Day 30: Bali

On 09.03 my flight from Bangkok took me to the most famous island in Indonesia, Bali. After a four-hour flight, my plane landed at the International Airport. It is very close to Kuta, the city where I booked my hostel, but I still had to take a taxi. Since taxis at the airport are incredibly expensive, I walked a few meters outside to call a Grab taxi from the Wi-Fi of a hotel.

In the hostel, I found a room that was chilled to 17 degrees after a small dinner. To compensate for this temperature difference, the staff provided a thick blanket. I really like this concept because it makes me feel like I'm in cold Germany and I can cuddle up in the blanket. Of course, from a climate protection perspective, it's complete nonsense, but I enjoy and appreciate this luxury.

The next day, a local named Timothy, whom I had met the day before, showed me around the city and gave me some very useful tips and tricks. Among other things, he showed me an app where you can get up to 60% cashback in selected stores. I don't understand how this business can be profitable, but I enjoyed using the app. It's absurd to shop in already affordable Bali and get a further 60% off. I also got a SIM card for Indonesia, which is very cheap at just six euros per month for 10GB, even without a discount.

After a nap in the afternoon, I went to the beach in the cooler evening hours to swim in the waves and admire the stunning sunset. Unfortunately, this otherwise dreamlike place was polluted by a lot of plastic on the beach and in the water. Once again, it becomes clear how important it is to pay attention to environmental protection even on vacation. Tourists are particularly capable of educating and improving popular tourist destinations with their influence and knowledge.

As we walked along the beach, I noticed a large gathering of people. My companion explained to me that they are believers worshiping the sea. Among them were many children who were visiting Bali from outside for the first time. I was warned that as a European, I would be an "attraction" for the young people and that some of them would want to take a photo with me. As predicted, many yellow-dressed people approached me and I had to pose for a photo shoot. It was a somewhat strange situation, but everyone was very grateful and happy. As a conclusion for the day, we went to a small street stand where we were served rice and fried chicken. Unfortunately, the sauce served was very spicy, so the whole dish ended up being a bit dry for me.

The next morning, I got up early once again to go for a run on the beach. I was in good company with other joggers, many surfers, and some stray dogs. After breakfast back at the hostel, a contact I got from a friend in Tonsai Beach contacted me. He gave me a surfing lesson and showed me how to behave on the board and master the waves. However, it took several attempts because, just like on the ferry back then, nature showed what it is capable of and tossed me around in the water quite a few times. At least it cleared my nasal passages, and in the end, I managed to surf my first wave. It was a lot of fun, and I will definitely try to get better in the next few days.

Shortly before twelve, I checked out of the hostel and took a scooter taxi to Canggu. After a sweaty ride in the midday heat, which took almost 40 minutes despite the short distance of only 9 kilometers, I relaxed in the hotel's own pool. I spent the afternoon reading, chilling, and swimming. Now I'm going to buy some fruits for tomorrow and finally have pizza tonight. Unfortunately, it is still completely unclear what the next few days will bring. Most likely, I will leave Bali and go to Lombok, Gili, and Nusa Penida.