Sumatran Curry and Javanese Rendang
Kuta, 1st to 6th March 2002
Part 3 - Out and about in Kuta
Apart from shopping and sitting in the hotel, we did have other
things to keep us occupied in Kuta.
One evening, Nat and I went for a walk around Kuta, the first time
we'd seen Kuta at night time (not including our first night when we
were hotel hunting). The place looked really different at night,
most of the vendors had packed up, so there was less hassling.
Instead, the streets were packed with locals and tourists alike
going out for the night. There is a good night-life in Kuta, however
because we're on a budget, we're trying to avoid clubbing and
pubbing too much. Although cheap, the costs still add up and I've
got to keep my money for the next few months of travelling!
We wandered down to the beach, to find it packed with people. There
were mainly groups of Indonesian youngsters, but there were also
foreign 20-somethings, courting couples, and others all sitting on
the beach. They were all sitting, facing the dark blue ocean, like a
crowd at a sporting event. The white waves crashed all the way along
the beach and nothing could be seen far out to sea. At first I
thought something big was about to happen, but then I slowly
realised that this is what the people here do in the evening. They
sit on the beach, socialising and relaxing. I looked around and saw
the groups of Indonesian youngsters chatting, singing and playing
instruments. A real touch of modern Balinese culture.
We spent a lot of time in Kuta chilling, eating, drinking and
playing cards at a little restaurant called 'The Good Luck Cafe'. It
was right next to our hotel and the girls had tried it a few times.
It's a lovely little place with a varied menu, even though it is
mainly western dishes. However, as the girls had eaten there a few
times with no side effects or 'Bali Belly' we decided to eat there a
lot. I did of course try the local dishes, such as Sumatran Chicken
Curry and Javanese Beef Rendang.
Food is really cheap in Bali. Some western examples of what we ate
and drink were: A huge hamburger & fries - 22,000Rp (1 pound 60)
Lasagne, Garlic Bread & Salad - 20,000Rp (1 pound 40) Large bottle
of Carlsberg - 12,000Rp (80p) Bacon Baguette - 17,000Rp (1 pound 20)
Pot of Tea - 5,500Rp (35p) Absolutely delicious and SOOOO cheap!
I'm going to remember our times in the Good Luck Cafe. 'The Beach'
album or local music playing in the background (including an
Indonesian version of the American 'Shaft' which sounded like
'Taff'! While we drank beer, ate garlic bread and played cards.
I really want the others to continue with me around Asia, we've got
to know each other really well and we've had a great time so far. I
guess that's how things end up. I'm going to miss my friends. I know
I'll see them when I get back, we've had some fantastic times while
travelling together but I wanted us to share all of the experiences!
With the girls, we only stayed in Kuta. Kuta is only a small place
in Bali, but it's here that I'll say goodbye to Nat & Em until I get
home. The rest of Bali I'm going to explore with Stinge.
We did take one day trip, though, out to the capital of Bali,
Denpasar...
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