We returned to the hotel around 8:30, with just enough time to eat breakfast (also crappy), take another cold shower, and then jump into another bus where Doug and I squeezed into the front seat together. At this point, I realized I had left the jacket I rented in the Jeep we rode in the morning, but with our quick escape, no one would be able to track me down to ask for it back. WRONG. 10 minutes in, the driver’s cell phone rang, he handed it to me, and someone on the other line was demanding the jacket back! I have no idea how they tracked me down in the shuttle, but after trying to explain that I’d left it in the Jeep, the other guy hung up on me. Fingers crossed I don’t get hit with a random $50 charge for jacket replacement…when it had originally cost me $2 (and wasn’t worth even stealing).

We changed cars in Probolinggo, to a rickety old minivan that didn’t look fit to go 5 miles, let alone 12 more hours. We squeezed 8 of us in, and with nonexistent air conditioning it made for an extremely long trip. Not to mention the multiple stops we made – at the driver’s house (?!), 4 gas stations, the bathroom (he didn’t even offer us), convenience store so he could get water, restaurant for lunch, and the same spot in Bali 4 times as he couldn’t find the drop-off point. After all was said and done, our island hopping trip got us in at 11pm, where we then proceeded to get ripped off by the taxi driver for 100,000 rp to Seminyak when it should’ve cost us a quarter of that!

All was forgotten when we arrived at Bali Ginger Suites in Seminyak, a coastal beach town close enough to the action of Kuta and Legian (where we were advised by all to avoid) but a little quieter and nicer. Our suite, as was the case with all rooms, had the pool right at our feet with an outside kitchen/garden/sunning area that opened into the spacious bedroom, with the bathroom also open air. This quickly took on the prestigious superlative of my favorite bathroom, with a huge outdoor rainwater head shower and bathtub surrounded by stones. Since we failed to stop for dinner and everything was closed, we designated tonight as our ghetto night of grabbing spicy chicken flavored chips, ramen, and some beers from the Circle K mini mart around the corner. At least we got to enjoy our kitchen!