Sent on Jan. 17, 2003 from Bali, Indonesia.

US$ = 8,900 - 9,000 Rupees. Reserve 10,000 Rupees ($12)
as exit fee at the airport.  The taxi from the airport
to your hotel in KUTA is 25 Rupees ($3), same back.

Bali is at the eastern end of JAVA; this is my
2nd trip.  Surely, the recent bombing in the
tourist-infested KUTA, in which more than 100 Australians
died as substitute Americans, did not help tourism.  This
place used to be crowded; now there are only a few
tourists.  Albeit, it is still one of the primary
destinations in these parts, AND it still has many quaint
parts left once you leave KUTA, right to the north of the
airport, south of the capitol DENPASAR. One such place is
the art & craft center UBUD City at the center of the island.  The
same road north to LOVINA also passes thru rain forests,
RICE TERRACES--some of the nicest this side of the
Philippines--temples, what have you.  The black-sand
beaches of the Northwest coast are somewhat desolate in
that for long stretches there are no towns, should you
desire being alone.  If you are the partying kind, or
sociable, stay in Kuta.  And if you insist to capture
Bali's past native beauty, the island of LOMBOK is only 20
minutes (flight) to the east of Bali.

My agenda on Bali this time is simple enough, as I had
taken a partial island tour the last time I was here.  I
collect sand from different parts of the world, all major
deserts, etc.  So this time, I will stay one night in Kuta
and relax, flirt, whatever.  The next day, I will rent a
jeep with a driver--you MUST have International Driver's
License to drive here, OR you will pay a fine when the
police stops you; I have only my Miami license--and head to
LOVINA on the northern shores of Bali to collect a bottle
of BLACK sand.  (The only black one I have is from Tahiti.

Geographically, Indonesia covers practically all the
islands--some 18,000+ of them--south of
the Philippines and Singapore and north of Australia.  Two
large islands are shared: Borneo, where 1/3 is Malaysia
and Brunei and Guinea, on which 1/2 to the east is PAPUA
NEW GUINEA.  Bali is at about 116 degrees East and 9 deg.
South, of course all tropical.  North to south the island
is about 84 miles, east west about twice that.  On Bali
about 80 percent follow the Hindu religion, 10% Muslim, 5%
Buddhist, and 5% Christian.  Unlike the Hindus in India,
here they pray to one God, not just to Ganesh, Krishna,
etc.  And Muslims too are not as orthodox here as in the
Mid-East.  They have blended much of the Indonesian culture
to Muslim religion.

Post cards = 1500 Rupees, postage 8000 Rupees
(one of the most expensive in these parts), as
also the Internet at 18,000R per hour.  When I was here in
1998, this place was as crowded as Phuket, Thailand; not so
now after the bombing, though seemingly they are still
trying to charge premium prices for everything.  (I told
several people here--hotel, restaurant, tour agency--that
they may well price themselves out of the tourist market
vis-a-vis Phuket etc.) 

If you are going to stay in Kuta, Bali, obviously the best
place to find a hotel is along the beach, which can get
expensive.  On the other hand, the hotels recommended as
cheap by Lonely Planet are on dead alleys.  I personally
like an area that is away from noise, if one is so
inclines, yet a few steps from the beat if one changes
his/her mind. I recommend a hotel on the LEGIAN St.
parallel to the beach.  SIMPANG INN (Legian St 133,
is where I stayed for $15 per night, in a very nice bungalow-like
spotless room with air, TV, hot water, facing a lush garden
around a pool.  (They will ask $21-25 or so, with fan, fan
not air cond.; say $15 or you walk out!)  By the way, this
hotel is about 100 yards north of the disco that was
destroyed by the OCT 12, 2002 bombing.  Indeed, several
adjacent buildings on that side and several across the
street have been also destroyed.  (I took photos; will
post them when have time.)

When you leave the hotel and walk the short alley to the
LEGIAN St., Mcdonalds will be across the Street, about 50
yards to your left, after a Post Office on the same side. 
On the same side as the hotel, just 10 yards left you will
see a travel counter right on the sidewalk.  Use it, for it
offers the best prices for island tours, but check others
too and negotiate.  Off the exit, turn right and walk about
250 yards to the BEMO CORNER, turn right again on PENTAI
KUTA St., walk 250 yards west to the ocean, walk along the
beach road called POPPIES I Lane, turn right again after
200 yards on POPPIES LANE II, walk the narrow alley with
shops for some 300 yards back to the Legion St.  You will
have enjoyed the best part of Kuta.

The tour north to LOVINA, starting at 8am, with stops at
temples, waterfall, and the black-sand beach in Lovina
returns at about 6pm the same day, costs $19 with min. 2
persons.  You can negotiate it down to say $25 for yourself
if a second person cannot be found.  DO INSIST coming back
from the more westerly BANJAR, PUJUNGAN, ANTOSARI,
TABANAN road.  Much less traffic on that road; the scene is
unbelievably beautiful; the rice terraces, coffee orchards,
coconut plantations covering entire mountain sides are out
of this world.