Up early and actually had my free breakfast (wasn't any better the 2nd time). Sent a package of guide books home - I could have bought them new for what it cost to send them, but I get sentimental about my guide books. Did a quick fifteen minutes at the Internet cafe to send the mail I wrote last night. Then checked out. Had a surprise extra US$7 per night for service (?!?) and taxes. The taxi driver on the ride to the airport gave me a run down on the anti-W.T.O. rioting going on in Seattle - one gets one's new where you can. After checking in at the airport spent an hour on the net - here more about the rioting from friends in Seattle. Made some calls home to use up my prepaid phone card - it was good to talk to people and I heard more about the riots - just can't escape it. Had a great flight - I scored the window emergency isle seat, two rows of leg room.
The airport in Jakarta is probably the nicest airport I've ever seen - lots of glass and spectacular landscaping out side - felt like walking through a Disneyland version of a rainforest. The flight to Bali was almost an hour late taking off. Got off the plane just in time to see the spectacular pink skies fading.
I decided to brave the long ride to Lovina (on the North coast) despite the late time. I think it would have been a spectacular drive through the mountains - I probably should have waited until morning. It took two and a half hours to get there - longer than I had hoped, but considerably shorter than I had feared. Found the hotel that Chris and Chanthu had recommended a few minutes before ten. Checked out the rooms and decided to splurge (again) for the deluxe room - huge, hot water shower, very clean with fan - and extra $8 / night (and more than double the price at that). The cheap room was nice as well, but would have been a cold bucket bath and a squat, plus there was a giant cockroach in the bathroom. I went out for food, but all the restaurants closed at ten, so I had a beer for diner, then worked briefly on journal and went to bed relatively early.
