Seoul -- Day 1 -- Annyeng haseyo!

From Hong Kong airport, I took a red-eye flight to Seoul (Incheon) International airport, arrived at 4.30 am and exchanged some local currency. I had a hard time sleeping on the flight, and to top it all, I had to wait for an hour for the airport bus #602 to Hapjeong Subway Station (8,000 won). As of this writing, the public transportation to the airport is via buses; plans are underway to extend the trains. You may think that the buses are inconvenient, but they are actually extremely efficient and easy to use.

I arrived at the Hapjeong station and according to the instructions took the exit #8. The first lesson was that English directions are completely useless. The second lesson was that you have to pay careful attention to the exit numbers on the subway. After following the directions faithfully, I arrived at Kim's Guest House, probably one of the nicest guest houses around. Mrs. Kim, who runs the place, speaks excellent English and is very helpful and accommodating. I had an a/c room at 25,000 won (~25 USD) per night. A fantastic deal. Having slept little on the way in, I napped a little on the couch in the "living room". Nice thing about this place is that internet access is free, breakfast is included and laundry is free. Around 9.00 am, I met some of the house mates, Britt (New Zealand), Manuel (France), Andreas and Matthias (Germany), Miho and her brother (Japan). Breakfast is strictly do it yourself -- bread, jam, butter and coffee.

I showered and set out for the city. Hapjeong subway station is a 10 minute walk from the guest house and quite convenient, once you know your way around. ATMs in Korea are quite confusing, because very few accept foreign cards. Even then, finding one with English instructions is a bigger challenge. I found one ATM at a local bank that was bought by Standard Chartered.

Seoul Metropolitan Subway: It is one of the largest and most complex subway systems in the world. To get an idea of the complexity, see this map. It has to be efficient, because must serve a population of 23,000,000 -- Seoul metro is only second to Tokyo. Wow! I didn't realize it was so big until I arrived there. Trains run every 4-5 minutes, are very reliable, but always crowded. Cellphones work everywhere, and many commuters watch TV on them. And here's the thing -- no graffiti anywhere. It's a pleasure. There are clearly marked signs in English, Japanese and Korean, and local maps are available in every station. In as far as tickets are concerned, each ride is about 1,000 won (~ 1 USD), but smart cards (available at every subway station) give you a 100 won discount. You just flash it past each gate and the go. I also discovered that to cross streets near a subway, you have to use the underground pathways. It's a system that simply put -- works!

People: The Koreans are extremely polite and bow at every opportunity. They are very well dressed, and even a stroll is an excuse to wear formal clothes. Sure, like any major metro, they have their share of alcoholism, but the Seoul drunks are the politest I've seen. No violence, none whatsoever. I've never felt safer in a big city than in Seoul. The social system respects its elders and even on the subway, the seats for the elderly/handicapped/pregnant women remain unoccupied even if the train is overcrowded. Nice. Very few older Koreans speak English, but the younger generation is learning English in increasing numbers. In fact, many young people from New Zealand or Australia finance their travel in Korea by teaching English as a second language. The Koreans are very hardworking and it's not uncommon to hear about school children slaving away for 8-10 hours a day.

Now on to the sight seeing. I went to Changdeokgung Palace, one of the "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul. The palace was completed in 1412 and suffered multiple invasions by the Japanese. It is a beautiful palace, but after a while the tour becomes very monotonous. I booked myself on a guided English tour (admission 3,000 won) leaving me 2 hours to grab lunch. I wandered around for a restaurant, but all signs are in Korean and the only recourse was to see the pictures and decide. Not knowing what to expect, I read Lonely Planet's recommendations and chose Bibimbap. It appears that the name is generic and each restaurant has its own variation, differentiated mostly by the side dishes. The meal was very cheap (4,000 won), but tasty. It had an interesting texture of rice, crunchy carrots, crispy mushrooms, chili sauce and of course, kimchi. Loved it!

I returned to Changdeokgung palace and joined the English guided tour (1 hour 20 minutes). The guide was very boring, spoke in a monotone and hurried everyone along. Man, did she have a plan! Had I known better, I would have taken a Korean tour and simply used the printed English guide. Once out of the palace, I took a break and had instant coffee (1,000 won) at a roadside stall. To make this coffee, a prepackaged mixture of coffee and sugar in a long tube is added to hot water and milk. To stir simply use the "tube" as a spoon. Ingenious.

I took the recommended "between the palaces walk" and walked about 3 kms on the sidewalks. What you notice is -- no Japanese cars! Almost all cars were Korean, save for a few BMWs and Mercedes. Almost every cab has a sign on the door saying "free translators". Since the cabbies speak no English, you can call a central telephone number from the cab and talk to an operator who then provides instructions to the cabbie. The cab drivers are very honest and pride themselves on providing a good service.

After about an hour, I arrived at Gyeongbokgung or the Grand Palace (admission 3,000 won). This palace was completed in 1394 during the Joseon Dynasty and like other places in Korea, destroyed multiple times by the Japanese. The palace is huge and impressive and obviously carries a special meaning for the Koreans, but the lack of English signboards made my experience somewhat deficient. With the same ticket I visited the neighboring Palace Museum of History for an hour with a guided audio tour. I didn't enjoy this museum much.

It was getting late (and I was tired too) and I rode the subway to Hapjeong station. I stopped for coffee at a pub called "Beer, Hof and Coffee". It was a complete ripoff (4,000 won). What I learned later on is that any restaurant that has "Hof" written on its signboards is good for drinking alcohol -- not coffee. I walked back to Kim's and joined a group of youngsters (Manuel from France, Charles from Singapore, Miho and her brother from Japan) for dinner. We went to a neighboring restaurant for galbi or Korean BBQ. We sat on the floor and generally enjoyed ourselves, not in the least due to a liberal supply of soju (similar to sake but flavored). Since most of us were new to the experience, the restaurant owner (through Manuel, who spoke some Korean) came by to help us with the grill and the meats. All ingredients were fresh and the taste, you ask? Heavenly. Soju certainly made the conversation much easier and on our way back to the guest house, we picked up few more bottles of soju and beer, and chatted away until the wee hours of the morning. As the night continued more people joined our group for an impromptu part-ay! Depending on whom I was talking to I switched between English, French and German. Good times!

Bali -- Day 6 -- Goodbye Bali!

This was my last day in Bali. After an early breakfast at the hotel, we checked out and made the long winding journey toward Kuta. We drove through picturesque highways and spent some time at a botanical garden. Incidentally, since Ayub was doing the driving and the navigating, I forgot the names of the places we visited. We stopped at a vegetable and fruit market, because Ayub and Dewi wanted to buy some for their families. Incidentally, I figured out that I could shoot 640 x 480 movie clips at 30 frames/second with my camera (Canon A610). Until this time, I was shooting at a measly 320 x 240 at 15 frames/second. Better late than never, I suppose.

On the long drive, Ayub played some popular music called dangdut that sounded very much like Bollywood music I was familiar with. Dandut has become more popular than ever. I was so intrigued by the music that I purchased a VCD for keepsake. We also discussed the origin of some of the Balinese/Bahasa vocabulary that I recognized as coming from Sanskrit. They were surprised that I could guess the meaning of many words. Wow, stuff that I learned almost a quarter of century ago came flooding back. As we neared Kuta, we dropped off Dewi at her home and Ayub dropped me off at Restu Bali Hotel to pick up my baggage. I repacked all my belongings and walked a few hundred meters to where Ayub offered a ride to the airport. With mixed feelings, I exchanged goodbyes with Ayub, compensated him handily for all the assistance and departed from Bali. Over the past few days, I came to appreciate his hard work, friendliness and honesty, and I leave him as a good friend. I shall definitely look him up during my next trip to Bali.

At the airport, I avoided the stalls inside and hopped over to a small cafe within the airport where the locals eat -- saved a whole lot of money. My flight for Hong Kong was leaving and the highlight of my trip came to a close. I shall return here someday. Terimah kasih, Bali and selamat ingal!

Bali -- Day 5 -- Road Trip

I had a quick continental breakfast at Adi Cottages, checked out and went to an internet cafe to check my mail. Around 9.30 am, Ayub came to Adi Cottages to pick me up for the road trip to north of Bali. He had hired an SUV (a small one at that) for 2 days at 180,000 Rp (~ 18 USD) per day. Accompanying him was his friend, Dewi, whom I recognized as one of the staff from the hotel. They were on a "clandestine" trip together at my expense. I didn't mind it all. Dewi knew very little English, so we mostly communicated through Ayub. We drove through some terraced paddy fields, then northbound to Kintamani, near Mount Batur, an active volcano. We took the detour downhill along the steep and winding road to Lake Batur, where we spent a few minutes taking in the beautiful, yet rustic surroundings. There are lots of campers that spend days on end climbing the mountain. I might consider it one of these days. We'll see.

On our return to Kintamani, we went to a recently-built popular restaurant that overlooked the volcano and had lunch. I offered to take Ayub and Dewi with me, instead they went to the lower level where the Balinese go (it's much cheaper), while I went to the rooftop (90,000 Rp) and had the lunch buffet. I think it's a form of discrimination to have the locals and the tourists eat at separate places and to, of course, be charged different rates. As they say, while in Rome... It was a good spread, but nothing to write home about. The view, however, was fantastic. Strong gusty winds blew across while I ate looking at the weirdly denuded sides of the mountain where the lava flow had obliterated all vegetation.

Our final destination was Lovina/Singaraja, a sleepy town on the north coast of Bali and a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of Kuta. The roads to Lovina are relatively narrow, winding and full of traffic. The lush greenery and the varying vegetation made the long, slow drive very enjoyable. Bali has only two seasons -- rainy and dry, but the temperature remains more or less the same. Therefore, many fruits such as mangoes and bananas, and vegetables grow all the year round.

We tried accommodations at many beach resorts and after some search, Ayub recommended a cottage right on the beach. For the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the place, since it's relatively new and construction was still going on. To get a good price, Ayub bargained and got the local rate for two a/c rooms at 125,000 Rp each. Had I gone there on my own, I would have easily paid at least 3 times that amount! Good to have a local friend. We checked into the hotel rooms and after a few minutes of resting in a/c, we met again under the canopy facing north toward Bali Sea, relaxed with a couple of Bintang beers and feasted on the freshly cut mangoes Dewi had bought at a roadside stand. Man, it was peaceful, however, too hot to swim yet. This is what beach side resort living is all about -- leisurely pace, calm waters, good food and of course nothing to disturb you. I can fully imagine coming here to write a book (if I only had the talent to do so).

After a nap, we had kopi bali at a beach side cafe about 10 minutes by car and waited for the sunset views. It lived up to my expectations - gorgeous colors, calm, soothing waters. We drove back to the motel and I swam in the calm sea for about 45 minutes. Interesting fact: the sands on the north coast of Bali are black and volcanic, while the sands in the south (Kuta) are white and sparkling. The water in Lovina was fairly warm and very conducive for a swim. Upon my return, there was a minor crowd of locals hawking cheap jewelery and useless trinkets as well as Balinese massages and dolphin sight-seeing tours. They left when we didn't buy anything.

We were ready for dinner and searched in vain for authentic Balinese food, but had to settle for the beach side cafe we had visited earlier. We had some beer, excellent Balinese satay, nasi goreng, a fish curry and a terrible calamari. Oh well. The total tab for three was only 91,000 Rp! Well, time for bed. Good night! I will definitely visit Lovina again.

Bali (Ubud) -- Day 4 -- Monkey Forest

After a quick breakfast at Masih Bungalow (banana pancakes, fruit and kopi bali), I checked out, exchanged the mountain bike I'd rented for a new one and rode on the new rickety bike to Monkey Forest Sanctuary (admission 10,000 Rp). Monkeys are sacred to the Balinese Hindus just as in India and they are revered. (These monkeys are macaques, the name is familiar, of course, to Americans for the macaca comment made by George Allen. That idiot!) For an additional 10,000 Rp, you can buy bananas to feed the animals. The sanctuary is used by the Balinese for religious festivals and is a haven for 115 different species of trees. It is a harmonious mixture of man and nature. The monkeys, by the way, are extremely aggressive and if you are not careful, they can snatch away your belongings. Watch out. The guides are very helpful if you want to take pictures. You can spend a good two hours in this sanctuary.

I retrieved my bike and rode back to Tutmak cafe for brunch (banana pancakes and iced coffee). I don't know, I just liked the pancakes so much, I suppose. Anyway, I took directions to Elephant Cave (Goa Gajah). The maps say that it's 3 kms from Ubud village, but I rode far more than 3 kms, because the signs are poor, I missed my way a few times and the locals don't understand the English term Elephant Cave. After I used the local name, Goa Gajah (Goa=cave, Gajah=elephant from Sanskrit) from Lonely Planet things went a lot easier. Riding through Ubud, you see plenty of artists' homes. Many of them work and display their art on location. I suppose, this where you've to visit to get the real stuff. The lush greenery and the gentle breeze mitigated somewhat the intense heat. I was drinking fluids like there was no tomorrow. After almost an hour of riding including miscues, I arrived at the Elephant Cave.

Elephant Cave: This cave is not readily visible from the street, but once you enter the premises and pay the admission (5,000 Rp), you have to change to the acceptable attire, a sarong, which they will loan you at the temple. Incidentally, a sign there says that women in their menstrual period are not allowed. I wonder how they are going to control that? At any rate, a very helpful guide, in fact one of the custodians of the temple, gave me a good history of the temple. Founded in the 11th century, it is perhaps the oldest Hindu temple in Bali. The deities are unlike what you might see in India. There is not much ornamentation, but on the other hand, you can see the Hindu Trinity (Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa -- note spellings) in the same location -- somewhat unusual in India. After an engaging conversation with the guide, I savored some tender coconut juice and went onward with my bike ride to Pejeng.

Pejeng: This is a region famous for its rice paddy fields -- the terraced fields that you see in tourist brochures. It is a sight for sore eyes, believe me. The ride itself took almost 2 hours because of undulating streets and having to stop every kilometer or so to get directions. The locals are indeed very friendly and it appears that you only have to say the word Ubud, and they know how to direct you. Terimah kasih (thank you), you lovely Balinese.

The ride back wore me out completely, not in the least because of the lousy bike. I went back to the rental place, returned my bike and went back to Tutmak for yet another iced coffee. I was tired (again) and this time I went to Adi Cottages, where I was going to spend the night. I was so glad to have a/c that I fell on the bed and snoozed for an hour or two. Feeling refreshed, I walked on Monkey Forest Road for a while and saw this women handing out fliers for different massages. What the hell, let me try a Balinese massage (70,000 Rp), I thought. It turned out that only the name changes, but the massage is the same. Marketing certainly works! The masseuse was very surly, yet grateful when I paid her. Maybe it was due to the lack of business, maybe it was her nature. Who can tell?

I walked back to Putra Bar for a few beers and some relaxing Jazz. I made small talk with the bartenders and learned of their pecuniary situation. Many of them subsist on the largess of foreign tourists who have spent considerable time in Ubud. Tough times! Here I also learned about the Balinese custom of naming children. The names are unisex. The first born is Wayan or Putu, the second is Made or Kadek, the third is Nyoman or Komang and the fourth is Ketut. The cycle repeats for fifth, sixth born etc. Interesting.

Based on the recommendation of the folks at Putra Bar, I went to the neighboring Cafe Bali (every third or fourth restaurant is called Cafe Bali) and had Balinese clear chicken soup and a full grilled red snapper in Balinese style. The total tab was 77,000 Rp; the spices were an interesting mix, but not hot enough for me. I enjoyed it, though. I followed it up with more beer and music at Putra Bar and retired thankfully at the air-conditioned Adi Cottage room. This was the end of my Ubud trip. I shall return!

Bali (Ubud) - Day 3 -- Arts and Crafts!

After a leisurely continental breakfast at the hotel (including of course the intriguing kopi bali), I checked out and left my excess luggage to be picked up later. Ayub picked me up on his motorbike to go to Ubud, the art and cultural center of Bali. Along the way, we stopped for a traditional Balinese dance recital (45,000 Rp) that included tales of Ramayana, however in a Balinese variant called Ramakavaca. The narrators used local Balinese with a few Sanskrit words sprinkled in, that I could recognize. A nice experience indeed. Later, we visited a Batik factory, where local artisans were working on cloth, walls and canvas. I got a painting of Barong on my shorts. I walked through the gift store, and despite the hard-sell, I didn't buy anything.

After a 30 minute ride, we arrived in beautiful Ubud. After hunting around, I settled on Masih Bungalow (located on Dewi Sita Road) and took a single room at 100,000 Rp, no a/c, but with breakfast included. Ayub returned to Kuta and was pick me up two days later at the same place.
To orient myself, I took a short walk toward Monkey Forest Road, where the famous Monkey Forest Sanctuary is located. I stopped at Cafe Bali for some satay and nasi goreng (80,000 Rp). It was not the best food I've had. On my way back I checked my email at an internet cafe (10,000 Rp/hour) and learned that uncle Ramasubbu, whom I had met in Chennai, India took a turn for the worse and passed into the Great Beyond. May his soul rest in piece!

A little down and out, I meandered toward Masih Bungalow and I stumbled into this beautiful cafe on Dewi Sita Road called Tukmak, by far one of the best cafes I've been to. It's somewhat expensive, but well worth the price. I had the best iced cappucino (17,000 Rp) ever. I was to return to this airy, beautiful cafe many times during my short stay. The wait staff speaks excellent English and is always ready with information about Ubud. Don't miss this place.

Just across from Tukmak was this tiny place advertising Balinese massage (70,000 Rp) for 2 hours and I ventured in. The masseuse was a very friendly woman of roughly 30 years, and she related during our limited conversation that she was having a tough time attracting customers -- another victim of terrorist bombings. It was not the best massage, but I was too tired to protest anyway. After a quick shower, I took a nice long walk through the streets of Ubud. My God, the number of arts and handicrafts stores -- hundreds. Wow! From what I gathered, most of them cater to clueless Western tourists and rip them off. The artisans are so good at imitation, it's hard to differentiate between the genuine art and the fakes. Caveat emptor. To get the real deal, go with someone local you can trust. I will definitely return to Ubud in the future just to purchase art (hopefully get the real art). Beautiful!

I had decided to move out of Masih Bungalow, because the heat was oppressive (no a/c) and the noise level from construction crews practically ruled out sleeping in late. On Monkey Forest Road, I hired a mountain bike for the next day's activities (15,000 Rp) and found Adi Cottages, which to my liking had good, clean rooms with air conditioning. A great place to stay. I bargained the price from 360,000 Rp to 225,000 Rp and booked it for the next day. Yes, you can bargain! Don't be afraid. So, I rode back to Masih Bungalow, left my bike behind and had dinner at a very trendy, yet traditional Bumbu Bali restaurant. You have the option of typical Western seating or traditional Bali seating -- a low table with floor seating on cushions. I chose the traditional style, but truth be told, my ankles were hurting after an hour. For victuals, I opted for a Balinese sampler meal (mixed satay, coconut and vegetable soup, gadi-gadi and rice pudding for dessert). Excellent! And by the way, they also offer Balinese cooking classes -- a half-day course for 120,000 Rp. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to indulge in it. Too bad!

I felt great and in a good mood, I went to Putra Bar on Monkey Forest Road, one of the few places in Ubud to listen to live Jazz and reggae. It's very relaxed, laid back and friendly. That day, two guys played acoustic music and cheerfully took requests from the patrons. Not to be missed. Somewhat tipsy, I returned to Masih Bungalow for a well deserved rest.

Bali (Kuta) -- Day 2 -- Time for Outdoor Activity!

I had made arrangements with Ayub to meet a few hundred meters from the hotel. I had a continental breakfast with plenty of local fruit and kopi bali (Balinese coffee, served black with the grounds in the bottom of the cup). Over time I got used to drinking kopi bali and looked forward to it. The local fruits are plentiful, tasty and come in many varieties. It's a pleasure to see what real fruits taste unlike the non-organic crap we get in the US supermarkets.

Ayub took me on his motorbike (80 cc Honda) to Nusa Dua, about 45 minutes from Kuta. Nusa Dua is full of luxury hotels and a popular destination for water sports. We went to a water sports park (I forgot the name), where you can choose from para sailing, surfing, snorkeling, deep sea diving, fishing, jet skiing or just hang out on the beautiful beach. I hired a jet ski and tried snorkeling (435,000 Rp). Unfortunately, not having swum for the longest time because of contact lenses, I had to abandon snorkeling, but did manage to get a good swim in the turquoise waters of Nusa Dua; I had a hard time breathing through my mouth. Oh well, the next time, I'll be prepared! Instead, I went to the Turtle Island to see the fauna and learned about the ongoing preservation activities in Bali.

Fairly hungry from the activity, we returned to Kuta. On the way, I had backup copies made of my digital pictures. Lunch was at a roadside restaurant, where I tried the Balinese delicacy of suckling pig with rice (23,000 Rp) for the two of us. God, Balinese cuisine is excellent! The spices (shallots, ginger, garlic, turmeric, galangal root, cardamon, red peppers) are fresh and mixed in various proportions depending on the dish. Ayub had to be back at work around 4.00 pm and went to his home to meet his family. His daughter Feisha is a sweet little kid and not at all shy. In spite of not knowing any English, we were able to communicate quite well. She showed me pictures of her relatives and learned a couple of words in Bahasa (om for uncle and tante for aunt).

Ayub had purchased his small house (~ 500 square feet, 2 bedrooms) at a cost of 25,000,000 Rp (~ 2,500 USD) and pays monthly installments of $15! Just consider, my two months' rent alone in San Francisco will be enough to buy his house. Who knows, I might buy something here some day. At any rate, Ayub dropped me off close to the hotel on his way to work. I returned to Roscoe's pub for a couple of beers. After a nice long shower, I walked along Kuta beach, took in the gorgeous sunset and had a Balinese massage on the beach. I felt really sorry for the masseuse. According to her, the women have to get an official permit to work on the beaches, but sadly there was no clientèle. Both wife and husband work in Kuta and have a little girl to take care of. They have to make do with nasi (rice) and gado-gado every day. Meat of any kind is only for that rare occasion. She was so glad when I tipped her something extra after the massage. Life is tough!

I walked roughly 2 hours along the beach and saw the typical beach side "attractions" -- Hard Rock Cafe (the site of one of the terrorist bombings), McDonalds and Pizza Hut to name a few. Security at the larger hotels along the beach side was very tight. Armed guards inspect every person and vehicle entering the premises. A little eerie for a vacation, I must say. Of course, empty taxis and jobless tourist guides are everywhere. Pretty sad!

Tourists and backpackers hang out at the numerous bars and trendy restaurants along Poppies Gang II street and Jalan Legian. Great place for people-watching. One thing you have to bear in mind is that the street signs are unintelligible. Combine that with the narrow streets and the dim lighting, and you are guaranteed to lose your way.

I dined at Nasi Bali restaurant on Jalan Legian, very close to my hotel. I opted for a prix fixe Balinese menu (110,000 Rp) consisting of chicken soup with galangal root, nasi goreng, pork satay and black rice pudding. Boy, I am more and more impressed by Balinese cuisine. I shall definitely seek out a Balinese restaurant in San Francisco. Nothing like a couple of beers to top off this long, exciting and hot day. Next day, it was off to Ubud, interior Bali.

Bali (Kuta) -- Day 1 -- Restu Bali Hotel

It was a long, tiring night at the Hong Kong international airport. My 3 1/2 hour flight to Denpasar at 10.00 am was uneventful. The airport was very cheery and I looked forward to a fantastic time in Bali. Upon arrival, I got a visa for a week (10 USD). Since I had not made any hotel arrangements, I decided to book a room at the airport itself. After going through the brochures I settled on Restu Bali Hotel (435,000 Rupiah for two nights ~ 24 USD per night). This hotel is situated on the main strip in Kuta along Jalan Legian about 1/2 km from the beach.

Kuta is the principal tourist destination in Bali and approximately 15 minutes by taxi from the airport. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants and bars in Kuta Beach and Jalan Legian is the hotbed for nightlife in Bali. However, since 2002, this area has been under a deep economic crisis due to two terrorist bombings. Since most of the Balinese economy is from tourism, the effects of terrorism are very visible -- empty hotels, empty streets, empty stores, empty bars, empty beaches and empty restaurants. It's hard to imagine why someone would commit such dastardly acts on a people who are among the most peaceful and gentlest I've ever met. Unlike the rest of Indonesia, the Balinese are 85% Hindu and their commitment to non-violent ways are always on display. More about the Balinese later!

I took a cab to Kuta (45,000 Rupiah ~ 5 USD), once again a ripoff, not that I minded it that much. One thing you have to get used to is the number of zeros in the currency. You feel like a millionaire in Bali especially when you use the ATMs, and they are plentiful in Bali! First order of business was to get acquainted with the hotel and the surroundings. The hotel was very nice and had two Jacuzzis and two huge swimming pools. My room was for two persons with nice bathrooms and plenty of towels. The hotel was built in a typical Balinese style and reminded me a little of temples in India, however, without the ostentatious decorations. The hotel staff were extremely polite, helpful and spoke English with varying degrees of familiarity. The hotel was practically empty, maybe the fact that it was off-season had something to do something with it as well.

I relaxed for an hour in the Jacuzzi and never saw any other guests. After a quick shower, I checked with the hotel reception for restaurant recommendations. In the meanwhile, one of the hotel staff, Ayub, an extremely nice, polite man, suggested that the following day I try some outdoor activities. He was going to be my de facto guide throughout my stay in Bali. I sauntered along Jalan Legian and had an early dinner at Made Warung restaurant (it was also recommended by Lonely Planet). I relaxed with a bottle of Bintang beer until food. I had some excellent pork satay and nasi goreng (104,000 Rp). I shared my table with two young Japanese girls who spoke very little English. Nevertheless, with sign language and some Japanese words I knew, we had a great time.

Dinner done with, I walked back along Jalan Legian and took in the hundreds of (empty) arts and handicrafts stores, sporting goods stores, jewelery stores, restaurants, clothing stores and the always open bars. The merchandise was touristy for the most part and in my opinion a little schlocky. Of course, you cannot avoid the guys standing around offering you fake watches and shades or hawking "massage parlors". In an effort to survive, many of them convert their motorbikes into impromptu taxis. If you are traveling alone, it's a good deal to take one of these motorbikes. I stopped at Roscoe's Bar near my hotel and had two more Bintang beers (16,000 Rp each). You don't have to tip, although they were very glad when I did so. I returned to my hotel room and slept early, for the next day was going to be hectic.