Travel Talk

Balling in Bali

Yo yo, ladies, gentlemen, derelicts and debutantes,

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, I got to the airport at 7:45 and my flight left at 8:30, had no clue what terminal and I just guessed, I guessed wrong. Finally I get to the gate @ 7:55…. They tell me the gate has closed, I say, anything we can do… Suddenly it is open again.

I go to the gate and then run to immigration, massive line. I walk to the “VIP” aka “late” aka whatever. The dude lectures me on how arriving late is selfish and wrong. Stamps and I’m off. I run like I had hells dog hounds at my feet and get to security. I have so much electronics they could only laugh as I emptied my pockets. I took out a cell phone, sim card, 2 extra digi cam disks, 1 extra battery, a camera, ipod touch, headache pills and more.

I get to the gate and the guy takes my bag as I’m soooo late they have already boarded. I board the plane.

I get to Bali and feeling kinda frugal see this Austrian couple who bought a RTW ticket. I say “Hey let’s share a cab”. Our cab driver was the biggest downer in the world. Before that we exchange some money. These people were so cheap I felt like saying “Hey, why don’t you save another year to stop squabbling over dimes”.

I digress.

We get to Poppie lane in Kuta, Bail. What a DUMP. I mean glass shards on the tops of fences to keep freaks out and graffiti everywhere. I leave them and meet these Aussie chicks who say they have a place for 85,000R a night… Like a fool I follow the Austrians who have some Lonely Planet book. This couple was the 1000000% opposite of me, walking around dark alley’s with a lonely planet book looking for some place some guy stayed a few years ago. We get there they are sold out. So we keep looking and she is like the book says it should cost 85,000R a night… Nope, some dude says “hey that book is OLD, get with the times”, I laugh, so does he.

So… This trip has worked LIKE A CHARM in the past why? Because typically I would of followed the Aussie chicks to a nice place. We walk around these graffiti and cockroach infested back alleys for about half an hour. Finally I find a place for 165,000R a night. DOUBLE what I would of had, had I followed my gut, followed what has worked. Guide books are for people with no social skills. You get to POINT A and you talk to people and you go from there. Whatever, what is done is done.

So this place has no lock box and the door you could kick through, whateves (sic).

At this point I buy some smokes, 10,000R aka $1 for a pack of Marlboro lights. (quit for a bit, but at these prices, why not) Then I go to the “main club district”. It’s about a ~5 minute walk. Seriously I was offered “things” about 2 dozen times and I’m NOT exaggerating. I go to almost every club on the strip and drink a Heiny (sic) for about $3.50, then find a local beer similar to Chang which is a large version for $3.00. Drink a few. Next thing you know I’m on the dance floor.

Honestly this place is GRIMMEY!!!! I mean it’s outta control. If you want to get wasted for cheap and dance until dawn… I’d say go to Koh Phi Phi in Thailand, same same but nicer and different.

Meet a bunch of random people. At one point in I’m this techno club. Just sitting there. There are like 10 Aussie ladies just dancing on the main floor. I say to myself “I came here to stop having a boring life, if they don’t like me, I’ll go elsewhere.” End up dancing with them for hours before exchanging infos with this one lovely lady whose name I have already forgotten, ha.

Now it’s ~ 3:30 AKA my regular bed time because I typically follow the market. I’ve been trading in and out of POT.TO and FSLR for the last week for a tidy win might I add.

The place is UBER ghetto, my room is ok though. If you push the door forward you can see my whole room though, not so nice but it does have a pool, yay! I mean like as I said, graffiti on all the walls, roaches on the street and glass shards on top of the walls. If you are a prude or “straight edge” or a just a wimp… Don’t come here. Oh yeah, I’m in KUTA.

I leave my hotel for wifi. Instantly as I walk out the gate into this seedy back alley these dudes on a vespa say “Want a ride” I say “Sure”. So we’re 3 people on this tiny moped and they drop me off at this internet cafe that I’m typing this to you. It’s ~$0.90 an HOUR… What a deal.

Tomorrow I will find those Aussies OR realistically sleep through my deadline and pay another night @ ~$18 a night but look for it. She told me it was a place run by a family and they were cool, sounds cool to me.

Truth be told, since I’m getting near 3 months on this trip, this whole “party scene” is getting old. I will most likely stay here tomorrow, check out the beach then move to other beaches so I can share them with you, “John and Jane Q, Public”. If drinks weren’t cheaper then dirty I’d probably of said forget, no that’s a lie. I always go out my first night anywhere, it’s just “how I roll.”

Alright, it’s time for this gentleman to visit MAYBE 1 more club or just feel some local flavor. I will note this. People offering you stuff here is EXTREMELY BLATANT, what a contrast from Singapore. At ~3AM, I saw a WHOLE TRUCK LOAD of “Polisis” or whatever unloading into the “club district”.

Word to the wise, watch yourself, ok?

Alright, “Kuta” better impress me tomorrow or the day after I’m going to explore more and tour the island because I can. This place is kinda “deadbeat row”. If you are covered in tats and have no future, it may JUST BE the place for you. Otherwise, not much to see from my limited “got here at midnight” first night impression.

Good day,

P.S Gold looking alright to start dancing with again, slowly,  after a ~$10 haircut on the GLD ticker. Best to stay on your barstool and watch the floor imao.

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