Padang Bai (by Niki)

We arrived to Padang Bai after a lengthy car ride which was relaxed because we were able to hire our own driver and have the freedom to stop a lot and have delicious food in local warungs. Having only planned one night in the stopover town we actually surprised ourselves by staying for three!

Padang Bai had a certain rustic, laid back, backpacker vibe to it that we thoroughly enjoyed. Even our guesthouse had some kind of quirky charm with the long haired owner constantly painting things different colours; one day the floor was cement, the next a forest green, and the next a lime green! These wonderful people also can't resist adopting any animal in distress on the street so they currently have over 15 cats and a handful of cute dogs. We spent a lot of time with one dog in particular named Bandi that reminded us of Diego but only made us miss him that much more!

Immediately upon arrival we were excited to see our first Indonesian beach. Some people say that you shouldn't come to Bali for the beaches but I am not sure I agree. This beach in particular called White Sand Beach certainly lived up to its name with powder soft white sand and crystal clear water that displayed various shades of turquoise when sitting on the beach. It had more locals hanging out on the beach than tourists which was enjoyable so we could watch the little boys jumping into the waves and the young girls taking photos of themselves (one of which I agreed to be in!) while locals and tourists alike mingled in a makeshift soccer game. We absolutely adored the vibe!

In the evening we walked around the small town and happened across a restaurant full of music and people whereas every other one was empty. We had a great time listening to nineties music and having incredible food before returning to our guesthouse to share a beer with our eccentric host. He shared some of his ideas on his faith with us and we always have a great time learning from the locals.

In the morning we headed to the medical clinic which resembled more of a makeshift veterinarian clinic if anything with a tiny examination office where I am sure the bench is never cleaned and it had piles of drugs just strewn around everywhere. Despite the clinician (we are not sure if she was a doctor, nurse, etc.) not having any English we were somehow able to communicate, have Josh's wound cleaned properly, and get some reassurance that it would heal in a week and that the swelling was "not bad." We were a little nervous about the cost since it was obvious there would be no official receipt that we could submit to our insurance but the $12 we were told was well worth the relief!

Our guesthouse had a pool and we decided to spend our morning lounging about there because Josh was able to go into the pool but we were waiting for the wound to heal a bit better before trying the ocean. We met a couple of girls staying at the guesthouse as well named Nora and Marlena and we got along so well with them that we actually stayed longer as a result. We had funny things in common with them like Nora's love for India and Marlena's age difference with her boyfriend which was cute! That night ended up being Nora's birthday so after a day of lounging (and healing hopefully!) and another visit to the beach, we went out with our new friends for a celebratory birthday dinner where the dessert was not a cake but some kind of spicy fruit mixture that wasn't particularly appetizing. Returning back to our guesthouse our host convinced us to try Arak which is a local brew and while I obliged everyone, I felt like I was drinking a potent whiskey and coke and it's probably not something I will miss when leaving Bali! Josh discovered some new artists and DJs he might like from Germany and we had a blast playing music off You Tube for the rest of the evening.

The next day was more of the same (lounging, playing music, reading Game of Thrones which I am addicted to etc...) and we also needed to prepare a ferry to the Gili islands which we were going to the next day. Everyone had a good laugh at me in the morning as I was about to sit down for breakfast until I saw a pink, bloody, hairless kitten and cried out, "there's a dead kitten on my chair!" in surprise which had our hosts running over concerned only to smile and tell me it was not dead but just born and they scooped it up to add to the litter. I am also almost positive that no one cleaned the chair afterwards haha! I love the laid back attitude of the Balinese!

We met another couple in our hotel named Marina and Matt and that evening all six of us went out for dinner which felt like a proper social engagement. The thing I love most about traveling is the openness of other travelers and how easy it is to relate to each other and to form bonds quickly. One evening out together can make people feel like old friends when on the road and there's nothing better than that. I only wish some of these people lived in Victoria instead of half a world away!

It was difficult to leave Padang Bai the next day whether we had gotten attached to it or just from pure laziness, I'm not sure. Although typically a town for transit, I found it to be really laid back with great beaches and friendly locals; the perfect place to hang out for several days.