This is the very last day of my trip. Sure, I have tomorrow, but it will be spent in transit. More airports, more planes, yippee...
In the last few days, I had the chance to get a taste of what Bali's like. It can be summed up in keywords...
Ubud - Where I am right now. It's supposed to be the more artsy side of Bali, whereas Kuta (the most popular destination) is more the drink-till-you-pass-out centre, favoured by the Aussies. I picked Ubud 'cause I've seen enough drunk Australians in my time Down Under.
Tourism - While Kuta gets the alcoholics-for-a-week, Ubud gets another kind of tourist altogether: the culture-tourist. Bent on seeing and doing as many 'traditional' and 'authentic' things as possible, they let themselves get bilked around every corner. Still, it's quite easy to find a less touristy lifestyle in Ubud. A few hundred metres from the main road you suddenly find yourself looking at rice paddys.
'Transport?' - The question you'll hear most often, followed by 'room?'. The amount of people asking you this is staggering. But they're not very persistent. At most, they'll ask you if you need transport/a room tomorrow. One guy added a third question of his own. I hadn't been on my own for more than ten minutes and he asked me the two standard questions. He then came closer and said 'you have money? You have money. Maybe I can show you good time, eh?' Bless me, it didn't register for a second. When it did, I could only smile sheepishly and make a quick getaway.
Traffic - Mopeds aplenty, and that's what gives the local traffic its chaotic appearance. They weave in and out of traffic. Crossing the main road is a lot of fun - it's basically survival of the fittest. You don't wait until the cars stop, you just say a little prayer, dive in and hope to make it out alive. A little strategy and a lot of speed goes a long way here!
Couples - Bali is very much a couples destination. It's a romantic getaway, apparently. As a single traveller, you're often pitied.
The Dutch - My, there are a lot of us here! Over half the tourists here speak Dutch. It's a miracle no restaurant has clued in on this - 'Wij spreek nederlans'.
Okay, some shopping is to be done today and then I have to prepare for tomorrow. One plus: since this is the last time, I don't have to be meticulous in my packing. As long as it all fits, it's all good! I'll probably post an epilogue back home, but this is my last real, written-on-the-road entry.
Shep+