Bali-Days 1 and 2

Day 1

We arrived at the airport quite late and were hit with a huge queue for the taxis...no problem! We headed towards the locals and used our Indonesian haggling skills to bag a decent price for a private taxi; though they did put up a fight, we eventually got our way. We'd already booked our stay at a family run homestay in Ubud, which is in the centre of Bali and the owner was waiting up for us. We were pretty shattered from all the trekking so it was straight to bed for us. 

The front of our room-amazing carving

Some of the Dewi Antara family

Dewi Antara grounds

One of the many bird cages

Day 2

We woke up nice and fresh the next day and decided to wander around Ubud. It soon became evident that the style of our homestay spills out into the rest of Ubud with just as magnificent stonework everywhere you go. Bali is a predominantly Hindu place and there is no shortage of religious figures and colourful offerings. It was nice escaping from the grey that Palembang has to offer. 

It was New Year's Eve so we decided to head towards Kuta for the evening, after talking to the locals we were advised to leave early as the roads are blocked for the herds of people. So we made our way and it was a complete contrast to being in Ubud. Kuta is definitely made for tourists and unfortunately lacks some of the culture that Ubud provides. Nonetheless, it's great for picking up the usual holiday tat for souvenirs. There are also lots of great places to eat and....they have a place that sells fish and chips!! It costs more than the two quid in the UK but what the hey! 

However, I opted for some food with 'No Bull' and had a big fat greasy meaty burger and fries and thrashed Amy at a game of Jenga.

Loser!

Kuta mostly involved wandering the shopping areas and one of the huge malls. We then stopped and relaxed at the very busy beach until we were hit with some of the monsoon rain.  I obviously gave up taking pictures at this point, but here are some heads for you to enjoy. 

After food we headed back to the beach for the fireworks celebrations. Interestingly, the fireworks start way before midnight and go on way after. But as we say over here T.I.I (This Is Indonesia)

Gathering at Kuta beach

The hustle and bustle was going on for several hours after midnight and it was great just people watching (mostly Australians). Exhausted, we made our way back to the top of the road to get our taxi back to Ubud...