my last days in bali and 6 hours in kyoto, part 1

i’ll jump right into a story. i’ve realized that my last few posts have been pretty ranty and i want to change the tone. because really, the traveling’s been truly awesome and so good to me, and i can honestly say that this has been the best experience of my life. the complaining was probably instigated from being just so tired and agitated from moving about every few days, anxiety that the impending ‘End’ was near, getting too much sun (too much heat and sun exposure make me fussy), and reverting back to the second phase of culture shock – that being the irritated phase.

so to jump right into a story because… well, i’m already nostalgic for the last few months.. it’s hard living in the past tense, but i think if i put these stories down on paper (well, online, as is the case), i’ll be better able to cope and try to do things in the present tense, like find a job and find a place to live!

ok, so to begin, bali then kyoto.

well, i had a pretty good last 2 days in bali as i mentioned in my last post. i was awesome in bargaining for the most part. i bought two nice traditional masks for about $6 altogether, and some other goods. part of it had to due with the fact that i got to the market just before closing when the vendors wanted to get rid of stuff before leaving for the day. the other part had to due with the excessive rain we got on one of the days i was there. the vendors were hoping that if they gave me a good deal, the rain gods would bestow good luck upon them in return! you see, the vast majority of the balinese are hindus (keep in mind that indonesia is predominantly muslim except for bali), and it’s a special division of hinduism only found in bali itself. so a few of the vendors, although displeased with how little they were getting, gave me a great price in hopes of good karma.

oh! also, i did get to meet up with my dutch friend mark again who i was suppose to meet in bali. we apparently had some sort of misunderstanding in our online communication which was partially the reason for his delay. anyway, all in all, i was generally happy with where i was. oh, mark also taught me how to say “no thanks” in indonesian, so that when taxi touts started hassling, i could snap back with “tidak, ga mau.” i love being able to say no in the native tongue!

anyway, we both got back to kuta beach from ubud on our last day together (he also had a flight, to sulawesi, a different island in indonesia, the same day i was flying out), and we got a sweet deal of 10,000 rupiah (less than $1) for the both of us to use the shower and the pool for the afternoon, before our flights at the guesthouse he had stayed at some nights before. at around 6 pm, it was time for us to go to the airport. well, my flight wasn’t till 1 am, but i decided to take the taxi with him, since it would cut costs for the both of us (drivers usually charge more for single passengers). and so after our brief goodbye, i had a 7 hour wait at the outside terminal area of the airport, not realizing i couldn’t just sit at the gate and read my book! the JAL check-in desk wasn’t opening until around 10 pm!

one gripe i have about bali is that they have very few banks, much less legitimate money exchange centers. and when you do exchange money (or have to deal with money in any form), a lot of times they’ll cheat you a couple thousand rupiah by rounding down.  at an exchange place at the airport, this money exchanger tried to do the same, and i really had to twist his arm to give me the exact amount – although the second time i needed to exchange money again to pay immigration the mandatory exit fee, i changed my mind and figured it was chump change (and besides there’s no tipping in asia). so, thought what the hell, i’ll let him keep the 2,000 rupiah.  (at a different place, the guy actually refused to exchange any money at all because he knew i wanted the exact amount).

freeze for a second here. being back to reality in the states, i’m having serious trouble getting used to tipping again. and bad bud light. and cars actually in real marked lanes and on the right side of the road! okay, had to get that out there. continuing on with the story..

so i finally got to the gate area, and jesu christo, there are cockroacks sneaking about on the seats and i’d catch sight of one every few seconds! i mean, i had seen a cockroach on the window of the money exchange place downstairs that i was taken aback by, but shit, on the seats in the gate area made it difficult for me to sit still. by this point, i had switched into socks and sneakers (which i had only done on treks in the entire 5 months i’ve been away by that point) and put on my long-sleeved flannel – one of only 2 long-sleeved shirts i still had with me, not counting my rain jacket. also, i had no pants, as i had sent my only pair of jeans home before i left seoul. so, i knew kyoto would be interesting (or that I would look interesting in it), because it was going to be 50 or 60 degrees over there, and i was only going to be in my denim short shorts and could expect to get a lot of strange looks. oh well!

i was really excited for my flight on JAL (japan airlines), because i’d heard so many things about how it was a lush airline. but sadly, it wasn’t nearly as nice as my asiana airlines flights to seoul and to bangkok. i mean, that airline was loaded, even on economy. each passenger was provided eye masks, ear plugs, long socks! (for the chilliness in-flight), a pouch for all of that stuff,  great service, pretty hosts and hostesses, great food and drinks, and a nice set of good, plastic playing cards for those who requested (haa).

anyway, digression aside, about 7 or 8 hours later, i arrived in osaka kansai. as soon as the plane landed, i was in a ‘touch and go’ state of mind. you know, ‘no time to lose, i only have 12 1/2 hours in japan and i gotta make it worth it!’ so i was literally speedwalking the entire way to the exit, got to 2 different information desks asking ‘okay, i have 12 hours in japan, what can i do?’, studied a few maps, and decided on kyoto an hour and 15 minutes away by the express train.

okay, i’m going to have go to sleep now and continue the story tomorrow. stay tuned…