Narko was waiting and we started out on our voyage. Stopped about a half hour out at a bastik and weaving place. We were greeted with money hungry indonesians. The bastik is painted fabric. And they had two weaving machines fully operating. We looked around the shop and left. Mom bought 6$ flip flops.
Next stop was a handmade silver company. Silver is imported and they melt it with copper to make stronger and then design it. Prices here were way too expensive, especially for 92.5% sterling silver. We asked to see more and narko brought us to a similar shop down some back road. Again greeted with money hungry indonesians, but prices were much cheaper. 30$ for a really nice handmade ring and 40$ for two pairs of dangly earrings. Next stop was a hand wood carving joint. The stuff here was super cool. Ended up spending 60$ but got a couple hand carved signs, a gift for bryson and a couple other surprises. after wood carving joint was a professional painting gallery. I fell in love with one artist who paints in blues purples whites and blacks. There was a huge 5x6 ft painting dude started the bidding at 350us$. No way. Poor college kid, and I'm not sure if there is a wall big enough in my new house to hold it. Same painter had done a 3ftx6 ft painting which would fit perfect above a couch or bed. Again, bidding started at 350us$, but me being a poor college kid ended up talking him down to 105us$ for a new original abstract awesome painting. Don't ask the painter. I have no idea. But its a really nice piece. Hopefully I can carry it on the plane lol.
Now that we've spent way too much $$ We stopped at a 900 year old temple. Pretty sweet that its still standing. In order to enter we had to wrap a surong around us to cover our knees. After about 20 minutes here we headed to the volcano before the fog sets in. But first ATM and gas. The ATM was out of cash (second time its happened to me this trip. Once in chaing mai as I was trying to pay the driver for our professional photos from ziplining). Found a second one. And as narko was filling up, I walked down the street and found a lightshade place. Bought a blue and metal light shade for 7us$. Then we were off to the volcano.
Have I mentioned about how indonesian drivers drive? Its a race track with the gaps filled in with motor bikes. No speed limit, always a horn letting people know where they are. Its common practice to just ride along the center of a lane. All while driving stick shift which is super jerky.
Paid the 25000 rupiah to see the volcano. Got hassled into a side kiosk. Bargaining is everything. Lori sucks at bargaining. I originally picked out 2 sundresses and a wrap and lori had picked out 2 shirts. The lady told her 2 for 150,000 (15us$) and mom was just like okay. I told the ladys 100,000 (10$) for everything. They laughed. Then we ended up getting moms 2 shirts for 100,000 and I left the other dresses while we ate outside at a buffet with a clear line of site to the volcano. There were still black lava fields visible from the last eruption 150 years ago. People predict it blows every 200 years. Well see how that goes. The buffet was nice. Rice noodles freshfruit. Meats in sauces. Vegetable soup. All for 10us$. Ordered fruit juices and returned 4 times through the buffet line (gotta make it count right). Then Narko found us and took pictures with the volcano in the background. We used the dumpy balinese bathroom (no flushing toilet paper here) and snuck out a back way to the van.
Next stop--rice patty fields built in the side of a mountain. Sure enough as narko was pulling out the lady with the dresses and wrap found us and continued to hassle us as we pulled out. Too bad she didn't take the offer while it was on the table. 10,000 rupiah to stop and take pictures of the rice patty fields. Some people were working in some down the way. The ones in the mountain had just been picked but they were still quite impressive. Along back to the car we stopped at some shops. Found mosaic coasters but that seller didn't have the color I wanted. Set of six coasters for 5$. Meh I could do better. Everyone wanted us to stop in their shops. Didn't buy anything here. We were headed into ubod to stop at a wooden necklace store. She also had my coasters which would go perfect with the new painting I got. But she wanted 50 cents a piece. I found some cool coconut necklaces which I bought a half dozen (1.50$ a piece) of plus the set of 6 mosaic coasters for 10$. Mom picked out 5 huge necklaces and I talked her from 13.0$ to 10$. Not as impressive negotiation as the painting. But she did not want to budge. She sold them to us that cheap for luck.
We then told narko we had seen (and spent enough). It was 530pm already and we had an hour and half to get back to kuta. Again racecar driver Narko drove through shoulders weaved in and out of traffic and was always the first off the line at stoplights. Got back to kuta about 730. Gave narko 80 us$ for the day. Which includes gas and everything.
Dropped our stuff off in our room and set out for balineese massages with our 100,000 rupiah (10$) first place wouldn't negotiate. Second place was willing to do an hour balineese massage and a manicure for mom for 100,000 (published at 125,000) but there was a half hour wait. Continued a little further and found a place that was ready now and would do it for the cash we had. The massage was awesome. I liked it better than the thai massage. She worked the knots out of my shoulders and removed the stress from my back. Definitely worth the 5$.
We then went to the hotel restaurant we ate at yesterday for the free wifi and had beverages and appetizers. We ordered calamari first and as my email pulled up realized I needed to run and grab my ipod to sign a few more documents for ricardo/my house. Put in an order for chicken satay. Its like kabobs but just meat no veggies. As the waiter kept refilling my glass I reminded him he would have to carry me home (haha). He was all about it. I ran and grabbed my ipod and returned before the appetizers were up. Signed the documents and resent them and finished off our beverages before turning in for the night. Of course we had to pack our bags and determine how to get everything to fit. The pictures from bangkok fit in a bag we got in chaingmai along with my pink puma bag (megan/steph I did bring that bag with me again despite all my complaints! Ha). Packed the lampshad amongst clothes in my duffle and zipped it all up as we passed out for 4 hours before our wake up call.
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