Balling in Bali on a Buskers Budget

Greetings,

Before we begin, let me tell you that I’ve found a high correlation between most inspiring evenings followed by most uninspiring bloggeries. Last night was great, lets hope this update doesn’t suck. This entire evening occurred with yours truly spending a paltry sum of $2.50US.

So “Sky Garden” has a deal from 10PM-12PM of Bintan bottled beers for $0.50US. I went there and drank 5. Before that I was sitting on my bed with a fist full of fiat currency and decided how much to “bring out”. Typically I carry too much money and as a result, spend more than I should. This evening I only had 50,000Ru($5US) and decided to leave the rest at home.

I hit up the garden, have my drinks and head over to Gora Steps. I check out several bars to see if any of the different “parties” I know going out are “out and about”. None of them. While passing Gora I see this one friend, lets call him Juanz. I sit next to him and suddenly I’m at a new party, meeting new friends. This Kate Moss look alike is giving me her facebook on my ipod touch when by accident she burns a hole in my forehead with her cigarette.

I digress.

At Gora, it’s just people hanging out, drinking vodka and random mixed drinks with house music blaring from a boom box outside a store that sells liquor, it is seriously “nothing more, nothing less” but a great spot to just “kick it” so to speak.

Gora Steps in Kuta, Bali during the day

Just when I think I’m heading home, I run into more people and suddenly I’m back on Legian street again, dancing and bar hopping like it is going out of style. Somehow the people I was with brought in this massive jug of vodka and juice which we drank with great vigor and zeal. The people here mix drinks strong. Strong to the tune of 80% liquor, 20% juice. Makes for a quick “start your engines and GO GO GO” type evening.

I fell asleep at about 4am, at 4:20am the guy who I am sharing a room with now (from Finland) shows up with an “after party”. They shake me a few times until I come too and we continue what started at 10PM until 7 in the morning before literally ‘crashing’. I woke up on this disgusting mattress, somehow I moved around and the sheet came off, it was most alarming. That’s ok because I haven’t used the dreaded word “alarm” in months, let alone my least favorite, the “alarm clock”. Right before I passed out, I went to the store for some ice cream and smokes, below is a photo I took.

The more I travel, the smarter I get. You see, whatever you bring with you, usually gets spent. Had I brought more with me, I’d of simply bought more. Instead I just “went with it” and arguably had one of the better evenings I’ve had in a while. On top of that, I only spent half of what I had, whether you bring a fist full or a modest sum, whenever you get “low” you start thinking more how you will spend your last few $, it’s common cents (sic) really.

So let’s talk about “going out and painting the town” while traveling. Many say it is wasteful, but is it? How many “cool” people do you meet during the day when they have their masks of civility on? How many people do you meet on late night jaunts through club districts when people are truly “being themselves” and the “real uninhibited” versions of themselves come to light, in the dark of night?

One could argue that if you want to go out and club, you could just do it back home, save that $$$ for traveling. Flip side is, one could also argue that if you just want to “see the sights” why not go to wikipedia and save yourself the hassle of going there in the first place?

From my travels I have come to conclude the following. A “healthy mix” of both is what is best. To travel and not go out with a mixed international crowd is lame. To travel and exclusively go out is also lame. If you can find some balance while walking this tight-rope with no net beneath you are truly walking like an Egyptian, I have no clue what that means.

On a side note, I booked a flight to  Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for $69US today, it leaves from Jakarta on the 4th. I am annoyed that I waited 2 days considering it was only $43US last night. Lesson learned? Don’t drag your feet on a break neck deal. I’m addicted to cheap airfare if you haven’t already clued in and the dollar sum is irrelevant, it’s the percentage difference. The percentage increase from $43US to $69US is quite egregious. Whether it’s 43 cents to 69 cents, $4.3 to $6.9, $43-$69, $430-$690, $43,000-$69,000, can you see where I’m going? Of course you can.

I had a delicious cordon bleu for breakfast, now I’m here with you and later, I will eat some type of steak, or maybe some jumbo prawns from the sea, who am I kidding, I’ll eat both. This is getting me hungry, for $5US I can get the “seafood platter” which consists of snapper, jumbo prawns, crab, squid and some other creatures from the sea.

Good day,