Diary 23 - 25th November 2000 & Images
from my time in Bali

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Thursday 23^rd November

The plane came in low along the golden coastline. After a smooth touchdown we arrived at Denpasar airport, completed the usual formalities and took a taxi to my hotel. It turned out to be a pretty standard room and what I had become accustomed to. The hotel, the Bali Dynasty is in Tuban, which stretches north from the international airport bordered by the beach on the west and Jalan Tuban Raya thoroughfare on the east. The main road is lined with hotels, restaurants, shopping and attractions. It is a family oriented resort and within walking distance of the famous Kuta beach. The Bali Dynasty hotel grounds and gardens were beautifully laid out in a courtyard design with the swimming pool centrally located.

After unpacking and sorting my self out I went into the streets to find out what was in the immediate vicinity. In the evening I took a taxi into Matahari Lugian hoping to find some friendly bar but discovered that there was no gay scene in town. A couple of Australia's told me there was a mixed bar called 66 but that it did not open until well after midnight. I decided that it had been a long day and rode back to the hotel as a pillion passenger, holding the slim waist of the dishy driver spend a long weaving in and out of traffic on his motorbike taxi. I enjoyed the ride and decided to call it a day.

Friday 24^th November.
The night was not very comfortable and I seem to have been eaten around the head and amrs by mosquitoes. There is no evidence in any visual way but there is a most irritable itch. I spent the morning working on the copy for the Hong Kong page of my diary.

I took a browse around the hotel then went out to have a bite of lunch in the poolside restaurant.	This led to a chat with a young man who was selling his wares. He offered to make a plaque for me with my name on it but I told him I did not have room for the souvenirs with me.	In the afternoon I went along the main street, found an ATM and cashed some money. Whilst I was engaged in my transaction a chap asked me about the machine. He was an interesting Japanese guy called Mitru who had come to Bali for a holiday and we walked along the street together. He let he take his photograph before disappearing into one of the markets.	There was nothing to hold my interest outside so I snapped a couple of quick street scenes for the record.
There were some interesting tourists about and this tall fellow caught me eye as he strolled along getting his torso tanned.	Farther along there was a chap playing a monkey so that made another interesting picture for my collection	. Before going back into the hotel I asked the smart security guard if he knew of any interesting bars in the immediate area that he told me there was nothing in the immediate vicinity	. Finally I stopped to talk to this attractive young man who told me his name was Dodi. I was hoping he might take me for a ride on his bike.
On my return to the hotel I pampered myself by having a massage and then lazed about for a while. It was my time for relaxing and after spending some time swimming in the hotel pool I went for a walk along the beach.	There weren't many people around but I chatted to some chaps who were selling shells. They complained that there were insufficient tourists and that things were tough for them.	Farther along I came across two fishermen standing in the water under grey skies hoping to get a bite.	There were a few pleasure boats but disappointingly the sand was was no longer golden but covered in a dark dust.
On my return I passed through the gateway leading to the hotel grounds and encountered this statue when people left their offerings in the hopes of a better life in the hereafter.	Goldfish and carp swim around the waterlilies in one of the pools adorning the well tended and landscaped garden.	I stopped and chatted for a while to to Megan, the duty pool attendant for a while. He was an interesting chap with a fine body but soon he had to go and deliver some mattresses to guests who wanted to use the sun loungers	I went in to change for dinner. On my way to the restaurant my attention was drawn to a couple of musicians at the head of the winding staircase.
Traditional Bali music played on local instruments filled the main foyer.	At the foot of the stair a few approved traders displayed local craft and I asked Noaman to pose with the items he'd made or decorated.	Dinner was superbly cooked, well presented and there followed a theatrical musical and dance show in the restaurant.	The following are shots taken during the performance.


The audience enjoy the show.
	The waiters in the main were attractive youths and gave an excellent service	Another waiter replenishing a patron's beer.	The front garden leading to the hotel.

On my return to my room I dealt with my email. I wasn't particularly sleeping so I went out into the town looking for something or someone of interested in Perth till 0430. It was very quite and peaceful so I returned and slept well.

Saturday 25^th November.
Rose 0900 and worked on my web page for an hour or so then went back to sleep till 1130. I showered, dressed and packed my bags before going to take breakfast in the Garden Restaurant. I paid my bill and asked the hotel to store my baggage for a couple of hours while I went to the shops. The streets were as uninteresting as they had been yesterday so I returned to the hotel and called a taxi to take me to the airport at 1510.

Diary 23 - 25th November 2000 & Images from my time in Bali

Diary 23 - 25th November 2000 & Images
from my time in Bali