Home, Sweet Home?
Ubud -> Kuta, 11th to 16th March 2002
We decided to take a tourist bus back to get back to Kuta. It only
cost 18,000Rp (about 1 pound 30) so it was pretty darn cheap!
Originally, we had planned to tour around 1 or 2 other places in
Bali, but due to the cost of transport to these further away places,
we changed our minds. Also, the costs of the day trip had added up,
so we decided to save our money.
When we got back to Kuta, it almost felt like home! We had got to
know it so well that everything looked really familiar, like we were
MEANT to be here! Scary stuff!
We quickly found our way back to the Hotel Bali Duta Wissata without
too much hassling. We stepped into the office, out of the heat of
the sun, dripping with sweat. We were surprised to find that they
remembered us! They even remembered what room we were in, and
offered us the same room!
We spent our last few days in Bali just chilling in Kuta. This
worked out well for me, because it gave me time to plan my overland
route through Asia. Armed with a couple of guide books, a good map
of South-East Asia, a diary and a couple of note books, I spent the
next few afternoons in a makeshift study on my bed!
Luckily, to keep us active and give us something else to do, the sun
came out! Our first real taste of the famous Bali sun (we'd had
really hot & humid weather, but not much sun to date). Wandering
down to Kuta beach, we were amazed to find it looking absolutely
fantastic in the morning sun! Previously, it had looked a bit poor
with rubbish everywhere, but today it looked sparkling clean and
very inviting.
We spent a couple of hours swimming in the surf and topping up our
now-fading tans. Of course, in true Bali fashion, the vendors were
all over the beach. Not 2 minutes went by without someone wandering
by and offering hats/rings/bracelets/ice-creams/
pineapples/massages/cross-bows(!)/mats, all for a 'special' price.
Even the sparkling blue waves offered no refuge. "You want
surfboard? Very cheap!"
Note that we had left our wallets at the hotel, so we didn't have to
worry about them while swimming. Not having a wallet wasn't a good
enough excuse for the vendors. They simply offered us a lift to our
hotel to get our wallets!
The female vendors also seem to have a new technique to get people
into their stalls. They stretch out a friendly hand for a handshake
or try to hug you, then drag you into their stall. We quickly learnt
to avoid this one!
There's not too much else to report, as the next few days passed
quickly and quietly. The main thing of interest, is that we moved to
the really nice Hotel Barong!
Just like the girls had done before they went home, Stinge decided
that he wanted to spend his last 2 nights away in a nice hotel with
a big pool. However, I wanted to save my money for the rest of my
travels, so it looked like I was going to stay in the basic, but
cheap, Hotel Bali Duta Wissata.
When Stinge went along to find out the price, it turned out that the
price for the room, US$25, was the same whether there were 1 or 2
people in the room. (i.e. For US$50, one person could stay 2 nights.
For the same amount, TWO people could stay 2 nights!) So, as it made
sense, I went along with Stinge and stayed in the Hotel Barong!
Cheers mate! I paid Stinge the money it would have cost me to stay
for 2 nights in the cheap hotel (60,000Rp or US$6) but Stinge paid
for the rest of the $44! Thanks again Stinge!
So for our last two days in Kuta, we passed the time by soaking in
the huge swimming pools, watching TV (with MTV and movies!). It was
also really nice to have a big, clean, air-conditioned room! Air-con
is a real blessing out here.
Our time in Bali has finally come to an end. This afternoon we're
off to Singapore! Stinge will then head home and I'll start my solo
adventuring...
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