Greetings,

You’ve heard me talk of this fruit platter many times. Part of the reason I just can’t go home again for a bit is because of things like this. If you earn your money online, why would you NOT live somewhere tropical where you can get a fruit platter like this for $1US?

What will $1us get me back home? Oh yeah, not even a coffee.

Crazy, yes?

Cordially,

Note: To see the image larger, right click “view image”.

While in Bali, Indonesia I ran into two Swedish girls I had met on Khao San Road, Bangkok, Thailand. They told me they were going north to see the black sand beaches near Pemuteran. They also informed me that I was welcome to join them, obviously I said “sure”.

We hired a private driver and he dropped us off near the ocean. We stayed at a small guest house that also ran a non profit to help educate the local children and orphans. Spent Christmas with the orphans and local children playing soccer with a ball that barely rolled.

The kids were incredibly friendly and seemed to be extremely happy. It was a memorable Christmas and very different from any other I’ve had. I will say this, if you get something caught in a tree in the tropics, don’t just shake it, you may be completely covered in red ants, not so fun.

Tips hat,

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Greetings,

You drive through some mountains to get from the south of Bali to the north. One one of the passes it’s nicknamed “Monkey Mountain” or at least that is what our driver said. Basically the street is just lined with monkey’s who congregate and chill out. They do so because may tourists drive by and everyone wants to feed them /take photos.

We fed them, they are clever little creatures. Wouldn’t get too close though as many monkey’s have rabies as well. Also, it is easier to kick a dog or handle one then a rabid monkey. I wouldn’t want to meet a rabid dog (again) or a rabid monkey but I think the monkey would be harder to deal with… I think.

Regards,

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Greetings,

This photo was taken at sunrise on Poppies Gang 1 aka Poppies Lane 1 in Kuta, Bali. This was after one of the best nights I had on this trip and it only cost me $2.85 for a party from 8pm to ~whenever this was taken. I was just leaving a 7/11 of sorts when this was taken.

Turns out I ran into some other friends still going on my way home and we went down to the beach and had some drinks with this local crew who weren’t ready to retire yet. Kuta, Bali is a great time. The place doesn’t look so nice, in fact it looks kinda creepy / seedy at night but it’s totally different during the day.

Regards,

Note: To enlarge image, right click and select “view image”.

Greetings,

Spent Xmas at guest house in Pemuteran, Bali. It was a guest house that helped fund programs for the local children and orphans. It was a different Christmas. I spent it playing soccer with these guys and other kids. Nice kids, happy kids.

It’s interesting to see kids having so much fun with 1 soccer ball that has barely any air in it and is made of a cheap plastic. Other side of the world there are kids complaining about not getting the latest video system despite already having a perfectly good one and being able to go to a friends to play it if they want…

We’re way too materialistic for our own good.

I will add that if you get a ball stuck in a tree in the tropics, do not just shake it like back home… You never know what or who is living in it. I did that and an army of red aunts were all over me. I think it made those kid’s day.

Regards,

Note: To enlarge image, right click and select “view image”.

Greetings,

While in Bali there was this large ZTE party on Kuta beach. Having been in Kuta for a while at the time I was looking for one of those $0.50 lunches that the local guys eat. My Finnish friend and I had gotten into them heavy, I was spending almost nothing daily. By that I mean if I spent over $15 a day, including room, I woke shaking my head thinking I was a spend-thrift.

A random walk ended up in me doing the bungee trampoline. It’s a lot of fun you can do back flips, front flips, whatever you want and you go really, really high. Let me explain how it happened.

I went looking for that food but could find nothing. Suddenly I was at the main stage and they were auctioning off a new ZTE cell phone. For some reason I found myself lifting my hand to out bid these Chinese guys. Then they said X price which was like $60 was the max bid, ends auction immediately.

A few others started bidding and suddenly I started to feel like I might not win this auction for a phone I didn’t want or need. I told them max bid. I did all the paper work and came back without lunch but a new cell phone. My friends started laughing and one of the Balinese guys opened it up and said it’s not GSM, you can’t use it outside of Indo, fyi.

I went back and wanted a refund, no refund… Waited around for them to unlock it but they took forever. At first they said they can’t unlock it but later caved. After 2-3 hours they said I could wait 10 more minutes or get my money back. I took the money, obviously.

Everyone who bought a phone got a “free trampoline session”. While I was waiting, I used the trampoline. If you ever get the chance, I recommend it, feels like total freedom. Personal favorite is the running backflip. That said, for whatever reason it’s incredibly exhausting to get yourself to the top over and over again. One of my friends from the guest house took that photo.

Tips hat,

P.S: Love how there is a dude filming with my camera but he hit “record” after I did right as I started so it was all lost. That said, he did film it like I was his kid at some little league championships, props to him.

Note: To see the image larger, right click “view image”.

Greetings,

Not sure if this pack of dogs are rabid or not but look at that one snarling… I had been drinking with a random Frenchman on Christmas Eve and he insisted we go looking for a party. I knew there would be no party but I think he missed home. He bought the vodka and was all about “making the most of Xmas away from home”.

I humored him and we went. We ran into this gang of dogs near the end of the lane. They were not nice, at all. Can’t remember exactly what went down but it was very tense and I do believe some stones were thrown. Late at night in many countries this is the exact type of “crew” you most certainly do not wish to run into… Trust me.

Regards,

Note: To see the image larger, right click “view image”.

Greetings,

This photo is of a “bouncer” at one of the clubs in Kuta, Bali wielding a machine gun.

Every once and while you forget that you’re not home anymore but actually, you’re in say “Indonesia”. Many of the night clubs have guys with machine guns as their bouncers. I have never seen anything that would require a guy with a machine gun but I was only there for 3 weeks so who knows.

Also probably has to do with the large bomb then went off in Kuta a few year ago killing all too many people.

Regards,

Note: To see the image larger, right click “view image”.

Greetings,

This photo is of the “Gora Steps” in Kuta, Bali. To most they are just known as “the steps”. Basically at night the store above puts out a boom box and blares house music or something of that nature. It’s like a meeting place for many travelers as well as locals from Kuta. People basically just hang out listening to music while drinking before going to the clubs.

Often times the “steps” rages all night and you don’t even go to a club. It has a central location on Poppies Gang II so people are always walking by some stopping, some leaving, that kind of thing. If you’re in Bali, definitely go have a drink there a few times, it’s good fun.

Tips hat,

Note: To see the image larger, right click “view image”.

Hello,

While driving to Pemuteran in the north of Bali we came across this place. I think the driver always brings people here as it’s an expensive place to get lunch. The ladies I was with and myself agreed we weren’t going to pay extra and told him to keep going until we found something on the side of the road.

We found some stuff but it just looked horrible. Much later we hit a village and found everything we were looking for. This place seemed really nice but there is literally NOTHING going on around it. Very isolating near the side of the highway. I think I’d go insane if I stayed there.

Cordially,

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