Kuta Beach

Arrived yesterday at Kuta. Compared to Gili Trawangan this place is a nightmare. Kuta is much more crowded and noisy than Gili Trawangan. However it is still a beach area so still pretty nice especially if you surf. Also I don't recommend Ronta Bungalows and the Lonely Planet Bali & Lombok 13th edition, it seems pretty outdated. The problems with Ronta are its mosquito infested, too close to the street so you hear all the traffic, it seems there is a 24 hour bar underneath so can the place's music all night and there is no hot water and the blanket did not smell the freshest. But having said all that it was the cheapest place we stayed so far, so I really cannot complain all that much you get what you pay for.

I have crabs...

...but they went away

Meeting new friends

Just met a new friend and it decided that my lap was going to be its bed for the night. It randomly came up to me and laid in my lap. I think it knew I had just ordered food. Because when the food arrived it expected a petting tax. However it did go back to sleep in my lap after it was satiated.

Had the fish eating out of my hands

Just got back from a three island tour snorkeling trip on a glass bottom boat. We did snorkeling off the coast of the three Gili islands. The first drop was the least eventful but I accidentally food an octopus hiding in a rock. I swan down thinking it was coral but it moved and stared at me like you are messing up my attack spot. The only other thing that I saw besides your typical schools of different kinds of fish and besides coral was a colorful sea snake. The next place we went we were guaranteed to see turtles and we did. I dove down and a turtle swam right at me. I stared into its soul and its soul told me to get out of the way so I can get some air. Finally we went to a place where the fish eat food out of your hand. In the process I discovered that tropical fish love bread. Who knew? I think every time I go swimming on a tropical island from now on, I am going to bring a loaf of bread. It will make my swims more interesting. No pictures this time as my Motorola DynaTAC is not waterproof.

Trekking around Gili Trawangan

Today, I literally walked around all of Gili Trawangan. The island is tiny. It probably can be done in about three hours but it took us all afternoon because we stopped to swim and eat and walk around the part of the island where the local people live. The best part of the trek was discovering goats have super leaping abilities. Also the views were great.

Another restaurant in Ubud

Last night I went a pretty descent restaurant in Ubud. For some reason every person in there besides myself and the wait staff were French. But even with all the french the atmospheric was good. The place was literally across the street from the other restaurant I wrote about earlier. The was good but I enjoyed the other place better, so I want go in to details. Enjoy more pictures of food. This is turning into a lame food blog, instead of a lame blog about nothing. I need to rethink or mission statement.

Easily the best beach I have ever been to

Just arrived to Gili Trawangan. The place is beautiful. Nicest beach I have been to. Here are a few picture of the bungalow and the beach. You can see my chicken satey lunch which was one of the best sateys I have had. Oh beach vacations are great.

Ubud has a lot of rice paddies

Today, my roommate and I took a walking trek (the trek on page 145 of the Lonely Planet: Bali & Lombok, everyone and there mom is carrying this lonely planet) through Ubud and got to copious amounts of rice paddies. The trek was pretty tiring but fun. However the best part of the day was going to a local Balinese restaurant by myself, I got the restaurant suggestion from a local. Attached are the only pictures I took today that is how much I liked the food. The best dish was the one with rice, it tasted almost like a Mexican mole, but it was curry chicken, and it was called nasi rendang a yam. The other dish was nasi campour ayam. It was vegetables covered in peanut sauce. Very tasty but the other dish was better, although I think anything covered in peanut sauce is good.

And last night we saw the Legong dance at ubud palace. I really enjoyed it. The music is like something out of Sun Ra's dream. It like a mix of choral music and avant garde jazz. It reminded me when I used to live next to Mead Chapel at Middlebury and they would play the church bells on Sunday, except more jazzy and a little atonal. I hope the videos I attach work but I still am learning to use my Motorola DynaTAC. Otherwise there will just be pictures.

Being Japanese is not a good idea right now

Last week or the week before that. I don't remember any more. Japan pissed of a lot of people in China and made traveling around where I live annoying because I don't live far from the Japanese embassy. Here are some pictures of the Chinese army setting up a blockade so that protesters could not destroy the embassy. While setting up the blockade they made getting to dinner around lucky street impossible. Thanks for ruining my dinner plans Japan. The later pictures are of a Japanese restaurant on lucky street that had to put up signs saying that the diaoyu islands belonged to China. A lot protesters were harassing restaurant owners on lucky street because there are several Japanese restaurants there as it is close to the Japanese embassy. They even harassed owners of the Italian restaurant along the street.

I didn't take pictures of this but people where harassing the Japanese residents that live in the compounds next to lucky street. It was not a good week to be Japanese anything in China. Good thing I don't look too Japanese.

My office getting ready for national day

I think we need more flags. At least bigger full sized flags.

Yeah I am in Bali and you are not

Here are some pictures from my hotel room in Bali. Did I mention I am in Bali? Just got in today but so far so good although it looks like it might rain.

Sent from my Motorola DynaTAC.