around town in bali
Bali feels like a beach town south of LA. Kids on motorbikes (they're everywhere) rock Hurley flatbrims, and at night everyone sits outside a convenience store and smokes while open-air clubs blast Katy Perry. But during the day, there are winding little alleyways between the main roads and the beach, where you can stumble across tiny temples and skirt around the palm-leaf prayer offerings constantly underfoot. My favorite offerings usually have one tiny Ritz cracker in them; makes me think of a Balinese god, eating a pile of small crackers nearby. Another favorite sight in Bali are the petrol stations- metal shelves outside stores that all use Absolut bottles as their petrol containers.
We were surprised by two things: how friendly and nice everyone is by day, and how terrifying it is to walk around at night. When sellers holler at you, they don't make you feel like they've just verbally assaulted you. We got a lot of "hellos," some "I love yous," and the occasional "Marry me, yeah?" Tame stuff. But at night, the lovely little alleys are pitch-black, there are packs of young guys on motorbikes, and it's really easy to imagine bad scenario as you walk back to your hostel.