Life's a Stitch

Considering we've successfully made it through our 14 day post travel quarantine period, paradise, AKA Bali, certainly seems like a dream in our distant past. I've been thinking of the food. As in restaurant menus at an affordable price. At a neighbourhood cafe these are lunches that costs an average of $2.50 Cdn. 

A meal at our favourite restaurant, a step up from casual, runs about $6.50 for an entree and starts with a sample of tropical fruit. 

Even at a more expensive hotel restaurant on the beach, the ossobucco is $16.

The wine will set you back at $9-13 a glass! Just like in China, a bottle of Australian wine will cost $30 at the grocery store, the same as you can get at Trader Joe's for $8. 16 bottles of decent wine, bought through a connection for our planned monthlong stay, cost over 4,000,000 rupiah, $400 Canadian dollars.

A king's ransom! Beer is a more economical choice. 

Rides are reasonable. We hired a driver to take us to Ubud, 80 minutes away, and the charge was $20 each way. The car could hold four. Most in town lifts were $2-4. Airport transport to Sanur should run about $15, even though tourists are often quoted $60!

Rooms can be economical. Guest houses with pools, in neighbourhoods walking distance to the beach, have rooms with a private bath for $25 a night and an Air B&B townhouse condo runs about $60/nt. A high end brand name hotel has rooms for $250, not our style. 

The island thrives on tourism. I hope it will survive the pandemic. I dream of going back.

If, a month ago, someone told you where the world would be today, would you have believed it?