So far, Ian and I are not impressed with Kuta. It’s a bit like Sanur and Candidasa with one main street lined with open air restaurants, only these restaurants are massive, pricier, and far more touristy. There are more tourists than locals here. As you walk the street (there is a sidewalk!) locals call to you as you pass by: “Taxi?” or “Massage please?” (Do you want a massage?). Ian and I say – no thank you – and they reply: you’re welcome.
The beach is a good distance from our hotel with a large stretch of white sandy beach and the sun is hot. There are some large waves but not Hawaii sized. I walked down to the beach twice and Ian went down there a third time. Not a lot of people were swimming (because of the waves) but many were trying to surf. The boards are smaller than the ones we’ve seen on TV, I guess because the waves are not as big. There is a small mall close by with a Burger King, Pizza Hut, Dominos and of course, Starbucks. Ian counted three Starbucks here.
I didn’t think we could be any lazier than what we were in Sanur but in Kuta, we managed it just fine. We avoided the beach and stuck to the hotel pool, swimming several times a day. Lunch and dinner were out at restaurants down the street – and no meal was as good as any we had in Sanur. We went out for coffee and read (a lot).
Since our trip began, we’ve done a lot of reading. Ian has been sticking to non-fiction: 1000 Years of Annoying the French, the God Delusion, Malcolm Gladwell’s What the Dog Saw (a book of essays) and now Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything (Bryson is a travel writer). He's liked them all. I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I’ve been reading the Sookie Stackhouse novels and have just finished my 9th one. Harris (author) is a dreadful writer – and in every single book she feels compelled to give us background on everything and everyone as if we didn’t read the previous books. I end up skipping entire paragraphs because of that. I recommend sticking with the series True Blood and avoiding the books. I also read One Day, there’s a movie out with Ann Hathaway, same title – and it was okay.
When we’re not reading or being tourists, we play cards, blog, surf on the internet, or watch TV. This is a treat for us since we don’t have cable at home. We’ve seen some pretty bad movies (the other night, we watched this old movie about a giant octopus that eats people) and we have learned a lot from the Animal Planet.
Our backpacks are holding up really well – although Ian feels he could have managed fine with a smaller one than his 55 litre bag. I love my Deuter because it has a netting on the back that keeps the heavy part away from my back which keeps me dry and not too hot. Ian's sits right against his back and it's hot. His is also a light grey which is getting dirty while mine is a darker blue and still looking clean.
Some items we brought we wished we hadn’t, while others have proved invaluable. Much of the literature I read in preparation for the trip recommended bringing one pair of shoes. Ian bought Keens and that’s all he brought, but he ended up getting a pair of light flipflops which are handy for the pool and in the room. He loves his Keens though. I brought lightweight hikers, sandals and flipflops and am very glad that I brought all three. When my hikers get wet or dirty, I can wear my sandals – the flipflops are for the pool and inside (many times the floors are not the cleanest and feet will end up black if you don’t have footwear on). When Ian’s shoes get wet or dirty, he has to endure it. I recommend bringing at least two pairs of shoes.
It was also recommended to bring post-its, but we haven’t used them once. I do wish we had packed a universal sink plug because many times we’ve been caught without a plug and then it’s impossible to wash clothes. Once I used a clean plastic garbage bin, another time we asked the homeowner for a plastic basin, and a third time, Ian stuck a bottle upside down in the hole and unscrewed it, leaving the cap in to prevent water from draining out. Then you just put the bottle back in and screw the lid on and remove. It worked like a charm. Other times, we had to wait till our next location.
I also wish I had brought a bathing suit that was ultra conservative for Java and Sumatra because of the Muslin population there – even though mine is a one-piece and not that revealing, I still felt awkward. Often times, I was the only woman swimming and when there were women swimming – they were fully clothed, I kid you not. A good bug spray is essential but we’ve been lugging around mosquito coils and never once used them. I think every place we stayed in except one, had soap – and most places have shampoo so a small bottle is fine. I’m glad I brought moisturizer especially for those times I got sunburned (stuck it in the fridge and put on when cold – helped a lot!).
I’m glad I brought a light weight hat – but Ian got a Tilly hat and he finds it too hot. I do wish I hadn’t brought white socks and brought dark ones instead – that was dumb. They get dirty fast, especially when you enter a temple in socks – they get filthy. We brought a deck of cards and have played a lot (but will have to put them in a baggie soon because the case is ripped). Speaking of which, we brought baggies – both large and small and have used them a lot – they’re so handy. Other handy items: umbrella, lightweight jacket, an inflatable airline pillow, eye mask, bandaids, tylenol, e-reader, netbook, small notebook with pen, small flashlight (each), lip balm, quick drying towel and washcloth, plastic bags, hydrocortisone ointment, and sunblock.
We both feel we’ve brought too many clothes. I could have easily lived with 3 pair of pants (really, I could have lived with 2) and 1 pair of shorts rather than 4 pair of pants. I did buy a Columbia black dress and that’s been handy – I can wear it over my bathing suit or for dressier occasions. I also brought a longsleeved pullover but have only worn that once - the jacket is enough. However, I ended up losing my jacket on route to Sanur and now have to shop for another one. I wasn't too happy about that...
We leave Indonesia for Thailand now and are ready to move on to a new country. I look forward to some yummy Thai food!
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