August 14, 2011 – Creative Meanderings

So, after our regular morning routine, we decided to go for a scooter ride to check out some other parts of the island. Originally, we headed in one direction, but the road took us to a different one and so we adjusted our destination a bit. We were hoping to get out to Tanah Lot which is northwest of the Kuta area along the coast. The main attraction of Tanah Lot is a temple along the coast. So, it was really less important that we saw the temple itself and more so that we got to see something different.

As we rode it was really amazing to see how many shops and tourists there were even outside of the Kuta/Legian area, which is considered the main bit. When we hit Seminyak, which is another major area, we were surprised at the expanse of the city lines. After getting through the busy downtown area and riding a bit further, we turned off the main road due to the insane amount of traffic. Since I do not drive the scooter, R has a heavy responsibility of navigating the roads with the crazy-locals on scooters and all the cars and trucks. So, we took a turn toward the beach and decided we had gone far enough.

Now the fun begins…

At the beach entrance there were some guys collecting money to pass on the road that goes along the beach. We were not intending to pass on that road and just wanted to park for a few minutes to enjoy the view. So, we parked outside of the area just a few meters from the gate and said we weren’t paying.

After having some fun in the huge waves and seeing a part of the coast that was more like we had expected for Bali (little food huts on the sand and fewer peeps), we went back to the scooter. It only took a moment to realize that our tire was flat…; it wasn’t flat when we left it. It became very clear that the guys were upset we had not paid them any money and had managed to slice a hole in the tire. Of course because we didn’t see them do it, they denied it….

Luckily, some security guards at a hotel next door offered to help us. They called the police for us, but that was pointless…. The guards tried to convince R that no one in Bali would do such a thing and that the flat probably was the cause of something else earlier…. Only problem is that when they pumped up the tire to check if there was a hole, it went flat in a matter of minutes. If the hole had caused a slow-flattening process I could believe them, but if it only took minutes, then I have to assume the worse….

In any case, we got it fixed and had an “adventure” for the day. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to drinks and dinner at Sheppy’s. R more than deserved the treat and I’m very very appreciative that he is the one driving through the crazy streets!

So, though I wanted a bit more excitement in a day, I think I may have asked for too much! 😀

Here are the photos:

Beach near Seminyak

Beach near Seminyak13-Aug-2011 23:50, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 14.0, 9.39mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 80

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