Our introduction to Indonesia: Kuta beach and corrupt government officials

Upon our arrival in Bali, we had a trip first: extortion...by a corrupt government official. When we arrived at the airport in Bali, Julia's passport was nearly full of stamps and visas and there were only two blank pages available for the Indonesian visa (which takes up a full page). The immigration control officer jumped on the opportunity to make an extra buck and insisted that she pay a "fine" of $50 US, because he had to put the visa on one of the last pages. Julia asked for a receipt and the officer just laughed. Angry, but without another option, Julia paid the fine. Not the the best first impression of Bali.

Originally, we had planned to skip Kuta beach all together and immediately head elsewhere in Bali, but Billy needed to see a doctor and Julia needed to visit the US consulate to get additional pages added to her passport, so we decided to stick around Kuta for a few days.

Honestly, for all the negative press it receives, Kuta isn't really all that bad, especially if you take it for what it is: a crowded town on a heavily touristed island. The beach is ok, the town itself is entertaining for a few days, but nothing spectacular (plus you have to fight off thousands of people trying to sell you stuff). Regardless of its downfalls, we still had fun. We did a little surfing, relaxed, met up with some Dutch friends, Oscar and Anamica, and planned the rest of our adventure in Bali.

-Julia and Billy


Kuta Beach


Billy's first solid meal after a bout with food poisoning


Each home in Bali seemed to have its own family temple


Busy streets of Kuta


Dinner with our Dutch friends, Oscar and Anamica


Kuta's crazy nightlife, though interesting, was not exactly our style. Can you see the person on stilts dressed in the nurse outfit? Yep, that pretty much sums it up.


2002 nightclub bombing memorial


Sunset at Kuta beach