Aug 20th: Sanur

This morning I left Kuta for Sanur. I got a shuttle bus from my hotel. The driver had to navigate his way out of the narrow Kuta streets in this huge van, which was sort of insane at times. The Kuta/Legian touristy area is so big. I saw so much more than I realized even existed. Tons of really beautiful hotels and bungalows, all kinds of funky cafes, backstreets and alleys. We finally got out on the road and everything was different. Trees lined the roads and everything seemed open. I lost my hat though, as a driving breeze picked it up and carried it right out the window. Oh well.

We arrived in Sanur and I'm the only one who got off the shuttle (everyone else was headed to Ubud). I was a bit worried since Wikitravel characterized Sanur as a place for old people and families (as opposed to the young party scene of Kuta). But I'm glad I came here. It's beautiful. There's a reef so the water at the beach is calm and clear, with waves breaking in the distance. As soon as I stepped off the shuttle I felt a vast calmness. Ah. Peace. Kuta's frenetic pace can be fun but this is more what I want right now. You can actually hear the wind rustling the trees, wind chimes tinkling, and only the occasional tout hassling you. The beach is completely peaceful. There are fishermen, women carefully crafting their offerings (little baskets of flowers and other things to put out for the gods), and kids swimming in the water. It's still touristy but with a more calm and local feel than Kuta.

I knew it was a different vibe when I went to lunch at a beachfront cafe. I peacefully watched kite-surfers skim the ocean while acoustic Coldplay played. Whenever I ate in Kuta it was with a bass-heavy dance mix pumping (or Lady Gaga's album).

I guess it is a lot of old people and families to but I don't really mind. I'm staying at a place that was just down the street from where the shuttle dropped me off, conveniently. Very beautiful garden and minutes away from the beach.

I did some beach reading and lounging, which Sanur is perfect for. I took a long walk way down the beach. There's a nice beachfront path here with restaurants and hotels lining it. You can eat right on the beach. Nothing like a waterfront view, and good, cheap food. I usually get a Western or Indonesian dish, a fresh fruit juice, and sometimes dessert for $4-5 US at these beachfront cafes. Tomorrow I want to rent a bike, because the beach path is just too perfect for biking.

So I'm going to stay here and chill out for at least another day. Trying to decide whether to go to Nusa Lembongnan, an island with white sand beaches that's supposed to be gorgeous. Or maybe move on to Ubud. Or maybe stay here another day. I'm going to try to post some pictures soon, but I don't really go on the internet unless I can find a restaurant with wi-fi or take some time to go to an Internet cafe. So we'll see.

In my travels I hear all sorts of languages being spoken. There were lots of French people at my hotel and there seem to be lots here. They must all be on holiday. French is a gorgeous language. The people next to me are speaking French and it sounds amazing. But isn't it sort of crazy how English is the universal language? I hear Japanese and German people and so on speak to the Indonesian people in English, though it's no one's native language. Strange.