On day 3 of our vacation we woke up a little early to hit the beach. Latanya's foot and ankle were still swollen but we were optimistic about her recovery. But because it was still swollen she was unable to hit the waves. We first picked a great spot to sit down and I walked up towards the road where the sand ends under the trees. I was immediately asked if I wanted to rent a board from a local. I responded with I never surfed before and he offered a lesson. We agreed on a price about ten dollars and then he gave me a rash guard to put on. We did some stretches and he showed me the basics. I quickly realized that my upper body strength was really lacking some key muscles needed. The waves were looking stellar and we headed out. My instructor's name was Puh and he was very nice and helpful. I took a few waves and attempted to stand up but was struggling a bit. He was patient and so was I. The waves certainly started to take a toll on my body. Endurance seemed to be a key factor in surfing. I seemed to lack it. But I gave it my all and was able to stand up for about a second and a half. It was a rush for sure. After what seemed like a couple of hours, really like 30 minutes, who am I kidding more like 20, I called it quites. I was huffing and puffing so hard by the end of my lesson. It was great fun though and when I get back home I might just have to try it again. We came at just the right time, because by the time I was done with the lesson more people started to hit the water. We had just avoided the rush.
So after relaxing on the beach we headed back to the hotel and grabbed our stuff and checked out. Kuta was great for a day or two but we felt Bali had more to offer than this area in particular. The hotel got us a taxi and we headed to the other side of the island to the area of Sanur. Sanur is known more for resorts and lazy beach days, just what we wanted. Our hotel/guest house was located a little away from the beach but well worth it when we arrived.
The taxi dropped us off and we checked in. We found the grounds to be just perfect and quaint. The place only had eleven rooms and they all opened to a cozy courtyard with a pool. The room was perfect. It was clean and roomy with a very comfortable bed. We considered this place a great find. Especially since we are upgraded travelers now. Latanya and I have compromised our sleeping arrangements ever since Beijing last year.
Once settled in we started for the beach. We had planned to meet Jess and Fran at a cafe further up the beach and decided to take a stroll instead of getting a taxi. A problem arose when we realized that the location of the cafe was much further than we had anticipated. Also, the cafe was inland from the beach and we could not locate the right street to cut in at. Needless to say we were really late meeting them.
When we arrived they were not there so we just had a sandwich, which were amazing. We were able to check Facebook and discovered that Jess and Fran were at an internet cafe down the road. So we headed to meet them and found out that they were struggling to find a place for the night. Jess and Fran had been calling and checking all the places around and then finally the place we were staying contacted them back. Luckily they would stay at our sister place one night and our place the next night. We were happy and relived for them, and we were to be neighbors again, yeah!!!
Once they got settled we all went out for dinner. We ate at a really nice restaurant which had live music. Imagine a Balinese Mariachi band. We requested Hotel California. We had great food, great company and a great atmosphere. Once dinner ended we headed for a local supermarket for a beer and some chocolate. Everyone was drooling over the Cadbury. Apparently it tasted just like it does in England. I must say it really was delicious and I am a fan of sweets with a beer. After dessert we got a taxi back to our places and called it a night.
The next day we had some plans to head inland for a day trip. Latanya wanted to see Ketut Liyer the medicine man from the book Eat, Pray, Love and I wanted to check out a temple. We arranged a driver to pick us up and take us around. Latanya was so excited to met Ketut but she was also a little nervous at the same time. She could not wait.
