Sightseeing

Up about 8:30, bathed, then went down for breakfast. It's just toast w/butter amd jam and tea or coffee.

I walked down to Mataram Mall and bought myself some new flip-flops, my other new ones are hurting my feet something awful. I think they are too small for me. I have a horrible time trying to buy flip-flops I like.

Then I started walking to the Mayura Water Palace and Pura Meru. Along the way, I got accosted by a local, and he accompanied me to each, practising his english. Both sights weren't that exciting. 2000 and 1000 rupiah to get into each, respectively.

I was then going to go to the Sweta Bus Terminal to catch a bemo to Narmada to see the Pura Kalasa Water Palace, but my new found friend took my to another, closer bemo run, told me only pay once, 2000 rupiah, there and back, if I use the bus terminal, I have to pay to get there, and pay again to get back. So, I went with him, and then it turned to 4000 rupiah, which was still the same total price of the public bemo. We got in the bemo, and off we went to Narmada. It was about a 15 minute ride out of town, I paid the driver, and we went in to the water palace. Quite nice. It was built in 1805 by the king at the time to resemble Gunung Rinjani, when he was to old make his annual climb to the top of the mountain. It\s a temple surrounded by three pools, the temple represents the peak, the three pools represent three lakes surrounding the mountain. One of the pools has now been turned into a public swimming pool, complete with lane markings and starter blocks. I didn't bring my trunks, or I would have went swimming.

After the water palace, we walked back towards the bemos, and I remarked that I didn't have to pay for the ride back. He said I did, it was a different bemo, I said to him that "you told me, 4000 rupiah, there and back", and he apologized, and said no, I had to pay to go back. Ugh! I was a little miffed, and he could tell. He tried to be a little extra friendly with me.

On the way back, lots of school kids hopped into and out of the bemo, going to and from school. I snapped some pics, and showed the kids, they were quite impressed...they love digital cameras.

When we got back to Mataram, we got out, I asked the driver how much, he said 3000, so I have him 3000. It was at this point that I realized I had lost 50,000 rupiah that was in my pocket. It may have fallen out when I pulled some other money or something out of my pocket, or perhaps my friend snatched it, but no use crying over spilt milk. I don't think it was him, because I was keeping an eye on him, and he never made a move for my pocket or anything.

My guide took me through a local market, then I gave him 10,000 rupiah for the three hours or so of his time, and I went back to the hotel.

I was the only tourist at all those places, except for a couple of Japanese I saw.

I went to a restaurant next door for lunch, then back to my room and wrote in my journal. Then walked to a cheap (3000/hour), but very slow internet, about 40 minutes in, I had a bathroom emergency, so quickly paid and waddled my way back to my hotel, and went. Just made it!

Then I went back to a different internet (4500/hour), it was a fair bit quicker, but still unreliable. Spent two hours on it, because it was so cheap. Internet here is between 3000-5000/hour, in Kuta on Bali, it was anywhere between 12000 and 18000/hour!

Then over to McDonalds for supper, then back to the hotel. Walked with a local working at the hotel, he's studying english, and likes to talk to tourists, and I'm the only one there right now. He told me I was the only tourist there again this evening.

Read for quite a while, then to bed.