Kuta Beach, Bali

Kuta Beach, Bali

We are staying at the Ramayana Resort in Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali.  This resort is an oasis of calm and tranquility in the middle of tourist chaos. 
The hotel has excellent food, and the staff is very courteous.  We've enjoyed the two pools, and one is only steps away from our room.  Plus, the landscaping is gorgeous.  There are orchids, bird of paradise plants, lots of greenery that we don't know the names of and one owl on a perch in the garden.  Yes, it is a real owl. 

Flowering greenery

Then, to step out on to the street is to enter tourist crazy land. 
The Australians come here in droves because flights are under $100 return.  It's only three hours away, the food is tasty and reasonably priced and the climate is perfect (sunny, warm and breezy, without humidity).

We were the only ones in the restaurant for dinner at 6.  Then, we heard a great cheer.
All the Aussies were watching a rugby game on the TV at the poolside bar.  Funny,
there were only 5 people watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs today at 11:30.  Al was one of them.  





Our hotel oasis in the hub of the city

The locals realized that Aussies had money to spend and they want a piece of the spending pie.
We look like Aussies so we are also targets.  From the moment we step on the sidewalk, all the way along, we are accosted by someone.  People want us to look in their shops, they want us to buy a massage, take a tour, rent a scooter, get a haircut.
They start off with a friendly greeting, "Good morning" and when you respond they ask, "Where are you from?" in order to start more of a conversation.  Sometimes, they say, "G'day mate" to us because they lump us in with the Aussies.  Then, they go into their selling mode.  Al, the perpetually friendly guy, is now refusing to return the greeting. He has had enough.  Taxis cruise the streets, beeping their horns at us to get our attention in case we need a cab.  Constant beeping.  We understand that the locals are trying to earn a living, yet it has surpassed annoying.

One of the many cabs prowling the streets, beeping at us.

 

In October, 2002, an Islamic group bombed an nightclub here in Kuta.  It was nasty.  The bombs killed 202 people and injured 240 more.  Osama bin Laden was linked to this terrorism.  Now, because of bin Laden's death, Kuta has increased security.  Guards are everywhere.  Our hotel has two at the door and one patrolling the gardens near our room.

Security guard is on the right; guy on the left, in the mask, is the drink waiter.  Both scary.

 We watched a security guard check the undercarriage of a delivery truck coming into our hotel using a convex mirror attached to a long handle.