Indonesian                                      
          BALI    DIARY  8

3/7. It is a gloomy morning, and my first sight turns out not to be a temple, but a large sculpture and some lawns for bold-play.
After a coffee and a cheese-bun, I find Maha Vihara & Pusdiklat Buddha Maitreya, where two rivers meet. Might be the lack of sun, but it is not impressive.

In an effort to find some sun, I head down the southern peninsula, where I might have found some nature trails. It is through intense morning traffic, but at least it moves. I pass my next bed anyway, and figure I better check it. I upgrade from the dorm-bed (first one on the entire tour), and head on.

This area reminds me of nothing else on Bali. The majority of people are pale, here are McDonalds, Starbucks, PitzaHut, Subway and alike, and only tourist shops in general. Newer the less, I manage to get a great Bali lunch for €0,80.

I find the trail I was aiming for, but it is closed off by a giant metal wall. A security man is letting himself in, and I tag along. A long walk through an unspoiled forest leads to a perfect golden beach. Guess someone is planning a private paradise or a luxury resort?

I skip the endless line of cafes, just to have cappuccino at a mini-mall for a tenth. I then get to an tiny closed area, on my next experimental sights.
The next is not much better, although much bigger. Due to a roadwork, I have to ditch the car way before. When I finally make it to the area, it is a former limestone quarry, starting to be a large domestic area. I only meet their security in the other end, and both fail to send me back.

Back at my resort, I get a large and modern wooden hut with kitchen and porch – well spend €8 on the upgrade. I make coffee, and remove a part of my big toe, I didn’t need after all: stumbled on the uneven sidewalk.

Then a stroll along the tattoo-, surf- and other tourist shops. I actually find a shop to replace the broken iPhone screen for €13. I cook dinner, while I wait one hour for the repair.
 Day's highlights       All the better photos of the day

4/7. I just have to spend the day without braking anything or get too sweaty. A slow start with self-made breakfast and several cups of coffee, next to the crystal clear pool.

Then across the peninsula to a green area. It is either Hilton or their competition that have set this area aside. Two trails ends at each their little temple, at the coastal cliffs. It seems like a great beach Hilton have, although they are working hard to fuck it up by building swimming ponds with boulders.

Well, I’m here to see the semi-dry coastal forest, which quite dry by now. But here are several flowers, both on herbs and trees. Quite some, like the giant Amorphophallus look familiar, but I can't be sure if it is paeoniifolius? They do look too small to be A. titanum.
Here are many butterflies, but I don’t see many other animals. I get away with a real long and relaxed walk, mainly in the shade of the trees.

I stop for a cooling lunch-break at Circle K, before I find what I hope to be nature as well. It might be, but I don’t make it pass the gate keepers.

In an effort to see some authentic Bali, I do a cross-peninsula drive by minor roads. Some parts are familiar, others might just look that way. I end up north of Uluwatu – just as it starts to drizzle. Well I have a car, and I’m not afraid using it. It is only a few minutes anyway.
I find a few patches of nature and a lot tourist places. I do some of them, and get a conversation with a friendly police officer - started about my parking.

I just fumble around, waiting for the time where I have to find the airport. I get a tortilla at three, just to do something. Drive a bit more around, get a coffee and a snack, and then find the airport. I get the deposit for the car back after 1450 kilometres, and treat myself with a veggie-sandwich with fries and a latte in the airport – ten times the usual price for a good meal with coffee.
The flight is half an hour delayed, but I have the time. As the first leg to Singapore is delayed, I only get to spend 19 minutes in Singapore - but I made it.
 Day's highlights       All the better photos of the day
HIGHLIGHTS FROM BAIL

The rural Bali have been nice, the locals great; so nice and friendly. The remaining nature nice and the rice terraces fantastic. However; the touristed pats was not worth the effort, and they are a huge part of the island, and it take planning - and luck, to avoid the international world.

I have driven 1450 kilometres, made 7500 photos and spend €2200 (+ €700 on a new set of bifocals glasses).