Much has been said about Kuta beach. It’s not exactly the uncharted 3K’s of backpacking these days. Nowadays, you’re more likely to be bugged by people offering massages, hair braiding, Bintang beer and all sorts of random stuff…like a handmade “magic” cigarette dispenser that is really quite nifty, but that was at Legian.
We stayed right opposite Kuta beach so it’s literally right in front when we walked out. Come to think of it, we did a lot of walking in Kuta – and let me tell you, these flip flops are *not* made for walking. It’s really hot during the afternoon – mostly Caucasians catching a tan/recovering from hangovers go there at that hour…
…but it’s really nice during sunset.
You see people start streaming in and picking a good spot around 4:30 pm or so – the beachfront vendors are mostly gone by then so you can sit unmolested, without someone asking you if you want something you don’t need and just…
…chill there, watching the waves roll in, breathing in the sea salt and immersing yourself in the Zen of it all. It feels very serene, especially if you sit right in front. We stayed until 7:30 pm and I think we were the only ones there at that time. Heh.
It should be noted that if any eateries offer to add in some mushrooms into your food, they’re not really talking about ye olde regular mushrooms.
Haa…
I like how you’re staring at your hands in the last shot. Ye olde mushrooms indeed!
Haha! I know right, the very first night I was there, I went to this slightly dodgy place in Poppies II Lane and…well, you know the rest. 🙂
Then, what sort of mushrooms???
Bali? It’s usually cultivated p.cubensis.
They sell it in little 10 gram bags fresh for about IDR 50,000 (RM 20 or so). There are good ones and bad ones – if not stored property, the psilocybin content drops drastically, so the fresh ones are the strongest.
I…er, saw one place put two bags per shake. That’s would give strong visuals. 🙂
nice big beach, but can be a bit overcrowded sometimes tho.
Yeah, especially towards the evening…even in the afternoon there are people sunbathing and it’s scathingly hot. 🙂
I’m more into hills and mountains than beaches. Hmmm…I thought I would get to see you in your speedos – time has changed, hasn’t it? 😉 LOL!!!
That’s the beauty of Bali! 🙂
There’s beaches AND also mountains in the interior and best of all it’s easily reachable coz it’s not exactly a very big island.
…something for everyone. My Speedos? Well I swam in the sea in my board shorts.
…but I changed right on the beach. Took off my board shorts and underwear and put on my board shorts again coz I didn’t bring a change of clothes and didn’t want to get my underwear wet.
Board shorts dries easily but not underwear. Haha.
I think I was nude for about 30 seconds while my friend attempted to shield me with my t-shirt.
…but since it was the beach, plenty of people saw anyway. No one commented and I didn’t get a citation for public nudity so all is good. 😀
P.S. Ya…I heard of the “mushrooms” in Indonesia, everywhere…not just in Bali.
i am going to Jogja in September. means i must be aware of this mushrooms thingy lo :S
Don’t worry, these are places that has “MAGIC MUSHROOMS” printed in large and funky fonts all over the place so you wouldn’t be mistakenly served.
You’ll be offered, but they’ll emphasize it’s magic mushrooms and not regular mushrooms. 🙂
It’s not something you’ll take accidentally, so rest easy on that account. You’ll be offered with an emphasis on the magic part so you’ll know it’s not shitake mushrooms or something like that or you have to ask for it specifically.
ONE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE – Magic mushrooms are NOT legal in Bali or Indonesia. It’s technically illegal, it’s just available everywhere, so the authorities ignore it, kinda, sorta…but it may land you in jail or require a hefty bribe if you’re unlucky. I’ve heard of cases like that e.g. people being setup by undercover cops, so be careful.
A lot of people think it’s legal coz they sell it openly in shops and restaurants, but it’s not. It’s illegal. It’s just commonly available and the authorities are bribed for keeping an eye closed. As long as you don’t cause trouble when you’re tripping, you *should* be fine, but just be careful all the same. 🙂
It’s especially common in Bali coz of the Aussie tourists. I don’t know, I’m not used to paying for mushrooms coz it’s available for free at certain prized spots on campus while I was in university. You just have to pick them.
The only time I paid for shrooms was when I was in Amsterdam.
…and now Bali.
Oh well, it was worth it, very good trip, two thumbs up. 😀
HB, all depend how you see it. That one trip you may or may not forget
My friend in San Francisco was watching sport game on his tv and his team won. He decided to get more beers. Half drunk walking down the stairs fell down all the way and woke up in ER. He said That One Trip He Will Never Forget! He went home with a broken arm in cast and a broken leg. I took him home.
Heh! Well, I had a very good trip so it’s all good to me. 🙂
Sorry to hear about your friend. 😡
Well, shrooms in Bali is technically illegal, a lot of people think it’s legal coz it’s available so openly but it’s not. As long as you don’t cause any trouble, you should be fine. The quality is good coz it’s so commercialized they cultivate it nowadays, and it’s psilocybe cubensis, a very nice and visual species. 😀
Mushrooms? Drugs?
Nope, it’s just a kind of mushroom that happens to contain psilocybin, among other things. 🙂
wow the culture there is so different right.. but can you enjoy much when the beach is overcrowded?
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Yeah, it’s part of the ambiance I guess. 🙂
If you want a less crowded beach, you can go elsewhere, the good thing about Bali is that there’s plenty of beaches. 😀
i’m sure you tried the mushrooms!