Bali - Kuta Beach and Beyond

As it was after 10:30 pm on our arrival and lacking any inclination to wander around, we took a room for 35 bucks.  Not bad, but relatively expensive for what you can get. We eventually found equally decent lodging for half the rate, though a few nights the younger revelers were up late…

Kuta Beach is the main drag for many first arriving in Bali.  It reminds me of Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand, minus the ubiquitous go-go girls and associated activities.  Not particularly beautiful, it seems to be a shopper’s paradise, has decent food, provides most of the budget accommodations, and whatever else you want.  What you also get is similar priced behavior from both the tourists and locals.  Noise and intoxicated Westerners spill out of the many bars, discos, and lounges.  Instead of “becak, becak,” you have taxis honking at you for a fare.  The tour vendors want to sell you everything and on the beach you will be pestered with mangos, massages, ice cream, towels, chairs, henna tattoos, even bow and arrows.  I haven’t seen braids yet…  The main draw are the famously wide and long waves breaking into amazing barrels, perfect for surfing and boogie boarding.  Needless to state that it was extraordinary.  Steph took it all in from the beach – seconds of glory followed by the pummeling from the waves.

Sunset at Kuta is spectacular.  The transition to orange and red hues is fantastic. From the beach, you get to enjoy Mother Nature go to rest, along with maybe 5000 others.

I love Indonesian food. The ingredients are so varied and the spices are rich, layered, and fiery.  Coconut, curries, chilies, banana leafs, pandan, peanut sauce, and rice.  Sure, there have been times I didn’t exactly know what I just bit into, but it’s part of the experience.  The food stall is just as tasty as the upscale restaurant, just depends on level of comfort.  It takes me back to my childhood in Surinam and I get to have my super-spicy sambal fix twice daily, all downed with a glass or two of fresh watermelon juice.  Steph orders soto soup and mango juice.  One of the main activities really is to walk around and make the difficult decision of where to eat next.  Will it be nasi goreng, gado gado, nasi campur, or any number of sweet rice desserts?  Or just a bag of earthy and satisfying banana or cassava chips?

So despite the obvious glut of taxis driving around aimlessly and honking at every passerby, we actually once got refused a ride because it was too short and not enough money.  Go figure – he’ll spend the next half hour driving around aimlessly and honking for nothing, probably in the same direction.  We all have our principles...

Scooters and motorbikes rent from 3-5 dollars per day.  They provide a good means to explore the rest of the Southern Bali coast.  The first half hour was slightly stressful, as it takes a while to get comfortable with the haphazard traffic –the dodging, maneuvering, and overtaking of pedestrians, bikes, and cars.  Once further up the coast it became more peaceful.  The seaside Tanah Lot Hindu temple occupies a special location on top of an eroded rock that is connected to the land at low tide.  The view of the crashing waves is fantastic.  It can get horribly crowded at sunset, but at noon not many visit.  There happened to be a religious ceremony and the festive procession was a privilege to witness.  We stopped roadside to have nasi and babi guling, rice with Balinese roast suckling pig.  It was good and was accompanied by a few other things that I wasn’t sure about.

All the way south at the Ulu Watu temple, signs advised that cameras, hats, and glasses be put away due to the aggressive macaques.  We saw a Balinese woman get accosted and promptly relieved of her bag, mobile phone, and then her sunglasses.  Further up the road, was the legendary Ulu Watu.  Reached by a narrow road, a set of staircases lead you down to a small cluster of cliff side eating spots, lodges, and surf shops.  From there, you 

first look down at the beautiful coral revealed by the shallow turquoise water.  Then you peer towards the sun and the glistening blue ocean that rolls into impressively large left to right 10-foot waves.  It was an amazing sight to watch the surfers ride down the steep faces and carve their way across.  I haven’t seen a place like this.  It must be their nirvana – secluded, quiet, and perfect.

Next stop was Padang Padang, another spot with good waves and a nice swimming beach.  As the afternoon was wearing on, we remained for a swim and the sunset. Had to pass on “Dreamland” and dream about it for another time. 

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