Rainy day in Kuta Bali

Its 6.25am here in Bali, at least it was when I typed this. I am sitting on my porch typing on my new Alpha Smart Neo. I have mentioned Alpha Smart before and they make these super handy portable keyboards, really a word processor that runs on batteries. The Neo has a super smooth keyboard so typing is fast and I can downlaod the data to a PC via cable, USB or infra-red.

Sean arrived yesterday and I was there to meet him as he came out of immigration. The weather lately has been wet and cool, so good conditions for him coming from a cooler climate.

We took an airport taxi to my house in Seminyak which cost 35,000rp. Sean said the VOA line at the airport was long but they have got better at processing people and he was through the whole thing and out in about 30 minutes.

One thing a visitor to Bali will notice that us expats do not always appreciate is the high humidity and I was glad to give Sean my air conditioned bedroom. I slept downstairs in the spare room and Ika slept in the bushes. I am kidding!

Since Sean arrived we have had some decent downpours and still managed to get into some fun things. Thursday morning 6.30am Sean and I went for a 4 mile run down to the beach and round in a circuit back to the house. The rain was like natural AC and was enjoyable. Breakfast was at Cafe Moka in Seminyak and we followed that up with couple of meetings, one in Kuta, the other in Denpasar.

I rented Sean a Honda Supra motorbike for Sean for the 10 days he will be in town. The rate was 200,000rp, so 20,000rp a day. You will usually get quoted 40,000rp per day if you rent for a day or 2.

Heading to our meeting in Denpasar we elected to leave our bikes in Kuta and take a taxi as Denpasar is such a maze.

We got dropped off at a soccer field on the main road close to the office building we were looking for as the driver did not know where it was. For about 10 minutes we had fun guessing where the place was as street numbers here follow a somewhat random order, getting higher and lower and higher as you walk down a street.

Things worked and we hit the Starbucks at Pantai Kuta for a recap. I know Starbucks is not a representation of Balinese culture but I will say this, if you have business stuff to do and need to have a quick meeting, catch a breath or simply find a quiet place with AC to recharge, this place works. You can sit outside under shades, inside (upstairs or downstairs ) or on the balcony. Upstairs usually has only 1 or 2 other customers, which is great for me to do some writing or reading.

Another handy spot we went to was the Business Lounge at Bali Deli on Jl. Kunti in Seminyak. Located upstairs above the cafe, the Business Lounge looks like something out of Donald Trumps apartment. Its mostly black and white decor with funky seats and flat screen tv. What we liked was it had wi-fi internet access. A 4 hour card costs 100,000rp but it is very handy. I was charging up my phone while sipping a green tea while Sean was checking things out online. Two green teas were 30,000rp.

Across the street from Bali Deli is Prana Spa. The rain was so heavy we decided to have a drink over there in case it let up. Prana is a high end spa, not for those on a budget but definitely for those thinking about a special experience. This place offers a range of treatments and massages and has a restaurant. Sean ordered a Greek salad that he enjoyed.

Well the rain did not let up and back at the house we took shelter while it poured off of my roof. I actually like it when it rains in the tropics, so refreshing!

Barrie taught Ika to swim today which was wonderful!!!

Tags: Bali Daily