Our first day in bali was, of course, spent at the beach. Like most places in Asia, Bali is plagued by a host of problems – store-front hagglers, aggressive street kids, and nightmarish moped-filled streets. At the beach, the peddlers are the very worst.
Despite these downfalls, even the bustling city of Kuta feels magical. The entrance to the gorgeous beach is bordered by sky-high, immaculately decorated columns – perhaps the remains of a long-forgotten temple.
The food is amazing. We dined on curry and rice with yummy watermelon juice for about $8. And I’m already addicted to sambol, a spicy traditional sauce that seems to be served alongside every meal.
Unfortunately, alcohol is pretty expensive. There’s one local beer (which is pretty decent) that rings in around $3 for a 24 oz bottle, but mixed drinks and other beers are as pricey as they are in the United States.
The people are warm and welcoming, but are seriously misleading. Anyone will do pretty much anything to squeeze out some extra rupiah. At bars, restaurants and shops they charge more than the menu price, give you the wrong change, or forget your change altogether.
The waves were small, but we got lucky – as the sun began to set the waves pumped up and pitched perfectly over our heads. The barrels were so teeny I could barely fit my head through, but it was a good ride nonetheless. It’s crazy how perfect the waves formed for how small they were – I can’t imagine how amazing they must be at a good 7-10 feet!
Tomorrow, we’ll be traveling to Bali’s reptile park and aviary, since the bf is obsessed with crocodiles, exotic birds an Komodo dragons. Until next time !
