Bali Day 1 : Arriving Kuta

Flight from Melb to Bali takes about 5hrs and I was given a window seat. The flight was quite empty and the weather was so beautiful. We could see the beautiful Australia landscape from above. We saw Ayers Rock (Uluru) and Olgas!!

Arrived Denpasar Airport in Bali around 1230pm, and the Custom officer gave me some kinda weird look when I told him I travelled alone and haven't booked my accommodation (as we had to fill in those information in the visitor form)...

Soon after I walked out from the airport, this English spoken Balinese uncle came to talk to me and showed me some brochures of some hotels. Since Gerald's flight was expected to arrive around 7pm, I decided to check into Pendawa Hotel first. (Errr... Ok ok, I lied... I was actually being talked to go to Pendawa Hotel because this English spoken Balinese uncle couldn't stop talking me to go to this hotel, and he wouldn't go away even when I said I'll wait for my friend? ...Actually, after seeing Denpasar Airport is actually so "simple" and no where comfy for me to wait for Gerald to arrive... I thought it wasn't a bad idea to check into a hotel first also lah!!! =)

Anyway, I stayed in my room until Ma-de (the Hotel Staff) came in to bring me some bottle water and showed me some of his paintings. Well, I bought 2 paintings from him and tried to find out more details about Ubud because he lives there! And he was kind enough to offer me a ride to Ubud on his motorbike when he finished at 4pm, so that I could check out some Hotel for tomorrow.

I must admit it was a very enjoyable ride to Ubud. Probably because everything was so new to me? Saw a lot of temples, rice terrace and small villages... The traffic was quite chaotic probably because I don't quite get their road system? ...It seems very dangerous to me, the way they drive and their road system...

Anyway, Ma-de took me to his place to meet his mother and two sisters first. I regreted for not taking any photos with them. The "area" where his mother sleeps is very-the-POSH! ...Her bed is right in the middle of the garden, without any walls at all... but there's 4 GOLD painted pillars and the floor are all painted in GOLD too. The bed is so big and there's mosquito net around... just like a royal bed!! ...Other than his mother's sleeping area... their houses around are quite simple and ugly.

We chatted for a little while and his mother came out from shower walking around TOPLESS with just sarong wrapping bellow her waist... Wow?! I suddenly became the most conservative female in Bali cos I didn't even own a bikini!?!? ...Balinese really that open ah?!?!

Anyway, we checked out a few accommodations and made reservation and then we roughly cruised around the streets in Ubud on motorcycle before we headed back to Kuta to wait for Gerald to arrive. I knew I would enjoy my stay in Ubud then.

Gerald arrived around 730pm, and he thought I was going to ride a motorcycle to pick him up myself?! ...hahaha... Funny!! ...I don't think I would survive the traffic in Bali... After dropping Gerald's backpack in Hotel, the two Ma-de (both Hotel staffs) suggested to have dinner at Jimbaran? ...So we all went to Jimbaran by motorcycle to eat seafood together... Jimbaran is very famous for it's seafood at the beach especially during sunset! ...and you guessed it right, we had to pay for the two Ma-De's... That dinner wasn't cheap at all... Hmmph!! ...Gerald was the boss that night... kekekeke

Back to Hotel and realised our cheap rooms has no HOT shower... Water was so damn cold!!!!!! ...Luckily we only stayed for one night at this Pendawa Hotel!! ...