JohnKo

We are staying at Kuta beach.   Jing calls it the surfer's gettho.   Kuto beach is a brown, dirt sand beach in south Bali.  It is where all the hostels and guesthouses are and it is where all the surfers stay (and the groupies and wannabies).  Thwy do not stay by the surfing beaches because nothing is there but surf.  Everyone gets around on bikes or scooters.  Nice beachs are about .5 hours to 1 hour away by bike so we rented a bike for the past two days too.  Well it is not a bike as much it was a vespa scooter.  At first I kept stepping on Jing's feet as the pegs were for her and my feet went in front of me but my instinct was to put them on the pegs.  A small bike but very nimble, it was fun to ride.  Just watch out for the oncoming car/truck passing in my lane.  And the horn is used often not to yell but to say hey I'm here.  Any way first trip was to Padang Padang.  On the way we stopped accendiently and bumped into the main surfer location.  I cost to park so turned around.  On the way out I spotted bikes parked outside the parkeing area so I said only here once, let's park and walk and see it.  On the way in a very loud lady stopped us and asked us to pay.  We said we were not in her lot but she said the whole road was her lot.  We said no thanks and left and she cursed us out as we left.  Back to the bike and we she a local guy getting on his bike by ours.  Jing asks if he paid and he said no you do not pay out here.  So we went back and the loud lady said pay and we said nope, we know you do not need to pay where we are parked and she now cursed us as we walk in.  It was a great view from the cliffs watching all the surfers.  If you surfered there was a path down to the water but no beach.  Out and past the lady who know said nothing but her friends asked us nicely to buy stuff.   Too bad they have a loud mouth friend.  On to Padang Padang.  A nice beach down a steep step path.  Semi white sand and secluded and you can watch the surfers way out ont he water.  Getting back was fun as it was dusk and we had a few wrong turns.  And bikes here do not use their lights.  I kept grumbling 'it is not for you to see but for me to see you!'.  Back at Kuta and to the clubs.  The clubs here are 3 story huge clubs like you'd expect to find in Manhattan.  Packed until 4, I got Jing to go for one night, my was of showing the terrorists we are not afraid.  Surfing crowd drinking everywhere.  Next day to take the bike to Nusa Dua.  Here is where many expesive 5 star hotels are located.  Beach is nice to look at but seaweed everywhere and still trash from the well to do guests leaving crap on the beach. :(  The guy in our guesthouse said that the government will not sell the beach land only lease it to the hotels so all their beach front is public use and all there stuff on it.  Anyone can go.  The place on entracne was emaculite.  Went through security check, wrong turn and back to the security check where this time they gave us directions.  We grabbed some charis on the beach of the Grand Hayett.  Took a walk way out on the water, lots of coral it was low tide.  A few hours on the chairs and the pool boy came and asked for mney for the chairs.  We said we were told the beaches and all on them are free and that we were buying drinks.  He no and wanted money.  We said we'll leave and return what is left of our drinks and then he said oh, no you have drinks you can stay.  Did I mention that that morning I got a phone call at 9 AM  (yes our guesthouse has a phone we are going in style) telling me that I had won a free week in Bali and that I could claim it by go to this hotel to hear about package deals.  How did they get my hotel? (I think I know)  But everywhere here is half the people trying to scam you.  Not just the usualy pesty vendors but scaming.  I guess that is why the people are in the 5 star hotels.  Jing says maybe in the future that will be our vacation but I do not know.  It looks boring.  Paying 1000% mark up for boring albiet clean and nice.  I'm not convinced.  For now I'll saty in the surfer's gettho, deal with the scammers for the fun and bike ride an half hour to the (Bali) 5 star beach OR the surf beach.

Btw we saw a destination wedding at one of the resorts on the way out. Very beautiful.  They used the same scriptours as our wedding.

Pushed Jing out of bed this morning to get going.  Walked down Kuta beach to see what was up.  On the way a guy stopped us to get us go to his hotel.  Gave us a game piece and, surprise!, we won.   No, we do not want to go to our hotel to claim our flat screen or $1000.00.  Politely push this guy away and to the beach, now to go to the beach to look for better places to stay and check out the area.  Come up on the beach and trash.  Looks like they push all the bech trash to the ends of the beach so do not approach Kuta beach from the South or North. Eeew.  Find the main part of the beach and duck across the steert to the alleys.  Success.  Find the backpacking heart.  Find 2 places for the 4 more nights we are here, about 10 and 20 bucks more than we are use to but the are good places.  This area is a busling, packed area of travelers, vendors, clubs, street salesman, etc.  Find in the back a local market.  Pick a place based on the number of people eating there.   Can not read a thing on the menu board.  Look at what others are eating and point to what we want.  Turns out to be good chicken soup.  Talk to a Aussie finsihing his lunch.  He has been here a month.  He helps us with what to do.  Say go to Cili Cili (sp) islands but they are 6 hours away and require a few over nights.  Not enought time for 4 more night.  Anyway as we are talking with this guy I ask for an extra bowl to split the soup.  Purveyor does not understand me. A local guy at the next tabel hears me and translates.  Thanks.  Now we ask the Aussie where to rent a bike to get around for tomorrow.  The guy who heped us get a bowl says get can get a bike and the Aussie says he can be ok, he helped you before he knew you wanted a bike.  Then he says he will give it for us for 2 days if we go to his hotel.  Now we get it.  Those guys in the street telling us we won a prize, this guy.....Time Share.  Sorry no, sorry no, sorry no, sorry no, sorry no, sorry no, sorry no, sorry no, sorry no, sorry no, sorry no.....you get the idea.  Your Kuta beach Bali mantra.  'Sorry no.'  Now look to plan our next few days, back to the guest house pool for Sun.  Jing now at a massage and me here.  Tonight beach sunset and look for some local dinners.

Another funny thing about Bali.  All the busnisses put out in front a tribute to the Gods (or a God?) for good luck.  A palm leaf shaped as a tray with flowers, fruit pieces, crakers, cookies and want not.  This turns into both pigeon poop and trash in the gutters.  But at least the Gods are happy.

More on Bali after we see more.  If I have time I will do a Boracay vs. Bali blog.

Btw, stomach now a-ok.

Woke you on Boracay at 10, went to the beach to say goodbye to the beach and out the door  by 11.  On the ferry by noon and then off to Manila. Land at 2 and out the door by 2:30.  Now it gets interesting.  Jing said we should stay wth her aunt instead of a guesthouse, we have one night in Manila to make sure we make the internatinal transfer.  I ask where it is at and she says a surburb about 20 - 25 minutes away.  That is what she was told.  Ok.  Car pulls up and the uncle is driving and the aunt is in the back with their 16 month year old girl.  We meet and get going. Leave the airport and bam, traffic.  Traffic, traffic, traffic.  We ask what is up and they say there is always traffic to and from Manila until about 9 PM.  And this is a Saturday.  Ugg, why say 20 minutes if there is always traffic?  So with traffic the ride in now 2.5 hours.  No, that is not a typo.  Mind you the little girl has been kicking my seat the whole way.   Near their house and we pull into the local mall.   (Pass through mall security which includes a trunk inspection and pat down on the way in.)  Jing says they want to take up to a bite to eat.  Nice but we don't want one, we just want to get there.  Ok, be nice.  They take to a fast-food-fried chicked place.  Ugg.  Look for anything ok to eat.  Find a fresh not fried lumpia.  It was awful.  Nothing but bamboo shoots and letuce in a roll in peanut sauce.  Disguted I accidentally take a sipe of Jing coke light, it is in a glass with ice.  Mind you she group up driking tap here, I did not.  So i never ever drink anything with ice.  Opps.  More on that later.  Snack over.  Aunt says she need to leave for a moment for shopping.  Great.  20 min later she is back with Goldilocks, pastries.  Great time to go.  Noooooo.  Uncle gets up and Jnig says where you going, he says restroom.  She says it is in the back of the place.  He just leaves anyway without saying anything.  Me and Jing go the lobby to wait.  Noone knows where he went.  Aunt is at the table with the little girl.  Now wait and wait and wait.  Aunt has to come out because business is picking up and they need the table.  She does not know where he went either.  She gives us the girl to watch and goes looking.  Now we are sitting in a fast food lobby watching a little girl staring into space just wanting to get somewhere, anywhere.  50 minutes later the come back, yes I was timing at this point.  Guess he went to Gldilocks too for more pastries but took over twice as long.  Now onto home.  Stop at a few stores by pullng to car onto the sidewalk and he would role down the window and yell in to see if they had his coffee. (I can not justly describe this here.)  Finds a place that has it and he grumply gets out to get it.  Drive on and we get there. Home! At 7!  20 minutes turns into 4.5 hours.  Now wew are here.  It is raining, 90 and muggy.  I won't go into further detail here because the anut and uncle welcome us into there home but if you want more detail of the night ask or email.  Anyway, after what could be describied as looking at the ceiling Jing and get up at 6:30.  I maybe not so nicely tell Jing we need to leave at 7:30.  Our flight is at 2:30.  Sorry, say our flight is at 10:30 we need to go.  Now I been to the bathroom twice since I drank the coke with ice and off the the airport. No traffic and it is a 25 minute ride.  Uncle parks illegally to show he knows the head of airport security.  Airport security is none to please with this but we are quick.   Thanks and off we go.  Now to get in and find a restrom again.  Wrong termainal.  Take shuttle bus to correct terminal.  Hurry please.  Get there and get to restroom but now check in eyt it is not open.  Find restaurant so I can drink lots and lots of water to flush my body and rehydrate.  Our checkin opens at 10.  Get to terminal by noon.  Now I had in my carry on bag 5 cans of beer because I was not up to driking much last night.  Figure to give it a go and sure enough they get through the ex-ray.  Mmmmm, warm beer while waiting for plane.  One more trip to restroom then off to Singapore.  Land inSignapore and to restroom.  Now on to the plane and they have another ex-ray to get to borading, nevermind I was already in the on board system.  My bag does no pass this time.  No beer left. I have a 150 ml bottle of sun screen and they only allow 100 ml.  And it was sealed in a plastic bag.  So for the record, 5 beer cans ok in Manila, 50 ml to much sun screnn not ok in Sinapore.  Get to Bali.  Long wait in customs.  Past the death penalty to anyone bringing drugs to Bali sign and past the drug sniffing dogs and to taxi.  Get a guy to recommd a place near Kuta, looks fine and so happy to be here, 11 pm.