Kuta Beach, Bali
2008-02-15 to 2008-02-17
My first impression arriving into Denpasar airport is that Bali is a lot like Hawaii. This was reinforced when I saw all the modern western shops, bars and restaurants. My second impression was that Kuta is a shopping Mecca. It`s got tons of stalls as well as fancy stores with the real brands. My third impression was that its a shopping nightmare, as its got tons of stalls as well as tons of stores with the real brands. My 4th impression is that its just like every other tourist driven 3rd world country I`ve been to, where you can`t walk 4 feet without being hassled for a manicure or transport or drugs of some kind. It`s a lot like Khao San road in Bangkok in that way, except it`s not really a backpacker place. I think I`ll have to get out to some of the surrounding islands for that laid back traveller vibe.
One thing I noticed right away is that everyone here calls you "darling", and they say it "da-ling." The first time it happened, it came from one of the staff at my guest house. I thought to myself "that`s sweet, people are really friendly here." The second time it happened, I thought "wait a minute". The third time it happened, i thought "apparently that`s what they call us foreigners to get our attention and seem like our friend". The 4th time it happened, I found it mildly annoying, and the 5th time it happened, I thought "Stop calling me darling! I am not your darling, you don`t know me!" This all happened in the course of about 3 minutes.
My impression so far is that Kuta Beach is good for 2 thing. No, not surfing and sunbathing. The beach is narrow and covered with trash. The ocean is choppy and brown. There are waves, but it`s nothing like the glassy blue perfectly formed waves I always pictured. No, the two things Kuta is good for are shopping and eating. Unfortunately, those are two things that I`m very good at, and I really enjoy. They are also the two plagues I was most hoping to be able to rid myself of on this journey. I had hoped that maybe I had gotten over my love of clothes and food (two things that definitly don`t go together), at least a little bit, but I was wrong. I think my year away has not so much helped me control it as it has fueled the fire. I`m currently trying to talk myself out of a $50 billabong wallet with hibiscus flowers on it that I`ve gone to look at 4 times in the last 2 days.
The problem is, even when you manage to get something for a dollar, you walk away feeling like a sucker because you probably should have gotten it for 50 cents, and locals probably only pay 10. You feel like they are laughing their way to the bank while talking about what a stupid foreigner you are. You just paid $3 for a top! Granted, they started at $7, but it probably should have cost you $1. I know it sounds ridiculous when you are at home, but when you are away, its your job to not be taken advantage of, and that $3 pays for that night`s hotel.
The thing that will probably keep my in Kuta Beach more than anything is the food. For lunch yesterday I had an avocado salad that had an entire avocado cut in half, sitting on the side. For dinner I had chicken fettuccine in a pesto cream sauce with garlic bread on the side, which was amazing, and from a take-away joint. I`ve got no chance of losing any of the weight I put on when i was gorging myself on all you can eat rice and curry every night. Now I`m back surrounded by food that I love. I better get out of here quick!
