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We've just got back from the middle of no-where! Well at least it felt like that after Kuta where everything is on your doorstep!
�We were taken to a place called Titraganga, in the middle / East of bali. its alot quieter and not so geared to tourists as we nearly found out the hard way! We were dropped off at our hotel - we had to climb 100 very step steps to get there with our bags - it was the most work we've done in the last 3 months, and in this humidity its not much fun! We checked into our room which was on-suite but it was no aircon,�cold water shower and they don't use toilet paper here so we were meant to do as the locals. . . . thank god I suffer hayfever and always carry tissues! But over all it was very pleasant on the side of a mountain with geogeous veiws across the paddie feilds which stretch for miles. We then discovered we had no cash, not even for dinner, so we had to catch a Bemo into Amlapura - the nearest town for an hour. A Bemo is just a van that has a route like a bus but you bargin your fare and hope they take you where you want to go! Our driver spoke english until we wanted to know where we were and when we got out!! It was a little scary for a minute but then he left us at an ATM�so we were pleased with that - then the games began!
�. . . . on that note i'll have to update later, got to go eat and stuff but i'll be back!
Ummm dinner was good as were the Arak's( Bali drink 60%!) Ouch!!
So where was I? We were at the ATM and we tried to get money out but it said it was invalid! We went in the back and she said that the machines in Amlapura don't take Visa and they had no money changers for travellers cheques because tourists don't really go there! She said try up the road, we spent the next hour running around in the blistering heat being sent from atm to atm, none of them taking visa and some not even speaking english! By this point ed and i were saying very little to each other except " we should have got money before we left" and " i know but we didn't did we" It was a real romantic moment for us!! Eventually we found a place that shall forever be close to our hearts "hardy's" a supermarket that took visa in their ATM!! Hurrayyyyyyyyyyyy!!! we were saved! We celebrated by jumping around, taking out 2million and buying cookies and pringles!! We got the Bemo back to our Hotel - i think we ignored bemo eticate by getting in one that wasn't in the front of the cue - not that it was our choice, we were grabbed and thrown in by the bloke that picked us up!! Bless him!
We went for a walk with the bloke that working in the Hotel in the afternoon. We walked around the paddie feilds and watch ther locals doing their work and looking after their cattle and crops. We saw a temple on a hill and heard the chantting at the cermonies. We went around the local village and through the cemetary before going back. It took 3 hours but was really interesting and dewa ( our guide) was full of info but also really chatty! We went to the Water temple, which was very pretty but it started to rain so we headed back up the mountain to our hotel! We chilled out for the evening then Dewa's brother brought us our dinner which was traditional food - Urab - it was coconut, spices and green vegetables all ground up with rice and a fried egg! Surprisingly yummy! Next , morning we caught the public bus to Lovina. It was a 4 hour journey but it was really cool! The bus was ok but the doors didn't work and neither did the windscreen wipers which didn't seem to bother anyone even though it was chucking it down!! There were loads of people and ed and i were the only tourists! People were bringing on their chickens, dead and alive! Putting their bikes on the roof and lots of other stuff! Some girls got on and were starring at ed and giggling - the driver said they liked him!! Silly girls haven't got a clue!! Any kids we saw starred at us and laughed - i don't think they see white people much on the buses! And i can see why - as much as it was nice to try something new, i won't be doing that again! It was long and uncomfortable!
We got to our hotel in Lovina, its really quiet, it used to be really popular with tourists but its dead now. We had two days here, it was sad to see all the shops and resturants closed down and people begging you to buy something coz they hadn't sold anything for weeks! The beaches were black sand but not very appealing because there were fishing boats everywhere and alot of rubbish. But i did see chickens pecking at the shore line which i can't say i've ever seen before!
We took a tour from lovina down to Sanuar with Gustu and "schoomacher". We were going to go to a place called gitgit falls but there is a story that says couples who go always split up so we didn't want to tempt fate and went to a different waterfall! We also went to some hotspings whcih were lovely and a temple by the lake where both hindu and buddist traditions are celebrated together. You wouldn't get that in england!!
We've got three days in Sanua, its a lovely place, more relaxed than Kuta but lots off people want to take you somewhere in their taxis or bikes. There are alot ofhotels along the sea front, they keep their part of the beach tidy but otherwise the coast is littered with rubbish - kuta has been the prettiest beach so far. We spent yesterday walking around and today we're going to denpasa museum before we go back to kuta for the last couple of days.
Bali is a really beautiful place with really lovely people - come here!!
Although Ed has a hang up with the gardener at the hotel we're in at the moment - he let his googles get swallowed by the pool filter yesterday and the gardener says he hasn't found them - Ed thinks the gardener now has a nice new pair of googles!!
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