The two sides of Kuta

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First day of sleeping in for a while so decided not to do any tours today. Instead we decided to find our barings, work out where we are, where everything is and make plans and organise for tomorrow. After all, we both were told our plane would arrive in Danpasar, not near Kuta, at a totally different airport! We've laughed this off but it's made us a little worried for when we have to travel from Bali to Paris on the 27th.

Sometimes it feels like nothing here is what it seems to be. The people here are very kind, friendly and I am warming up to them quickly. but they make up their own rules as they go. Bartering is just expected and I don't feel guilty about refusing a sale because they just smile and let you go if you're assertive enough - it's all apart of the game. It's nice sometimes that things feel so free here and it's as though anything goes. At the same time it can make you feel insecure and you need to keep double checking everything because there are no boundaries and regulations at times. At the same time, people are very warm and you feel you could trust them with your children.

Joe and I head out for breakfast at our hotel. Breakfast is a free part of the deal and although each day the men is slightly different it always includes a potato dish, fried rice, banana fritters, a coconut/banana fruit slice, toast, butter, a vegetarian side dish and two meat dishes. It also includes two fruit juices, one always being orange, coffee, tea and honey. It's pretty good food, better than other places that offer mie goreng only to find that it was actually two minute noodles.

The staff at the hotel and pretty much anywhere we go get to know us pretty well. We seem to interact more with the locals that we go with other Australians and the Balinese seem to "Aussie" to me, as in open and friendly. The Balinese ask about our family, if we're married, on a honeymoon and then when we say no they laugh and say "you have a practice honey moon!" I enjoy the affection of these people. For a bit it freaked us out that we were always asked where we are from and we wondered in the back of our minds if someone somewhere was plotting an attack on Aussies, but we read in a book on Bali that you will get this question all the time as they are trying to make you a friend and this is how they make conversation. Becoming a friend makes bartering easier too. You can begin to say things like "if you help me out mate, we help you out" and say you'll choose their service if they give you a good deal and if they were particularly good we will give them a tip. They are usually happy to do this and it all pays off for everyone.

Joe and I read around our local neighborhood and Taksis (taxis) drive past tooting at us to get our attention. It's hot, busy, noisy and smelly. We walk down a lane way to the beach. First we need to walk through a plot of land that seems mysteriosuly empty. Just grass and some dirt patches with tiny gates around them. At first I speculate they are veggie patches only to realise they are actually human graves.

Only a few metres up closer to the beach is a bar and in front of it a series of stalls all selling nearly the exact same thing. Joey and I get hassled very quickly, which three people hassling us, each, at the same time. It's difficult to concentrate with them talking over the top of each other. One guy sees my henna tattoo of a dragonfly on my shoulder. He assumes I love dragonflies and brings out a palm sized dragonfly statue. I say it's nice but not what I want and not after anything too heavy for the suitcase at this stage. He protests it's not too heavy! But instead brings out an even bigger dragonfly as a second attempt to get me to buy! I say no, no dragonflies! He won't give up so I move along. Another male stall owner runs out with something I might be interested in, after he witnessed all the commotion down further. He pulls out a wall plaque about 50cm long and it's a dragonfly! I laugh that these dragonflies just get bigger and bigger and freak out at the thought of what they'll pull out next so decide it's time to leave.

It's difficult to know what is authentic as a lot of things in the stalls come out of plastic wrap in the mornings and you see some of the exact same stuff at markets in Melbourne. Other designs though seem to be hand painted and from Bali but whenever I ask who painted it they say "oh no, not me, my friend paint it!" They always say it's their 'friend' and they have the same products. I wonder if this friend is just a company churning out Bali souvenirs and it's no unique that buying a toy koala in Australia.

We head to a shopping complex around the corner, not knowing that it was there. The architecture is funny here. There is nothing around for miles and then a huge building, something you would see from Melbourne or sometimes even fancier. t's scorching hot and we are relieved we can have some aircon action from the shopping complex. We buy some basic necessities and get a massage. Next door is a shallow pool with tiny fish that eat the dead skins cells off your feet We were reluctant to dunk our feet in at first but decided we needed to for the experience. Joey squealed like a girl and I wish I had a video camera. He squealed as they tickles all around his toes. He cried out, "they're eating me they're eating me!" and "they're all on me!... I must have a lot of skin!" Later I remembered Joe has tinea inbetween his toes from the humidity in his work shoes. No wonder he was getting a good work out from these fish.

We make out way to the beach and look around at the shops but don't really buy anything. We are keeping our eyes peeled for the best deals and they're not in kuta where some things are priced like we are still in Melbourne. While at the beach I need to use the bathroom. I find it and I'm stopped but some random locals who say I must pay to use it. I didn't see the sign and say "oooohhhh...." as I register what it going on and wonder how a few shoeless people can make a decision like that and if I could just do the same thing for some cash. One of the guys mocks me and says "ooohhh!" in a high pitched voice. These people aren't very friendly so I'm really over having to pay for every single thing at this stage and turn to the guy and say "screw you then, i'll spend my money elsewhere. you just lost some business". He looked a little shocked and I assume it's because he didn't understand what I was saying but he got the point - he fucked up.

Joe and I go on strike and decide to use the toilet at the Hard Rock Cafe and have just "a drink or two". The waitress is lovely and she's seen nearly as many movies as us so she sits down next to us, we talk to her, order another and another and write down all the movies she needs to see. The waiter wondering around was holding a deck of cards so we call him over in our drunken happy state and ask for some card tricks. He comes over eventually and sits down with us too. We chat, laugh and he shows me how to make a paper rose with a stem out of a napkin. We order more drinks. The drinks are hugely generous and they use very large, tall glasses and poor more than a shot of your favourite spirit. We're ordering cocktails which after a while taste like petrol with a little bit on ice and coke. We don't realise how drunk we are until we stand up and try and make it to the clubs the waiters recommended. We never make it though and pass out at home.

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