Getting to Kuta on the ferry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0XXzjuhkDw&sns=em

Yes! There was a live band. Also, the only lifeboat I could locate.

Let's deal with Danny first.

He picks me up from Lembar and is all smiles and bonhomie. He apologizes to me profusely for letting me down last time, but what with he accident and everything there was nothing he could do. To make up for it he is giving me this pick-up for free. Great, instead of forking out $40, it has cost me $4 on the ferry and free ride to Kuta. We chat on the way to Kuta and he tells me all about the accident. They (he and his driver) were taking some guests from Senggigi  to somewhere but they had stopped for some drinks. The driver had drunk too many araks and Danny had said that he couldn't drive and had taken the keys from him. The driver became very angry and fighty and Danny had given in and given him the keys back. One person was killed in the accident and two others put in hospital with serious injuries. Danny escaped unscathed by opening up the window at the crucial time and leaping free. [I know! Amazeballs].

We have some more general chat but the stage has been set.

We arrive in Kuta and he waits while I book into a hotel. I come back out and say I'm all booked, but I feel a bit guilty not paying him anything so I say, "Look Danny are you sure I can't give you any money?" Danny, "Yeah, can you give me a million, I have to go to the hospital tonight and buy some medicine for my friend who was hurt. I'm coming back here tomorrow and I'll pay you back." I said no, and there was a bit of back and forth as he asked for lower and lower amounts. In the end I gave him $15, so I wasn't out of pocket and also didn't have to feel guilty.

Disappointing though. Am I expecting too much?

Now let's deal with Kuta. WTF government!

You've done the same thing with Kuta that you did to Padangbai all those years ago. Knocking down all the beach warungs and stalls is not a move forward. It rips a major part of the charm out of the community, not to mention the local economy and makes it that much harder for those least able to recover.

Apparently there was much resentment and even some protests. All to no avail. It's empty scrubland now with a few goats wandering on it.

Dredging

Pouring like cats and dogs here. Enforced relaxation as Monika called it. Lovely to be here. They're dredging Padangbai. Off to Lombok tomorrow, if I can get hold of Danny to pick me up at at Lembar.

Off again

On my way to the airport for another jaunt in beautiful Indonesia. Sadly, Pepe will not be joining me this trip. He has succumbed to multiple kitten attacks and is severely deflated.

Hanuman

One last post from Ubud before I leave for the airport.
Killing time before before my 12:00 checkout and 5:30 departure - shopping and a massage.
God, I hate shopping. I interspersed the chore with taking photos of the fantastical and sometimes absurd monkey statues that line Jalan Hanuman.
The hour and a half long massage, body scrub and petal bath (120,000 rupiah) was just what I needed to relax after visiting so many shops.

Bali Buda

Back in the Bali Buda with a 'Beat the Heat' - beetroot, cucumber, celery and parsley, and a slice of 'Heavenly Chocolate Mousse Cake'. I love this cafe.
On my way here I pass the markets and more than half of them are gone! It's now a major construction site with two huge hotels being built.
I called Danny today to arrange for the car to take me to Denpasar but he had bad news. He is in the hospital in Mataram. His car is '90% broken', he has a 'broken leg and hand' and 'blood coming out of his head'. He had had a crash the day before he picked me up at Senggigi too, a motorcycle had crashed into the side of his (other) van. He was always a distracted driver, constantly talking on his phone whilst driving. So much so, that the other passenger with us from the drive from Kuta-Lombok (he was going to the airport), had exhorted him several times to 'not kill anyone' before he was dropped off at the airport. He sounded very miserable, not at all like his usual happy-go-lucky self. I wished him well and a speedy recovery. As a consequence I've had to make other arrangements and booked a car to take me to the airport tomorrow at 5:30PM at the cost of 250,000 rupiah. Well out of pocket on this whole 'open ticket' thing. C'est la vie.

Ubud

It's pouring down with rain here and the place is absolutely packed with tourists. Prices are half of Sydney and twice as much as the rest of Indonesia.
I'm back in my old haunt of Abungun Bungalows. Jungle in front with flying squirrels, rice paddies behind me. Air-conditioning and a swimming pool for 300,000 rupiah a night. They wanted 350,000 but relented with good grace.
Dinner at the Lotus Restaurant - 5 course set vegetarian menu with two beers - 120,000 rupiah. Can't complain.
Home soon, so just a bit of shopping to do tomorrow.

Leaving Gili Air

So, it's 9 o' clock and I'm here at the jetty. It seems they have 'had some troubles'. Quite what the troubles are, no one seems sure. I'm to come back at 10:30 - 11:00.
To keep it smiley here's a beach cat.