Sauble on steroids

Here are some beach pics I took last night around sunset. It was a Sunday evening, so the beach was a bit more busy than normal. This is Kuta beach. When you've seen all the pictures, you'll agree it's like Sauble on steroids!

I spend most of my time on this beach, but a bit further away from all the busyness.

(My ear is still feeling a bit plugged, but it doesn't hurt. I can hear out of it a bit more than yesterday, so hopefully it's on the mend. The nurse at the clinic said it looked OK to her. I wore my plugs surfing today, and it worked out well.)



There are a set of soccer goals that are permanently on the beach. Sunday night has an official game, with two Bali teams competing. It was four-on-four plus goalies. The action was OK, but everyone kicked the ball over the net all the time, so I just watched for awhile. The nets are smaller, and people play in bare feet.



Here is some surfing action. The conditions would have been described as 'flat' yesterday, but there was still enough surf for having fun. The swell returned today, making the waves pretty savage! They're super heavy so not too many people got out there today on high tide. I went out, and surfed the white chop again, and am getting pretty good at standing up on command.



There are lifeguards stationed up and down the beach. This shot is at low tide, showing the ever-vigilant surf patrolman. Notice all the people!





If you're a swimmer, you'll also be safe at Kuta Beach! From drowning, anyway...but you'll never be safe from the lifeguards and their swimwear choices!



I think a few things came together to get all these people at the beach...nice weather, low tide, and a Sunday evening sunset. Whatever the reason, look at them all! I don't mind being part of the throng...I enjoy it actually. Possibly China has prepared me for crowded places.



Both tourists and locals come down to the beach, and most everyone has a good time. Today I walked further north up the beach, where there are a lot of expensive beachfront hotels. Those people weren't having fun...they were just laying in the sun and looked miserable. I'm glad I'm where the action is, and not where people are boring.



And, a few pictures of the sunset.



You can make out all the surfers in the lineup, waiting to catch a wave. Everyone bobs in the ocean behind the waves, until one of their liking comes along. It's bad form to snake a wave from someone else, so only one person surfs a wave at a time. Sometimes friends will take off together, but it's very impolite to steal someone's wave, making them bail to avoid a collision.



I hope to get a sunset surf session in tonight. The waves should be smallish, and the light will be sublime. It'll be fun, and I might find some waves I can practice on, instead of surfing the white chop again. Who knows though...the ocean changes all the time, depending on the swell and tide.

So, that's Kuta Beach. It is full of tourists and people selling things, but I like it! I enjoy being on the beach for most of the day. I have found a hat Dad would be proud of, and I hide from the sun as much as possible. I could rent an umbrella on the beach, but I just find a tree to sit under instead.