Monday, October 5 - Arriving in Bali - Meeting My Driver

When I started my plan for this trip, I had nearly no knowledge of Indonesia nor Bali – only the desire to visit, the previously referenced blog of my daughter/son-in-law, and dated information that a former classmate from my high school days – whom I had not seen since my high school days – had a place in Bali. Once I got my airline ticket for the trip, I began efforts to renew 5 year old email contact I had with the former classmate by calling the California phone number shown in an old “reunion” listing. Good fortune was with me that April day as I found my friend on a 3 week home trip from his ex-pat life in Bali and arranged a lunch meetup. The friend/former classmate became very helpful in giving me ideas for my trip – and suggesting that I might want to use his “driver” to get around. I immediately accepted the opportunity especially because I had learned that there is almost no public transportation in Bali: my choices included hiring a driver or driving myself.

So, that paragraph is the long story about how I connected with this driver named “Made” who met me at the airport upon my arrival.

Made, a 30 year old native Balinese who makes his living as a driver, tour guide and masseur, took me to my hotel and then, as we had arranged my email, drove me to the famed and infamous, Kutu Beach.

 As we took a short stroll and sipped the local Bintang beer at a beach vendor's stand – we talked about the local gigolos referred to by the name of the movie “Kutu Cowboys” and observed a few in action talking and teaching surfing. Kutu is also home to the very active Bali night club scene – and infamous club bombings in 2002 and 2005. Since clubing is not my interest, I told Made I just wanted to visit the Kutu Beach just to be able to say I had and today, while beautiful, it was like many other beautiful beaches around the world including those in California, Hawaii and Florida. Always great people watching and this one was no exception.

In keeping with my request that we avoid western food/eateries, we stopped for a delicious and simple meals at a roadside restaurant.

When Made dropped me back at my hotel in the Sanur district – I proceeded to discover a wonderful brick pathway running in front of the many beach resorts in the area.

 I walked for what seemed like miles through both luxury resort waterfronts and simple local food and vendor stalls, all the while enjoying people watching – both the wealthy tourists in the beachside pools and beach cabanas, and the poor hawkers of every kind of tourist trinket/clothing/jewelry/souvenir and local food/drink.

Before retiring for the night, I decided to eat another delicious, local Indonesian dinner at the beachside restaurant connected to my resort as the evening turned dark.