean Business Cuisine. Here are the notes I made while on that trip. I shall not try to translate them.
30th Nov Hong Kong – Half day orientation tour early (after Breakfast at Kens) – up (Peak tram to) Victoria Peak in the rain – saw nothing…
…then on to Stanley Market followed by Aberdeen Fishing Village including a Sanpan ride…
On return went across to Kowloon to drop off D&P and then went home to rest in jacuzzi. In evening walked round temple market and back along Nathan Road – got home quite late.
Perhaps I need to explain what D&P was, for any younger readers. Back in the day, photography was done on film – much of it on negative film. In order to see the photographs, you would take (or send) your completed rolls of film for developing and printing (D&P). Some people (like me in the late 1970s) even did their own at home – although I never got past doing that in black and white. My dad made his living by having a photographic shop, much of which was about selling D&P equipment and/or being an agent for D&P services.
I remember loving the large rooftop jacuzzi at the New World Harbour View. The hotel seemed very modern and luxurious compared with anything we’d encountered in China. Currently (2018) I think that hotel is the Renaissance Harbour View. Still highly regarded.
