Last Day in Bali

Yesterday morning I asked at the front desk if I could check out in the late afternoon today, not at noon since my flight departs shortly after midnight. They said, sure, no problem at all. Nice! Yesterday night I wanted to confirm the exact time of my checkout. The staff kindly told me it‘s still no problem, but I should pay them around 30€. Which would be a little more than a single extra night would have cost me at this hotel. ^^
At least I could leave my luggage there throughout the day. When I further inquired where I might be able to charge my phone when I get back to pick up my luggage, I was told I better do that in Denpasar. Around 30 minutes away from my hotel via car. I asked if there was no chance I could do this in the lobby. The guy said, oh, yes, of course I could. So… I‘m still a little confused.
As I mentioned yesterday, had I gone to a spa on my first day here, I wouldn‘t have done anything but that for the days to follow. So, yes, I went to another spa today. The massage part was relaxing. The supposedly relaxing beating with some searingly hot leaves of some plant I had to take was more than a bit too much to handle. I was relieved when it was over, maybe that counts as being relaxed.
I took an extended stroll along the promenade and found a fantastic restaurant with a beautiful view of the beach and the setting sun, “Gioi Ocean Gourmet“. Another great experience with the staff, though there is the point where too much kindness is a little exhausting. I‘ve never said ’thank you’ so many times a day. Or a week. Though my favourite and most sincere ‘thank you‘ was when the waiter handed me my peanut butter/vanilla milkshake. Yeah, yeah, shame on me. But it was my last day.
When I was walking on the beach for the last time, watching and photographing a semi-cloudy sunset (like a thousand other people) and looked back at my time here, I got a little sad that it was over. That feeling faded quickly as soon as I got back to the main road and got asked by every shopkeeper for 2 km if I wanted to buy their stuff. I‘m not exaggerating. And it’s not like they accept your ‘no‘. They keep talking, get more insistent and sometimes follow you for a bit. Also, cab/grab/gojek drivers honked at me to ask if I wanted a ride continuously. There is a lot of traffic here. And the aforementioned drivers make up at least two thirds of the vehicles. Just in case you were wondering how many times I was honked at. As enjoyable as Bali was for me most of the time (not on Jan 13), this is something I’ve grown to hate and won‘t miss. It was my impression, however, that men have an easier time here and aren‘t badgered as much.
Oh, fun fact. While I'm writing this in the hotel lobby, I get to listen to the reggae versions of the world‘s most famous Christmas songs on repeat. ^^

Quick update: After a long day/night, a sleepless 8-hour flight, extensive passport checks and declarations, I have safely arrived in Auckland, NZ. Further updates will follow.Read more