Welcome to the ever-sunny island of Bali, where the prices of everything from clothing, to the hotel, to taxi fares, all the way to the exchange rate can be bargained. Can you believe it! The exchange rate! My golly…

Anyway, here’s a typical bargaining scene I experienced:
While strolling along the narrow streets with cars & bikes zooming in and out of the people, something catches your eye and before you know it, the owner of the thing which caught your eye catches you.

“You want Rolex? Very cheap, only 60000 (rupiah)”
“60000! too much la”
“What price you want? I give you”
“20000”
“20000! Nooorh.. 20000 you make me loose money, come I give you good price, 40000”
“40000 too high! The other shop selling me cheaper” As I point to the dozen other shops selling exactly the same thing.
“Okay okay, you buy 2 I give you for 60000, very cheap already”
“2 for 40000!”
“55000!”
“40000!” and I begin to walk away
“Okay okay last price 50000”
I concede and go on to pick out two watches, one “metallic” “rolex” and one “leather” strap “Cartier” and after which I take out 50000.
“Wait wait, this one you pick more expensive (referring to the Cartier), this one real leather. The Rolex I give you 25000 but this one 35000”
“All same la… all fake la… all 25000”
“Noorh.. this one good quality, different! different! Okay you my friend, I give you 30000”
I shake my head and pay.

Bargaining… it’s really quite hilarious…
Especially when you go back to the hotel with your “metallic” Rolex watch and walk through the metal detector, without any sound being made…
Or when the knob to change the time of your “Cartier” falls off...
Nice one.

But hey, Bali rocks man.

The weather is seriously fantastic, not a cloud in the sky to spoil your days plans – of shopping, paintball, snorkeling, surfing, or just plain hanging out on the beach.

I must talk about the paintball in Bali cause it totally kicks the Singapore Orchid country club one in the butt. In Bali they have multiple arenas, all larger, with more interesting covers, and they allow you to roam freely. Which means you can creep up behind your friend and give it to him from the behind.









Another kick ass activity was surfing. Yes, I can now consider myself a surfer! Okay maybe not exactly.

I tell you I have no idea how the skinny people of Bali much like myself get any surfing done, cause it requires a colossal amount of strength. By the time you paddle with nothing but your hands against the big ass waves to get to the right spots, you are already left without an ounce of energy left. And with that you are then supposed to paddle like a psycho in order the ‘catch the wave’ when it comes or risk being totally flattened by it – which was my fate most of the time. But just like golf (the worlds most frustating game), when you finally get it the feeling is out of this world! Standing on this little board in the cool surfer pose with a big angry wave pushing you faster and faster into the shore, with the feeling of the wind blowing at you and sounds of cheering all around from the locals, my gosh, now I know why beach bums exist.






Bali rocks man, but sigh… here I am back in an office, I think I need another holiday… Next stop in June, Bintan Lagoon!