My friend and I arrived in BSB around 4pm. We exchanged money at one of the few exchange places--conveniently located next to the bus station--and then set out to find Pusat Belia. Pusat Belia is the cheapest accomodation in all of Brunei ($10 USD a night for a bed) and if we couldn't get beds there we knew we'd need more money since everywhere else is quite expensive. We found Pusat and waited around a bit for someone to help us. While we waited, middle school children ran all around us with fencing equipment. I finally checked in around 5pm and my friend... well, he was told to come back around 10pm and they might have a bed for him. With the fencing tournament it seems most beds were occupied, even though there are twice as ... read more

I accidentally slept late, but I think I was tired from my trip the day before yet. I got to the pier around 10am to buy my ticket to the islands. Online it says I can buy a ticket to as many islands I want to visit in one day, I just need to pay an extra fee for each additional island. Not so. I was informed--rather rudely--that the policy is, "One person, one island." When I tried to find out more information, like why, I was just told to go to the next window and leave them alone. Nice, huh? The islands were the only reason I was still in KK since there's little else to do. I was forced to choose one island on the spot. I chose Manuksan because it was larger than ... read more

At Ubud's tourist information center there are free copies of the nightly schedule of traditional dance performaces. Each night around the city there are 9-10 different performances for about 75,000 rupiah a person to attend. They all last 1-1.5 hours. Full of traditional music and costumes, they mesmerize and captivate. I went to three of them. I went to one my first night in Ubud. I admit I was persuaded by the architecture of the theater and by one of the cute kids helping them sell tickets. When I arrived that night, he remembered me and gave me a big grin and wave. First the musicians played us some music. Balinese music is unlike any I've heard before and it takes some getting used to. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but ... read more

I arrived at ten o'clock, right on time for my appointment. A little path led me through a small garden to waiting slippers and a smiling staff. They presented me with some fresh juice while we went over a few more details of my plan. I chose my body mask and which type of facial I wanted. Fortunately, those were the only difficult decisions I had to make. After being shown to my room (with two massage tables!) I changed into spa attire (disposable underwear and a sarong) and sat down to wait. The music piped in was calm and relaxing and very Balinese. I never did hear the same song twice. My spa attendant (what does one call her?) arrived a few minutes later and explained how things would go: An hour and a half ... read more

I'm not a big fan of monkeys, but since everyone I talked to said I should go, I decided to check out the monkey forest. One guy at my hostel warned me to not take any water with me because the monkeys will want to steal it, and then went on to tell me about what happened when he visited a few weeks ago. While I thought perhaps he was exaggerating a bit, I did leave my empty bottle in a trash bin. I bought my ticket and saw a woman selling bananas by the gate. I refused, feeling smart and safe since I know the monkeys would probably chase me for the bananas. Three steps into the park, I was suddenly flat on my bottom, blood gushing from my leg. It took me a moment ... read more