Day 2: Bali Bound

So day 2 started off rather uneventful. The private room I was offered turned out to be a bunk with 10 others, almoat like camp. However, I was positioned facing the window - which would be great if it's hot and you need the airflow. Not so great when it's 50 degrees out & one of your bunk mates opens it after you fall asleep - I awoke shivering and sniffly. However, it did ensure I arose early, 4am, well before I needed to leave, and made my quiet exit from my alley hostel.  Grabbed some breakfast and a few twilight pics of the 24 hr McDonalds before I hit the bus stop just in time to catch my carriage. I was wisked back to the airport, traffic was minimal, and dropped off at Terminal 2.

Aside:  Have I mentioned the phenomenon of the scooter brigades? They are literally everywhere, thousands, whizzing around you all the time. And they leave them everwhere, literally miles and miles of scooters on every sidewalk. It's crazy, but kind of amazing! There are almost as many of them as there are 7-11's. No lie, I walked 6 blocks, 4 of the corners were 7-11 ... It's almost as bad as our starbucks epidemic of the mid-90's. Another fun fact, in the buses, when they come near to the stops, they play an all too familiar song to let passengers know they have arrived ... It's a small world... End aside.

Got dropped off at Terminal 2, apparently at the wrong China Airlines ... Which makes perfect sense, and after 2 security checkpoints, a skytrain ride, and walking completely through all 36 B gates, I found immigration and The Gate A transfer line. Lucky thing I showed up 3 hours early!

Plane ride was pleasant thanks to my good friend Ambien, arrived to a cloudy and humid Bali. Made it through Visa and customs, which was a cake walk compared to the states, and found me a Blue Taxi. 70k Rupiah, including tip, later and I arrive on Poppies 1, the alley my hotel is off of. And when I say alley, that is generous though it is one of their major streets through Kuta. I will be uploading pics so you can grasp it.

Found a sweet place for 70,000 rupiah a nite, roughly $8. It's run by Yuian and his wife, tucked behind Poppies 1 down a small alley, down a smaller alley (imagine a tiny sidewalk).
Found a great place to eat, Tree House, a recommendation from a friend. Roughy $3 for chicken breasts, veggies, blended juice and a water, can you say "right price?". Met 2 really cool Swedes (Niclas and Kim) who have been traveling for months and will be continuing that trend for at least another few - love their mentality! Will hit the hay early tonight and get ready for my first full day in Kuta!

Day 1: Chasing Daylight

All day and all night, we've been chasing the ever ellusive daylight as it slowly escapes us on the horizon. Have you ever seen a sunset for 7 hours? It finally set & that was a long yet quick 16 hour flight.

My day: I met some wonderful people in the line to check in, their adventure took them through Tai Pei as well, though their final destination is Bangkok. Once aboard the plane and the wheels left the runway, the impact of the trip started to hit me. I was more aware of my surroundings, more sensative to the sunlight, more in touch with my emotions. I have watched 4 movies on the flight and had a drooling nap of about 3 hours. Drooling naps are the best, though my apologies to the elder Chinese woman sitting next to me. I have taken laps around the plane, made some friends by the bathrooms, a regular gathering place of the antsy, and eaten some foreign meat which is alleged to be chicken or eggs or soup, who knows? I have wept like a baby for a man who lost his wife, cheered for the death of Nazi's in a cinema, pulled for the destruction of the humanoid race, and dreamt of hamburgers falling from the sky ... I'll have cheese on mine please. To say the least it's been an interesting flight. 

My roommate Kurt asked me the night before I left what my goals were for this trip. I had no answer. Candidly, I'm still not sure. I just know I need to reconnect with the Deano inside, as cheesy as that sounds. Don't get me wrong, I've loved my life thus far, I take full responsibility for all that it has been, but sometimes I wonder if I have disconnected from my passions. Wishy was so all-consuming for the last few years, and with it's teetering failure & success, I wonder if too much stock was placed in it's result rather than the process. Mix that in with personal and spiritual unrest and I don't know ... I am like the cap of a wave, prone to be blown to and fro. I have my foundation, now I am seeking my drive.

I guess my goal for this trip ... It's to find me again, intimately reconnect with God again, and celebrate living in this day, this hour, this moment!

More to come ... Just day 1 on the plane, will soon be in Tai Pei ...

Arrived safe and sound, decided to go for a drink with the ladies from the plane which resulted in me entering terminal 1. The problem is once you reach terminal 1, there is no way out ... When their version of TSA escorted me to Immigration, they asked me not to do that again. Got solicited by a taxi driver that said, "I do you deal, only 1000NT" = $35 ... I passed. Found the bus, paid $3 and headed off to Lai Lai Sheraton, 5 minutes from my hostel. It's the one down at the end, on the 6th floor. Did a late night lap of the food alleys and hit up the one food source I felt secure with ... McDonald's. I shall sleep lightly tonight, my lids are refusing to do their job, they will shut shortly.