As you remember (hopefully), I had a flight booked from Auckland. The first somewhat interesting thing that happened to me at my destination after NZ was the visa issue. I had checked the need for visa online and every webpage told me that I can have a visa-on-arrival at the airport in exchange for some USD. I was actually still carrying some emergency USDs since my visit in SEA (South East Asia) last year so I was fine. I was actually more than fine, at the immigration I was told that I don't need any kind of visa and so I saved like 30USD. Wihiii!
One thing you shouldn't do at the immigrations is: be totally wasted and sit on the floor in front of all the people queuing for passport check and then when the staff asks you nicely to move, leave all your belongings there and start to harass the staff. I don't know what happened to this girl eventually but it was kind of interesting to watch her chasing the staff and trying to flirt with one of them. All I know that at some point she was taken to the custom's interrogation room. Maybe something "beautiful" happened there or she was knee deep in shit. Kids, try to behave at immigration at least.
So there I was, in Indonesia and more precisely Bali. The mythical paradise that most of the people praise even when they're asleep. I've heard so much about Bali on my trip that I wanted to witness it with my own eyes. To be honest, I've never been even remotely interested about Bali (well there was this one Yoga teacher who happened to be my ex-colleague's relative and she was smoking hot. I mean I only saw the picture but I was sold) but it also happened to be the cheapest way to get where I'm now. But to that later on.
This was the most interesting thing at Kuta ;) Bubba Gump restaurant. |
I don't want to say that I hated Bali since I didn't travel enough around to see the "best" places, but I saw the extremely touristic Kuta and absolutely disliked it. There was just nothing that I fancied. No, wait! Yes there was. I actually treated my self a bit and stayed in a privater room with my own bathroom. Oooooohhh yeeeaaaaahhhhh. That was dope!
So my next stop was the critically acclaimed Gili-islands. Three islands of clear water, sand and tourists. I ended up staying on the one called Gili-Air. Gili-T is the busiest and the party islands when Air is a bit more laid back and relaxed and then there's Gili Meno which is the only one that is not totally built around.
My judgement: For a one weeks holiday probably ok but I wasn't impressed. Tropical island, yes, but what's the catch if there's no nature left. Bali, you were not for me and I wasn't for you and just as I suspected, when a place is hyped as much as Bali, I'm not gonna like it :D
Gili Air |
Gili Air |
My eyes caught this nice poster of "Finland smoothie". Somehow I just had to take a picture. |
The only good thing about Bali is the people there. Friendly and happy all the time. I got along nicely with the locals. Of course I also understand that I only saw a scratch of the surface and I think that I have to give Bali and Indonesia a second chance someday.
Almost forgot. I actually ended up spending two or three days with a Finnish guy in Gili Air. I'm not sure but it might be the first time on these 20 or so months that I've been on the road that I actually do something with another Finnish traveler. I've been quite good avoiding them but this time there was actually no need. Our values were quite the same and we ended up having some great conversations. Thanks Juho, where ever you are. Maybe we accidentally meet in Finland, you never know.
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