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| Bar Luna |
Tonight, Tamar had organised to sing a few songs with a local blues band, but first we had to have dinner somewhere. The debate on the venue was torturous as we had to strike a balance between quality of food, price and the speed of service - not generally all compatible here - especially as the service is not very fast anywhere. After all, it is Bali and supposedly laid back. We settled on Bar Luna, just of the main street, Jalan Raya. It is owned by Janet De Neefe & Ketut Suardana who also own Casa Luna and the Indus restaurant. The fact that they serve very good margaritas was a deciding factor.
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| Tamar with Margarita |
Bar Luna serves a mixture of Mexican and Balinese food, including an enchilada filled with beef rendang which unfortunately had sold out bey the time we ordered. John (being vegetarian) settled on a cheese enchilada while Tamar and I decided on prawns and noodles in a Sumatran style.
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| Prawns and noodles in a Sumatran style |
While waiting (of course) we almost managed to finish two rounds of delicious margaritas each. The enchilada was OK, but the prawn dish was spectacular. The prawns, noodles and, bean sprouts were in a hot and sour broth not unlike similar dishes available in Asian restaurants in Sydney, but the flavours were beautifully balanced and although strongly flavoured by the chilli, it didn't overwhelm and leave a burning aftertaste.
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| Moko's Music Bar |
Next it was off to Moko's Music Bar for an evening of Blues. Moko, owner and guitarist, and his band are typical of the Ubud blues scene (yes) where a number of bands play the classics of blues and rock in a style that makes you think the 70s never ended - and for many of the patrons, that's probably true! So, to a curious mixture of 'mature' westerners and range of locals, we sat listening to a great rendition of John Lee Hooker and other blues songs and ordered out Bintang beers.
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| Tamar beltin' out the blues |
Soon it was Tamar's turn at the mic to sing some blues numbers. It's good that Tamar has kept up here singing. Like tai chi (sort of) it's something that you can take anywhere and enable you to connect with people all around the world. I'm also always amazed at how singers and bands who have never worked together can combine and produce a cohesive performance as if they'd been doing it for years. Anyway, the set went well with Tamar and the band keeping the audience entertained until just past the curfew of 11pm - the limit for 'un-enclosed' music venues.
