I give you special price!

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So lets sum this little expedition up. I won't lie, I pictured a white sand beach, a hammock and a corona. We got off the plane to a loud, overcrowded, polluted beach city, Kuta...and we were immediately swarmed by everyone and their dog - literally, trying to help us; find a hotel, get a taxi or whatever it was they were selling. Our cab driver from the airport was hilarious, if we took a tour, his wife would do our laundry free of charge. Sounded like a good deal to me. It didn't take us very long to decide we needed to get out of there, we met up with a local (we call him Boss) and he got us a cheap place to stay and the next day comes on an expedition to buy boards. Crys and I pick up second hand surfboards for around $300 and get them to throw in a bag so we can get them home. We've both ridden long boards and decided that skilled or not we'll buy something shorter, I walk away with a 6'1", who knew the hardships my decision would bring...read on...

After a quick attempt on Kuta, we get annoyed with the lack of swell and wait for the next day. We do however manage to pick up what we have decided are bed bugs and now look like we have the chicken pox (our gift to the Balinese) We catch transport to the surf town of Canggu (pronounced Chang-goo). Our driver is convinced we should stay in his friends run down shack and once we refuse he drops us off a road over and points us in the wrong direction. Luckily our whit and good sense of direction gets us to the Gangu Hotel, we pay a little more than we'd like but end up with 3 things we thought we'd never see; hot water, air conditioning, and a pool all within 5 minutes walk to the beach. We sample the pool and walk down to the water. Apparently their is no need for fences here, they put a rope throught the cows noes, around its head and tie it to the ground! Voila!

So we scope out the beach, realise that we're in way over our heads and give it a try anyways, I am now secretly kicking sand into Crystal's eyes for the small board suggestion (and yes Nick, I do realise that you're now laughing your ass off at me, i probably should have known better). I end up paddling out too far and go nose first off the top of the break. But before I get dragged along the bottom I manage to smash my nose into my board, it only bleeds a little (the price for being EXTREME-ly bad at surfing) and I now look like I fell on my face, or if I was in Banff, got in a fight...again! (mother..calm down...I'm not disfigured..i am just lacking moral) So I contemplate life over a chicken spring roll and some peanut sauce up at Dian's Cafe and go back out for another beating. We are optomistic..we can only suck for so long, and besides we have a heated shower back at the villa.

Dinner is great and we make another sad attempt at getting drunk, I meet a frenchman Allan who invites us to surf with him in the morning on the beach over where the waves are slower breaking. The guy is in his 60's and has been here for 30 years. He attributes it to the simple life and friendly Balinese, and then asks me if Crystal is my boyfriend. But the owner of the cafe interupts and tells him she's a girl. Crises averted! Exhaustion prevails and we end up in bed by 9 o'clock.

This morning we get down to the beach around 8 and wander over to where Allan said he would be. We see him and others probably 500ft from the beach. Crystal and I start to paddle out only to realise we're paddling over reef. As brave as we are..we're definetly not stupid and we catch the whitewash back in. So much for a mellow surf holiday, we now realise we belong back in Kuta with the other punters. I don't do many sports, but the ones I do..i'm good at, so being shit just isn't my thing! I will ride the god damn reef before this little vacation is over!

We eat some peanut butter and banana jaffles (2 pieces of toast with whatever stuffing your little heart desires inside-then toasted) and watch the other surfers kill it! Then we proceed to call ourselves a ridiculously small taxi and stuff all 3 boards and 6 packs into the car. Crystal and I share the one seat in the back. My ass and her hip will never be the same! We got dropped off here in Ubud a couple hours ago and are on our way to the Sacred Monkey Forest and then to the Museum to see the local kids practice their dance..hopefully none of us get eaten and we all make it safely back to the Frog Pond Inn.

The internet connection here moves at a glacial pace so it might be a couple days before I make it to another shop. And pictures will definetly have to wait until i get to Japan!

Hope everyone at home and everywhere else is doing well...xoxo

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