Some Strange Storm

J. Cole - Get Free ColeWorld (feat. Major Lazer)

Trip Part 4: Sanur, Bali, Indonesia. After enjoying the incredibly clean financial capital of Southern Asia it was time to head somewhere cheaper, dirtier and, hopefully, more fun. Singapore was great but its absurd (by Asian standards) alcohol prices and lack of beaches and party atmosphere was less than desired.

As this was our first true third world country, and the fact that my friend and I are dumbasses, we got off to a hilariously embarrassing start before we even exited the Denpasar, Bali airport. Of course we didn't prepare our $25 USD to pay for the one month VISA and had to go to an ATM. And, of course, there were none to be found anywhere near the immigration area. After finally tracking one down and withdrawing an exorbitant amount of Rupah (Indonesian currency where $1 CAN/USD is equivalent to roughly 10,000 Rp) we paid for our VISAs in the local currency and went on our way to grab our backpacks. When we finally arrived at the luggage claim our bags were on the floor next to it being watched by two Indonesian dudes with uniforms on. The two guys each picked up our bags and called their two buddies over to carry our smaller, side bags. They then led us about 20 feet to the final security bag check and another 20 feet to the currency exchange where we got rid of our last few Singapore Dollars. I had already taken my side bag back and at this point wanted my big bag back too. As I was doing this my friend in front of me was already negotiating payment for these guys! Sure enough they wanted something from me too so I reluctantly obliged and gave them each small bills that I had just received from the exchange. They weren't having any of this and told me I had to give them what my friend had already given the other two and pointed at the correct bills in my wallet (at this point the ladies behind the currency counter chimed in too, agreeing with the bag dudes). These were the only other bill types I had and I gave them each one. We each gave each guy a 100,000 Rp bill... something we soon later realized was the equivalent of $10 USD each! The whole thing happened so fast and they seemed legit with their uniforms and all. We got totally fleeced, two nice Canadians with freshly filled wallets and no sense of reality in the third world. We felt quite stupid for a while after that but now laugh at it looking back. That $20 means very little to me now but I'm sure the two dudes got a much needed bonus pay day and probably laughed their asses off at the stupid white guys for the rest of the day!

Next we had to make our way to the hostel via taxi. If you've driven or been driven in the third world before then you must certainly know that for the first time it is RIDICULOUSLY FUCKING SCARY!!! There are basically no rules to the road in southern Bali (this goes for almost everywhere I traveled in SE Asia) as taxis, motorbikes, shoddily built service and work trucks, and passenger vehicles all battle for space on the ever congested roads. Passing anything and everything is a delicate, dangerous skill that few have mastered yet all attempt. Our taxi driver passed through chaotic roundabouts, unnecessarily changed lanes way too many times (in fact he mostly created his own lane in the middle of the two!) and narrowly avoided three other vehicles, including a motor bike that decided to cut in between us and the vehicle in front of us that we were passing. This was an insane experience and we were incredibly relieved once we had arrived safely at our destination.

Our destination was the Big Pineapple Hostel in Sanur. This place had it all: an incredibly nice and helpful owner/host, a big screen TV with hundreds of movies and TV shows, a pool that you could see the TV from, full kitchen with a large table, air conditioning, wi-fi, and, most importantly, dozens of other travelers looking to make friends and have a good time. This made the hostel one of the best that we stayed at on the trip, if not the best. The large table near the kitchen was the epicentre of some excellent drinking games before crews were assembled to go out partying in nearby Kuta (more about that in part 5) and made meeting others very easy. I made several great friends that I have kept in touch with and hopefully will continue to.

The city of Sanur was very laid back and featured many empty bars, a few resorts, dirty streets, bumpy, hole-filled sidewalks, countless feral dogs and lots of ex-pats. The beach was nothing spectacular but still had warm water and lots of sun; a great place to relax and cure a hangover. A highlight of the area was definitely the Linga Longa Bar which hosted an all-you-can-eat pig cookout every Sunday. The meal was amazing and featured wonderful live music as well; so good that we stayed an extra night to go again. Eventually I became more accustomed to the chaotic, dirty lifestyle of Southern Bali, immersing myself in the culture and delicious cuisine. Check below for some pics of the area.

Today's song "Get Free ColeWorld" uses the sublime beat and chorus from Major Lazer's "Get Free" and features J. Cole spitting some slick rhymes over it along with a spoken word 2Pac outro. I chose this song for its laid back island vibe, a vibe and mood that perfectly encapsulates Southern Bali. After the hustle bustle of the first two cities (Taipei and Singapore) it felt great to just relax and stay at a great place for more than a week. If you're not a fan of hip-hop be sure to check out the original version of "Get Free" by Major Lazer and featuring Amber of Dirty Projectors singing the hook.

Some pictures...