We are staying at the Kuta Hard Rock for 7 nights...still dont know where we will be for the second week but we will keep you posted.

Hard Rock Hotel :
Checked in and were informed that they had upgraded us to a "Deluxe room" thanks to Bali-Paradise Online ( more on them later ) Made our way there and found that we had a ground floor room ( requested when we booked ) with access to the VIP pool. The pool is situated outside our room accesed from what would be a patio type exit door from our room. ( A balcony if we were on anything but the ground floor ) They had a band playing on a stage built above the bar that has reception adjacent to it, so koala had her welcome lemonade and I had my welcome Bintang there, while listening to the 7 piece band.

Sammy & Suzzy's Esky :
It was almost sunset so we decided to pop down to Susie and Sammys eskie at the beach and see if any other forumites were in attendance. We found Ted and Paul there and had a Bintang while watching a storm come in over Ulawatu and Jimbaran Bay. We caught the edge of it and it rained for about 5 mins and then disappeared again. As this was our first night and we were a bit tired, we declined an offer to join Ted while he said good bye to a few mates at their hotel and walked back into kuta for a snack and then bed. Once back at the Hotel the band was in full flight in the bar and we listened for a little while then retired to our room where we found that you could call up the camera in the bar on your TV and watch and listen to them while relaxing.

Sanur :
Breakfast out of the way and being still quite pleasant weather wise, meaning it wasnt that humid YET, we decided to go to Toot Sie's in Sanur and get some photo's taken for our web site and also get a few clothes to wear, while I am here in Bali. If you don't know Toot Sie's, its a shop / stall{Number 28) at the Sindhu Beach market where you dont have to barter. All goods are fixed price and are generally cheaper/same price as the shops were you have to barter.

A quick drink at a cafe back on the main road. We noticed the hawkers at Sanur were a little less aggressive than 12 months ago and most were respectful of a firm "no thanks". Times must be pretty tough out there especially as we were the only tourists at the beach market when we were there.Up on the main stretch of Sanur, there was perhaps a handful.

We hailed down a taxi back in Kuta and our hotel as we promised Scott a swim, Koala and he walked outside our hotel room porch straight into the VIP swimming pool area. No other guests around so they had two beautiful pools to themselves.They felt quite spoilt.

Lunch time saw Koala and Scotty try out the Hard Rock Deli. Despite the Hotel being 5 star, the general prices for food were quite reasonable.A roast beef,tomato and onion bagel was under $3Aus. A cappuncino which Koala reckons is the best she has drunk in years was $2.

Sammy & Suzzy's Esky Pt2 :
It's now 5pm and so it's off to meet Ted, Paul and Bob at the life guard tower at Kuta beach, Legian end ( right outside the back of the Legian Beach Hotel ) If you are walking from Kuta its a fair walk as we found out on Monday night, so we grabbed a blue Taxi as we were running a bit late and 1 min later and with only the flag fall on the meter we arrive at the beach tower. Sammy & Suzzy were well stocked with cool bintangs and we lads started to deplete their supply while Koala and Scotty had Fanta's. After about an hour, we decided, as I had to catch up with the Bali Aussie and Peanuts management with Bob, we all go along and continue the conversations there. As it looked like it was going to be a late night, Koala and Scott left us and went to Matahari's Legian to play Timezone as we had promised Scotty earlier. Needless to say we had a great night chatting and yacking about Bali and the Bali Forum. We had a few Bintangs but didnt get Drunk and I got home at the stroke of midnight.