My travel destinations over the last year

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Saturday, July 31, 2010

Back to Bali, Indonesia

After several days on Lombok I decided it was time to leave this paradise and head back to Bali.  A public ferry makes the crossing over to Bali in about 3 hours so I jumped on that since it cost me only about $4.00.   

I arrived to the port of Padang Bai on Bali and took a minivan heading to Kuta.  Even though Kuta, one of the main touristy areas in Bali, is so overcrowded with tourists in July and August, it’s still a great place to use for exploring other areas.  I arrived to Kuta around 8pm and I figured that the hotel I had stayed at before would have room available but sadly on this night they were full.  Luckily I met this couple from the Czech Republic on the street also searching for a room and after going to well over 20 hotels (although I would not call them hotels by our standards) and hearing that all were FULL we finally found 1 room and ended up sharing - all 3 of us!  I’m starting to really hate the word “full”!

Every country I’ve traveled to is a little different when it comes to basic accommodation but here in Indonesia basic accommodation means that you pay around $10-15 for a private room/bathroom, surprisingly there are very few hostels (dorm rooms) here which are ideal since they are typically much cheaper ($5/night) and it’s easier to meet other travelers.   

Most places I stay in only have bottom sheets that may or may not have been washed, toilets with no toilet paper and sometimes no toilet bowl just a hole in the ground, sometimes no sink, cold water showers or sometimes only a bucket with a plastic scoop for your shower, if you're lucky an oscillating fan otherwise just a ceiling fan, and no towels so I’ve gotten into the habit of using my sarong as a towel and also as a top bed sheet.

The problem with traveling so much is that I rarely stay in one hotel long enough to have my clothes washed and dried.  Most of the washing is done by hand and then hung on a line to dry so you need at least 2 days in one place for that to happen.  I’ve gotten use to constantly wearing dirty clothes.  It might sound horrible but I find that you adjust quickly.

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