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Back To Kuta And Ulu Watu

The Gili Cat speed boat

I splurged on my trip back to Bali, paying quite a bit to take a 2.5 hour speed boat directly from Gili Trawangan. The first half of the trip was rather rough and it didn't take me long to get the feel for what happens after the boat goes up the crest of a large wave (it slaps down rather hard on the back side). While I didn't get seasick, I did gain a new appreciation for taking a smelly, cheap, slow-ass ferry. On the bright side (for me), I would later hear the day's ferry was delayed for 3 hours outside the Bali port, thus turning it into an 8 hour ride, on top of the overland driving required on both islands.

Valentine's Day sunset in Bali

On Valentine's Day, our little crew was reunited as Linus had been on the same delayed ferry ride. We returned to doing what we do best – eating and talking. I joined Laura (who ran her first London marathon in '07) for a walk on the beach north to Seminyak. I'd estimate it was a about an 8km walk round trip. The beaches became less polluted and crowded the farther north you went. The posher resorts, clubs, and shops are also up in that area. Along the way, we saw a nice peach-colored sun go down.

Dream Beach?

The next day, Linus was off to East Timor to renew his Indonesian Visa for another shot at Komodo. Jessica, Laura, and I went on a short tour south to Ulu Watu, a cliff-side temple by the ocean. Along the way, we stopped at Dream Beach, which looked like a bomb had hit it. To be fair, the beach itself would probably have been nice for a walk at low tide.

Ulu Watu

By the time we got to Ulu Watu, the winds were fierce. I bought some bananas to feed the monkeys as a dry run for my friend Sara's dare. A ceremony was taking place so it was quite crowded. And then it began to pour rain, so we decided to skip the dance show and head straight to dinner at a popular area known for seafood.

BBQ'd snapper

The restaurant's roof began to leak water, and we found ourselves cold and wet. Eventually, we moved to a dry area away from the view of the pounding surf, and nibbled away at a barbecued snapper before returning to Kuta.

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Kango Suz

Monday 25th of February 2008

That snapper looks delicious! I'm going to have to try opening one up and grilling it like that, I usually just bake it in the oven- that however looks much more interesting and flavorful!

Kango Suz

Sunday 24th of February 2008

That snapper looks delicious! I'm going to have to try opening one up and grilling it like that, I usually just bake it in the oven- that however looks much more interesting and flavorful!

Ms. Babble

Sunday 24th of February 2008

Is it a coincidence that you met up with the same people again? It's interesting that you're all traveling through the same islands in this way.

Ms. Babble

Sunday 24th of February 2008

Is it a coincidence that you met up with the same people again? It's interesting that you're all traveling through the same islands in this way.

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