Arrived Bali without incident. So nice to go for a swim and body surf. Place has cleaned up a lot since last time I was here in 2002. Much easier to walk around, roads are better, hotels are better. Got a good clean hotel room for 60k IRP in Jl Poppies I (was paying 80K for similar in Jakarta). However, everything else except beer is more expensive - well the taxi's, the food and the water (double the price!). Sunscreen is more expensive than Austalia - your looking at $20 AUD for a 100 ml bottle.
Went and visited Adu's - Charging 300K for essentially the same rooms they had when we were there 8 yrs ago, but with air-con. Same owner, new staff. Nobody recognised me, as expected. It was good to see it was still there though because there is a lot that has changed, and a lot that is in the process of changing... including a huge mall / hotel with Kuta beach frontage... shame.
From Adu's I was able to re-orientate myself, and I paid a visit to the site of afew party nights when I was here in 2002, which is now the site of a memorial to those who lost their lives in both bombings. Its a simple but beautiful memorial which the locals obviously care about, as it was covered in Hindu prayer offerings and yet there was nobody selling them nearby.
The level of english spoken here far exceeds Jakarta, even Jl Jaksa. Although it shouldn't be odd, its a bit strange to hear that the locals speak english with a pretty broad Australian accent.
Off to Dili tomorrow at 9. Moris Rasik are picking me up from the air-port, so holiday will be over. Looking forward to it.
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