Kuta beach - Bali, Indonesia

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Well, after 24+ hours of travelling to Bali (which lies just south of the Equator and which also, curiously, included a flight through the Arctic Circle to get here - ?) I finally arrived. The island of Bali is about in the middle of the Indonesian chain, and is about the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined (or, like Puerto Rico if someone were to pull downward from Ponce and make it resemble a triangle pointing downward). I've been staying in the Kuta-Legian Beach area in the south, which is pretty much a tourist haven for Aussies, Brits, and Japanese. First impressions: Although modernism and western influence have taken a hard toll on the local culture and traditions, the Balinese - in my brief experience - seem to be very warm and friendly folks. The local culture is still very much alive, however, in the rich culinary palate, one of the most multi-ethnic and tantalizing in the world, formed of influences Indian, Asian, and European. Naturally, my first meal here was a cheeseburger and a coke. The city of Kuta seems to be under constant assault by motor scooters which seem to outnumber humans, although I will occasionally see a scooter loaded with 4 passengers and baggage, a pretty impressive act to say the least. Yesterday I took leave of my senses and accepted a ride on one by a young guy named Primo. After nearly missing a head-on crash by inches, I asked Primo if he'd ever had an accident, to which he calmly replied, "yeah, sometimes," as if I had asked him if he'd ever seen a certain TV show. I asked,
"Have you ever ever been hurt?" He responded equally as passively, "Yeah, sometimes." By this point I was nearly at my destination, but Primo was still able to manage one final close call with a taxi cab.

In the few days that I've been here I've mostly passed my time surfing* and just generally exploring the immediate area on foot. (* NOTE: By surfing I mean the act of being tumbled violently and repeatedly by waves, often accompanied by cursing and and occasional panic-stricken yelp. It should by no means be confused with the more common meaning of the term that implies actually standing upright on a board while riding a wave.) The surf here is not that big/strong really - 2-3 meters - but I'm a little out of practice and have spent the last couple days getting my feet under me.

One final note about currency here. The Indonesian rupiah (IDR) trades to the U.S. dollar (USD) at about 9400:1, making for some messy conversions. It's very possible to get a basic, but clean hotel room with a ceiling fan and a shared bath for less than $8 USD per night, although if you're staying in an urban area like Kuta where it's constantly hot, humid, and there's not a lot of air movement, you'll probably want to upgrade to a room with AC for about $16-18 USD per night. I tried to go without AC and lasted approximately 14 hours before making the switch... this coming from a guy who's spent the last 12 years in Florida and Puerto Rico! A full meal may cost as little as $3.50 and is usually pretty good. The cost of getting to Indonesia from the States is pretty hefty, but for anyone who may be thinking about making the trip, that initial transportation cost can usually be recouped in "on-the-ground" savings.

Well, it looks like I'll be here for a couple more days, probably taking a short flight out to eastern Nusa Tenggara and the spectacular Turquoise Lakes; one of the top natural wonders of Indonesia. After that I'll probably backtrack to Bali but to a different part of the island (Ubud) before continuing west to Java. Thanks for checking in on me.

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Photos

Kuta Beach, Bali
Well known for decades by surfers for it's clean and big surf. Today the conditions were pretty small, but fun to ride.

Lumbong Sari Beach Inn
This is what $19 USD will get you in Kuta-Legian, Bali.

Absolut Octane
Interesting way to sell gasoline. Just don't mistake it for vodka.

Scooters, Awaiting the Call to Jihad
Kuta is under constant assault by scooters which seem to be issued to every man, woman, and child under Balinese law.

Comments

[John Shields]

Sa-Wheet!
Sounds like there are some ddeals to be had down there, and it looks very scooter-ie. How much are Hooters wings there?? I expect you will run across one of them sooner or later. I love the pics!! Bali may be added to our list as a must go. Post some pics of the lakes if you go. Have fun and we'll talk to ya soon!!!! John and Jessica

[emily]

adventure.
it all sounds like such a fun adventure... i am a bit jealous because i just started back to work and work is more stressful than i remembered, i wish i were still on vacation! :)