One day of luxury in Indonesia just isn't enough. We have one more day of R+R, so we started our day early. We polished off our fruits, including oranges, rambutan, and snakeskin fruit (by far the most stylish packaged-fruit ever). Then it was off for a walk-through of the Ayana Spa, the most ridiculous spa I've ever seen in my life. We just couldn't go through with a $100 massage after spending $5 for 60 minutes in the villages. So onward to mini-golf. The Ayana has a real grass 18-hole putting course, and it's by far the largest I've seen. The longest hole was 65 yards. Yes, 65 yards. The course had bends, turns, bunkers, and Par 5 holes. Insane, quite challenging, and good fun. I even saw my wife cracking a smile on the golf course. OK, maybe because I found the bunker. But she had fun nonetheless...
Mid-day wasn't terribly adventurous. Just relaxing. We hit the beach, as well as two more of the hotel's 6 pools. Lots of fun with the camera. Right about lunch time, the urge hit us both. WE'RE DYING for a real home-cooked cheeseburger. It's a miracle I made it this far along the trip without hunting down pizza and burgers... So we ordered from the pool deck, as well as a tasty tropical drink served in a carved out watermelon. I've had pineapple drinks. Coconut drinks. But a watermelon size serving? I likee. Needless to say, the burger/fries hit the spot.
After some problems with the hotel management (they didn't hold up to their end of the bargain with some promises), we were offered the choice to change rooms. The offer: Please stay in our villa for 50% off. Details: 5000 sq. ft. villa. Cabana in back with private infinity pool at cliff's edge and ocean view. Bath tub filled with plumeria and orchids. Marble everything. Personal butler. Private beach club. Breakfast Included. Done. Done. And done. Nicest hotel I'll ever see in my life. By a mile. If you ever come to Bali, stay at the Ayana. For a reasonable price, they made us feel like royalty.
Dinner was recommended by some friends, and a wonderful idea it was. Jimbaran Beach is the local area of town, filled with dozens of seafood stands right on the beach. We allowed the taxi to take us to the "best" one, meaning he probably got a commission and they overcharged us by 20%. Regardless, the experience was exactly as promised. Bali dancer girl giving us flowers upon arrival. Table in the sand just yards from the ocean's edge. Not a single person obstructing our view of the setting sun. Dining is a unique experience as well. We walked back to the restaurant, picking out the exact red snapper and prawns they bbq'd for us. Delish.
So we're at Jimbaran beach. Glorious sunset just finished its show. Final bites of fish and prawns just went down. A 5 piece band walks to our table, asking where we're from. "U.S.A.," we respond. They all nod approvingly. Two seconds later, they've moved into the opening bars of Sweet Home Alabama. Played the whole song. Don't think I've ever heard a better version of it in my life. Gotta love some Balinese Skynyrd...
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