There and Back 2005

The Balinese people are however very nice, very friendly, gracious, and eager to engage in small talk.

For the first three days, we stayed in Krabokan, just outside Kuta where all the tourists stay. Krabokan was quietish and the hotel we stayed in was gorgeous. The only draw back was that we were the sole occupants and there for had a cadre of staff waiting on us beck and call. Now that may sound nice but honestly, you step out of your room and the music stops, people snap to attention, people formerly playing pool scatter, and they rush into action with small talk and offers for tours, more coffee, more this, more that. They were great but we're just not used to that kind of service. Its smothering. How about this, you just bring me my food today, and I eat it peace and quite and you just do what ever you want to. I hate making people go out of their way for me. I guess thats a bad attitude, one I'll have to get over.

While in the greater Kuta area, we did a lot of window shopping. Anything you want to decorate a house can be had for cheap there. Its the shipping costs that ultimately bring purchases back to reality. That and the fact that the tropical wood likely will split when brought to temerate climes. Still, a nice teak bed will run you about $300, unless you are a good haggler, but shipping it to the US was about $450, so it seemed impractical.

Also, we walked passed the place where the Bali night club bombing occured. Its just an empty lot fenced off, but across the street they have a memorial to commemorate the dead and its very nice. All around the empty lot is the chaos of street vendors, touts, noisy motor scooters and mopeds, traffic, and people everywhere. Its quite a contrast. Very sad to see though, and the Balinese people seem so sad that it happened and are quite to point out that it was the Muslim Javanese who perputrated the bombing. Balinese are Hindu and seem to me to be a very peaceful, peaceloving and kind people.

Ok, the heat is getting to me so the above post is probably nonsense. I'll try and update again soon.