Can You Count Them?

On Saturday afternoon, after spending the previous night chilling at home, I decided to head out for lunch to the Bali Deli. Ash picked me up and we were supposed to meet Inny there. As we drove by the Jagorawi Toll exit, Ash suggested that we go to Pelabuhan Ratu for the night. Now mind you, this is not just a hop skip and jump away. And Ash is not usually the most spontaneous person although he does have his moments. We are talking about a good 3 and a half hour drive mostly winding through hills. I am always ready to go to the beach though but I did not think he was serious.

I made him carry on to the Bali Deli. He kept pressing the issue with me but I still thought he was toying with my emotions so just to entertain him I called up B and told him to come and meet us with clothes and a camera; we are going to the beach. I think at this point even B thought I was fucking with him. But he also went along with it and met us up an hour and a half later. We stocked up on booze and snacks at the Bali Deli and head out of Jakarta by 5pm. We made it to Pelabuhan Ratu by 9pm. No clothes in tow mind you. Luckily it was quiet out there and we got a 4 room bungalow on the beach at Ocean Queen Resort for the price of a two room, which is about $80 a night.

The Ocean Queen Resort has about 20 or more bungalows on the South Java coast right on the Indian Ocean. It is owned by an Englishman who lives in Jakarta and it is quite popular with the expat community here. There are other hotels on the coast but I usually look at Ocean Queen as the first option. Although it is not modern, it has a good vibe and like I said, it is right on the beach. It even has this gazebo out front that you can chill in.

In the bungalow there is a small living room. It faces the ocean and the front doors can be opened so there is essentially no wall. It is wonderful to kick back there during the day. There are ample electrical outlets as well so you can plug in your boom box or cell phone. And there are no god damned TV’s. There is no air-conditioning either but it is cool enough and there is a swimming pool and the ocean if you want to cool off.

However they recently have installed air-conditioners in the bedrooms. The last time I was there they did not but that really did not bother us. Some of the girls did not like it but we were mostly too wasted by the time we got into bed to even care.

They have twin and double beds.

Having a clean bathroom is essential when staying out and the bathrooms here are fine. There are a bunch of geckos everywhere but that is just part of being in Pelabuhan Ratu. There is clean running water, toilet rolls, and soap provided.

The standing shower is also very convenient and it delivers hot and cold water. There is nothing fancy about it but it does the job. I usually opt to use the outdoor shower in the front yard. Late at night it is pretty dark and you can get away with being a bit of an exhibitionist.

Another feature that makes staying in these bungalows better than staying in a hotel is the kitchen. It is fully equipped with glasses, plates, cutlery, cookware, and even basic spices. If you are traveling with kids this is the way to go. It makes life a whole lot easier.

There is even a dining table.

The refrigerator is also in pretty good shape so you can keep your beers cold and stock up on ice for the night. When we go up on planned trips we usually take our own marinated meats and such for the barbeque.

We did not really take much with us apart from what you see in this picture. Shoots, I was still in my jeans and I had to find some crusty old surf shop to get a pair of shorts when I got up there. But as you can see, you really do not need any more than this.

Only the 3 of us made it up there and we had an awesome night. We sorted out a huge bonfire on the beach that we kept going till morning. It was a clear night and we could see every star in the sky. It has been forever since I could see the sky. Just laying there, smoking, drinking, talking… There is nothing I enjoy more than that. I feel small under the sky and all my problems evaporate. Ash really made this weekend for my by suggesting the beach. It’s wonderful when a plan comes together like that. And B did not ask any questions either; he just grabbed his shit and hopped on board. Had he not done that, we probably would have stayed here in Jakarta and watched movies or hit some random club. They are my heroes for this month. Do not ask why I look like I am about to climb through the camera.

I will also add that I did not dick around with the fire at all and apart from pulling a muscle in my right arm, this weekend was accident free. There were many moments where I stopped and thought about what I was doing before I did it. But I could not help but chuck a bucket of fuel on the fire. It was pretty cool too.

It was an awesome night. There is nothing more splendid than tripping out on the beach. I wish we had some mushrooms at the time but the buds seemed to do the trick. I think we all fell asleep right there on the beach and we polished off all the booze we brought. The next day was even more amazing. B has taken some stunning pictures of the most eclectic house I have ever seen. We just got invited there by chance. And the view… Fucking awesome. But I’ll put that up in another post.