Seoul -- Day 5 - Annyeng-yo haseyo!

I woke up early (5.30 am), freshened up and returned Matthias' alarm clock I'd borrowed. Just before my departure, I exchanged goodbyes with a few of the house mates and left with my trusty backpack carrying some good memories and leaving behind some good friends. Within a few minutes the bus arrived and with a heavy heart I left Seoul. Man it was such an experience.

The flights onward to San Francisco were fairly uneventful, but with a good book and my trusty iPod the journey came to an end. As soon as I landed in San Francisco, I got to see fat people again! Nowhere in Asia did I find anyone as obese as Americans. Oh well, home at last.

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.

KL-Hong Kong -- Day 4 -- Goodbye Again!

This was my last day in KL. I checked out of Pondok lodge, left my luggage at the guest house and went downstairs to meet Perng for breakfast. He took me to a local Malaysian-Chinese place where we had typical breakfast, noodles for me, some tripe with noodles for Perng and plenty of hot tea. We went to KLCC (below Petronas Towers) just to chat and had some soy milk beverage (it didn't taste too bad). He gave me a brief lesson in Malay history; we talked about the neo-Islamic architecture and watched some classical South Indian music played in the KLCC podium (it was nearing Diwali-time). Around 12.30 pm, I had to bid goodbye to Perng, since I was scheduled to fly out at 4.45 pm.

I went back to the lodge, picked up my luggage and took a cab to KLIA (12 MYR). From KLIA, I took the most excellent KLIA ekspres (sic) and arrived early. For 35 MYR, you arrive right at the airport within 1/2 hour avoiding all the traffic. I had the lousiest nasi goreng at the airport food court. The plane ride to Hong Kong was uneventful, but on the downside, I had almost 12 hours before my flight to Den Pasar (Bali). The time was too short to venture into Hong Kong Island for an overnight stay.

The best option was to the Hong Kong airport hotel. Unfortunately, it was too damn expensive (1,800 HKD plus 18% service charge/tax) ~ 220 USD. I could have afforded it, but in the spirit of the backpacking trip I declined and walked back to the terminal, and slept fitfully on the none-too comfortable chairs near the arrival lounge. Had I known better, I would have checked in and used the comfortable "barca-loungers" inside the terminal. Oh well! To pass time, I read, listened to my iPod, slept, woke up, read, listened to iPod, drank water, slept and so on. On to Bali!