If you're confused why the previous post was dated Day 0.5 instead of -1, then you're wondering the same thing I am wondering now. Well, it does mention this morning a little, so I'll give it a 0.5 - sounds better than a negative. Anyway, back to what I wanted to write for Day 1 officially...
The morning was slightly rushed as we had to take shower, finish packing & prep the house for a few days of none-occupancy. Mostly, it's because we were just too tired to bother with packing the night before and honestly believed we would wake up early enough to. From my experience, that NEVER worked. See, I had already began to regret half way to the airport for not bringing a jacket, a scarf, my East Pack pouch, and an extra multi-plug. Lesson: No matter how hot the place you're visiting will be, you bring a jacket. You can always take it off if it's too hot, but if you don't even have one to put on when it's cold, you're just gonna freeze and sulk. Luckily, I had someone else's jacket to borrow for the ride.
LCCT was definitely not as packed as it had been before, though, I haven't been there in a very long time. Probably since August 2013...wow, it has been a long time! (that's in comparison to my first year in Malaysia where I flew somewhere every month just to make use of the convenient location of Kuala Lumpur as the center of Air Asia network). Of course, this decrease in flight travels may be related to the recent disappearance of MH370, causing fear of flying across the board. I will admit - it did bother me a little. Despite having absolute confidence in flying, that thought is inevitable. Those 'what ifs'. Then again, if we spend our lives being afraid to do anything simply because of those 'what ifs', then we will have done nothing in life. I've always kept this in mind: you can die just crossing the street; so, you stay home for the rest of your life? It is being cautious of the potential dangers and then to be realistic about them. And that seemed to calm my thoughts while the plane taxied its way onto the runway.
Another 2ish hours and we smoothly landed in Bali. Mind you, the pilot did a perfect-10 landing - no bumps whatsoever. That boosted my confidence in flights just a little bit more. Upon exiting the aircraft, I immediately took notice of the new set up. The last time I was here, I remember walking in the heat right off the plane, but this time we had a tunnel. Apparently, they had completed a full-fledged terminal with a touch of Balinese culture. We were led quick swiftly to the Visa On Arrival and Immigration area, and OMG was the lineup LONG! It made at least six turns! Not to mention there was no wifi...just a horrendous wait. Oh, and some more, this girl so geniusly took a flash photo of her boyfriend while waiting in line and kena from the security - directly STRAIGHT up to the next available Immigration officer, and of course, camera photos were searched and probably deleted. From what I had read previously, some airport Immigration is considered military, so no photos allowed whatsoever of or near it. Oh wells, some will just have to learn the hard way. BUT, to be fair, the "No Phones", "No Camera" and "No Smoking" signs were small enough only the first row of the line could see them. So, who's fault is that? Both. One for not asking and one for assuming everyone has hawk eye.
Soon enough, we were on our way with our very own airport pick-up to our hotel for the stay - Favehotel. I must say, this branch is definitely less "spacious" than the one in Langkawi. The one there had an open lobby with a breeze. This one has a less than impressive entrance, and a smell in the room to match it. At first, I wasn't too sure what the smell was, but I noticed it there. Only until my roomie mentioned it, then it clicked - the damp smell. Yes! Completely. So, what do we do? We switched the electricity key with the roomie's Bonus Link card expecting it to work so we could keep the dehumidifier on while we'er out, but NOOOO, what a smart cookie that card reader. It just won't work, so we had to go and ask the front desk for another card. Normally, they wouldn't provide a second entry key, but as they knew our room condition, they forked one over. As soon as we had that settled, we were on our introductory walk around Kuta.
(As we were starving, we had asked our pick-up guy to take us for a super late lunch before dropping us off. This was such a good recommendation! Such a simple dish as fried rice, it was two thumbs up from me! With lots of side dishes, this was definitely a happening meal! Oh, and their shrimp crackers - very authentic. A must try if you get the chance - Pawon Pasundan.)
(Ordered alongside our fried rice, I would never have taken this as 'vegetables', but it is! How...odd. But the tamarind flavour was a good kick. If the Balinese 'vegetables' all look like this, then maybe we won't be having veggies much on this trip...)
(A perfect "I was here" photo :) ~)
(The last time I was in Bali, we were told not to stay in Kuta because of the amount of people. That still proves to be true - look at this very populated beach! There's practically no space to stand. The roomie even went to the point in calling this "pasar malan" beach. Expected...and guess what? This isn't even peak season yet!)
(Dinner at Gabah was delicious! Nicely-flavoured roasted chicken with a leaf basket of spiced beans on the side. I thought it was the perfect choice. The restaurant had a great ambiance and team of staff. Definitely recommend it, and I would go back to try something else if we get the chance. Oh, and they also have live band too! Impressed~)
Now that we're back in our room and ready for sleep, without knowing much about the itinerary for the next couple of days, I can already tell I'll be making up for all those missed the last time around. Can't wait, and super tired...
From Bali,
GOOD NIGHT!