A Rude Awakening..
Someones knocking at the room door, mumbling in the local language, sounded something like "breakfast" I think. A takeaway food carton is handed out along with a cup of mineral water at 7.30am. Rice, strips of chicken and peanuts with some very spicy sauce, not bad actually after initially approaching the situation with caution. It's not good business sense to poison their guests and the water is in a sealed container, looks authentic enough and with that conclusion, the food swiftly disappeared. Not such a rude awakening after all!
Check out is at 12 noon and I need to make a decision - stay here another night while I plan a strategy or move on, up to Ubud if I can find transport. I have to admit to arriving here in Bali with the preconception that the place is overrun with boobs, bums and bikinis specifically in Kuta, the main resort town. Whilst the Brits have Benidorm, the Aussies have Bali and so let the party begin, some might say - perhaps, a few years ago, but right now I'm more inclined to forgo the beach-side party scene with incessant night clubbing for the more authentic side of Balinese life and head off into the hills, if I can find a bus!
Good news - there is a bus from Kuta town direct to Ubud (pronounced ooh bood), a small town north, about 90 minutes away and the fare is 50,000 rupiah, about ￡3.20 leaving at 1.30pm. A couples of hours to kill then, and a quick recon mission since CT1 is situated at the end of the airports runway, albeit set back about 1/4 mile. Nothing much to see actually with pretty much all the airport screened from any viewing. A major junction here has an impressive statue, in gleaming white stone structure reflecting in the hot morning sun, very nice ornate decoration should please those first time visitors to this holiday island.
￡2 taxi to downtown Kuta, direct to the Perama bus office. Not that far to hike actually, but with only 5 hours sleep lugging these packs in this heat is not a nice prospect, so splurge on a taxi ride it is. Traffic is relentless around here, bumper to bumper, very slow going - should have hiked! Driver points out the sight of the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, now a car park and remarks on the nearby memorial to those that perished in the atrocity.
Next....Aussies, Their Bintang Singlets and Nursing Hangovers
Someones knocking at the room door, mumbling in the local language, sounded something like "breakfast" I think. A takeaway food carton is handed out along with a cup of mineral water at 7.30am. Rice, strips of chicken and peanuts with some very spicy sauce, not bad actually after initially approaching the situation with caution. It's not good business sense to poison their guests and the water is in a sealed container, looks authentic enough and with that conclusion, the food swiftly disappeared. Not such a rude awakening after all!
Check out is at 12 noon and I need to make a decision - stay here another night while I plan a strategy or move on, up to Ubud if I can find transport. I have to admit to arriving here in Bali with the preconception that the place is overrun with boobs, bums and bikinis specifically in Kuta, the main resort town. Whilst the Brits have Benidorm, the Aussies have Bali and so let the party begin, some might say - perhaps, a few years ago, but right now I'm more inclined to forgo the beach-side party scene with incessant night clubbing for the more authentic side of Balinese life and head off into the hills, if I can find a bus!
Good news - there is a bus from Kuta town direct to Ubud (pronounced ooh bood), a small town north, about 90 minutes away and the fare is 50,000 rupiah, about ￡3.20 leaving at 1.30pm. A couples of hours to kill then, and a quick recon mission since CT1 is situated at the end of the airports runway, albeit set back about 1/4 mile. Nothing much to see actually with pretty much all the airport screened from any viewing. A major junction here has an impressive statue, in gleaming white stone structure reflecting in the hot morning sun, very nice ornate decoration should please those first time visitors to this holiday island.
￡2 taxi to downtown Kuta, direct to the Perama bus office. Not that far to hike actually, but with only 5 hours sleep lugging these packs in this heat is not a nice prospect, so splurge on a taxi ride it is. Traffic is relentless around here, bumper to bumper, very slow going - should have hiked! Driver points out the sight of the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, now a car park and remarks on the nearby memorial to those that perished in the atrocity.
Next....Aussies, Their Bintang Singlets and Nursing Hangovers
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