Today, we decided to attempt one last walk before going home. Destination? Goa Gajah.
Our guide book says this is a long 10km circuit. But, after our ‘extended’ Campuan Ridge walk, we feel we ought to give this a try, at least.
On the way, we met a very nice American who seemed very concerned that we were walking to Goa Gajah.
“You’re Singaporeans, right? It’s your accent! I can tell because my wife is Singaporean.”
The tall, gangly man said the walk was not very pleasant and was dangerous. Unpleasant we could understand, as it was rather dusty walking by the road, but how could it be dangerous (unless the locals know something we don’t)? Anyway, he pointed us in the right direction and promised to pick us up if he saw us again later (he was waiting for his staff to pick him up after getting supplies).
True to his word, he appeared about fifteen minutes later and offered us a ride to Goa Gajah in his pickup. He even gave up his seat next to his driver to us so that we did not bake in the sun at the back (where he sat)! We chatted with the driver (his employee) and learned that the American had settled in Bali 8-9 years ago, was in the construction business and was a good boss.
When we alighted at Goa Gajah, the American was still vaguely worried (don’t know why) and we assured him repeatedly that we would be fine. Our compatriot is so lucky to marry such a nice man! Too bad we didn’t get to meet her.
There wasn’t much to see at Goa Gajah although the surroundings was quite pleasant.
Met a Malaysian couple with two daughters whom we’d seen at the next table in Café Lotus yesterday. The father said he brought his family here so that he could expose his kids to Asian values and let them learn about their roots as they’d been staying in America all these years.
We took a bemo back to Ubud and observed that both the locals and tourists (us) paid the same price. A poor, old woman boarded midway and when we reached Ubud, the driver actually gave her half the fare back. What a heartwarming gesture! ^_^
We lunched early at Gayatri Café, a popular and cheap restaurant with a varied menu. Since lunch wasn’t very substantial, we decided to have tea at Café Wayan, supposedly famous for scrumptious, fairly-priced Western breads and cakes. Was quite disappointed as we found it way too expensive for mediocre cakes and lousy service.
Debated whether we should have dinner at GreenHouse in Pertiwi Hotel or Lamak and finally settled on GreenHouse as it was just across the street from where we stayed. I had the highly recommended five-spiced duck breast while J ordered the squid-ink pasta. The pasta was a bit too hard (al dente it was not) and the squid slices were not too fresh. My duck dish was quite good though and J also enjoyed the tasting portion I slided on to her plate. Nonetheless, we enjoyed our leisurely dinner until it was time to settle the bill.
When the bill came, we were charged for items we did not order although the restaurant was quite empty (only 2-3 tables were occupied throughout our dinner). After the mistake was corrected and payment made, the staff did not return our change although we sat at our table for quite a while. No doubt it was a small sum but they should still give it back to us since service charge was already included and they should not just pocket the change as extra tips without our consent!
We would go back to Tropical Bale (even though it’s more expensive than GreenHouse) anytime when we compared the attitude of the staff at both restaurants. Maybe we should have gone to Lamak instead, which several guide books have recommended for outstanding, creative food.
Next: One more makan session
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