We needed to get past immigration to reach the ATM, they only accept local currency for VISAS. As we asked to go through, the immigration officer told me to wait there while Alex crossed the line of armed officers. When he returned, the officer said that we could give him our money and he would run our passports through, for a small charge of about $2. It saved us some valuable time waiting in line, and just happened to be the second immigration officer that day that was willing to "help" us.
As we drove into Kuta Beach by taxi, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC passed our window. I was disgusted and told Alex that we should leave ASAP, that we should find somewhere more secluded. Keep in mind, we hadn't seen any recognizable chains since Thailand as Vietnam has strict laws forbidding most foreign chains.
We selected a small guesthouse from our trusty counterfeit Lonely Planet (that we bought back in Siem Reap for $5). The taxi driver said that the street was too small to drive so he dropped us off at the Mickey D's and we were told to walk "about 200 yards" to the hotel. By this point is was reaching midnight. We hurried down the narrow alleyway, turned left and veered right and finally came across some guesthouses about 10 minutes later. Full. Next one was too expensive. And the next was dirty. We searched and searched. Every time we arrive at a new town, Alex lets me go into the rooms while he waits outside with our bags. I always compare at least 3 or 4 guesthouses to insure that we are getting the best value then we decide on one. I was having a tough time and it was really late and dark in the narrow alley. My standards were high; coming from Vietnam where we could get a room with A/C, a balcony, small fridge, international TV and a clean bathroom for $10. On the outside, these guesthouses have a beautiful charm, fresh flowers, small gardens, swimming pools...but the rooms could have used a fresh coat of paint and bleach.
We eventually settled in near the end of the alley way at the Suri Balley Guesthouse. We were curious about our new surroundings and still wide awake so we decided to venture out for a beer at a nearby bar. This was the latest we had been out since the nights of sitting around Johnny's table.
The next day we hit the beach early. Breakfast was included and we were greeted by the manager who had a tropical flower behind his right ear. He served us a pitcher of coffee and banana pancakes. Alex was anxious to check out the surf and I was looking forward to stretching out my beach mat with a good book. The beach was just what you'd expect from a postcard,
beautiful white sand, tan people, massive waves, palm trees, women walking around with pineapples on their heads, children playing in the sand. Ahhh....paradise! An offering was laid in the sand by a Hindu group. 
It only took Alex a few trys to become a surfing pro. In a matter of an hour, he was riding the waves in like the old guys do in Riding Giants.
You can rent boards for about $2 a day. We had been looking forward to getting back to the beach. We were waiting for our friend Kevin to meet us in Kuta the next day. He was going to be with us for the next 2 weeks. Kevin's plane was delayed so he arrived the next day about noon. I decided to be silly and made a sign for him to hold up at the airport. When you exit the airport, there are taxi drivers and hotel staff dressed in traditional outfits holding up a sign with their guest's name on it.
I was trying to blend in. We managed to entertain ourselves with the locals while we waited. We considered picking Kevin up in a horse drawn cart but figured that would take too long so we opted with the taxi. Next time tough, it's on!We dropped Kevin's bags off and hit the beach again. Sunset is just incredible. You've got a panoramic view of the entire sky. Silhouettes walk by with surf boards. Flowers drop near my mat.
Right across from the beach is a small 7/11 convenient store. They have a small outdoor patio out front with tables, chairs, traditional music, and sea breeze.
It makes for the perfect spot to relax with a beer (at the 7/11!) and people watch. We loved the concept! Later that night we decided to check out the night life since Kevin was in. We wandered in the Bounty Bar which had 4 clubs in one. We first stopped to listen to a regee band who quickly pulled me up to dance. 
Then we made our way back to the Foam Party for some real entertainment. Four punch bowls later and it was time for bed. We spent the remainder of our days in Kuta on the beach and Alex was improving his surfing skills every minute.
He realized how strong your upper body must be, the waves are 20 feet high and paddling out against the tide is challenging. He wanted to stay here forever to surf, but we only had 4 weeks left and so much else to see....
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