geedee wroteI thought I would share my experience and hope the subject doesn't mind.
I arrived on the 7th staying at Candidasa.My son didn't arrive till the following evening due to me stuffing up his passport only 5 months left but he got one within a day by waiting at passport office in Sydney.
We found the area to be friendly non pushy and probably like the Bali of the past.
On the Friday morning at 10 am myself and my wife were picked up at the hotel by the mean Markit.
He took us where we wanted to go first a tour of the surrounding area then Amlapura where we visited traditional market. It's a very nice town with few bule's and Mr Markit mixes well and is known by the locals.
We then went to his place, great spot and fantastic property , where although lots of happy staff he actually cooked for us.
What a great cook he is ,his curries were sensational and his home made pickle fresh and yummy.
Later we drove to Amed and then had to get back to our hotel to await my sons arrival ,all the way through the day pointing things out,giving a bit of history and giving me valuable info while answering my silly questions.
Sorry to spoil his image but he was a great host ,generous with his time and his love of Bali shines through without him even realising.
Thanks again for welcoming a stranger from the other end of a monitor into your life for a day. You are a credit to the often malingned Bali expat community.
Now off to Seminyak for a week where no doubt my wife will eat and shop like a woman possessed.
Markit wroteI'll get my tuppence in before the trolls wake up: It's always easy to showcase some place to an appreciative audience and GeeDee and his lovely wife were that, in spades!
Now before there's a rush of would-be expats rushing up to take a Markit tour/lunch cruise let me tell you what the cost was - I forced the couple at spatula point to part with about 10 great cheeses, 2 packs of smoked salmon, salted macadamias, Biltong, a bottle of bourbon, 4 wonderful lamb chops (gone!), various Oz sauces (what the hell is myrtyle?) and 2 packs of "Irish Black Pudding". I'm sure I've forgotten half but to say their generosity was breathtaking would be an understatement.
Not only the massively important items listed above but I also asked them (as I do all visitors) to fill any holes and crevasses in their luggage with stuff they don't want or would throw away for the locals such as reading glasses, old phones, kids games (wood, as paper doesn't last here in the tropics) and old clothes, both warm for the mountain folk and "normal" for those down in the lowlands, drawing books, pencils and coloring pens. See picture:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]2639[/ATTACH]
I begged them (on bended knees) to please, please come again "real soon".
geedee wroteI think he is referring to Markit going to Sanur today.
I wouldn't dream of going there without a pie and a pie I have not.
I am on the way to Seminyak
Markit wroteIt's not an image and it was me headed to Sanur but I didn't make it till the next day.
So, did you guys actualy meet and have something to say?