Day 32: "Hello, transport yes?"

The economy here in Bali is largely based around tourists-either taking them places or selling them stuff. As a result, hawkers can be a little oppressive, particularly around major tourist destinations, where your path to whatever beautiful thing it is you came to see will usually take you past dozens of stalls selling seemingly identical sarongs, carved boxes, or other trinkets for next to no money. "Shopping yes? Sarong 10,000. Chess board maybe?"

But here in Ubud, the main thing on offer out in the street is rides: "Hello, taxi yes? Transport? Maybe tomorrow? Moped? Cheap price!" Getting slightly exasperated with this, K has started to make jokes about it, which the locals really seem to like. The other night when offered a taxi for the 80th time, she said "nooooooo," to which the 2 guys offering said "thank yooooouuu" in unison.

Or then there there was my favorite: "Taxi? He can help you!" pointing to the guy just across the street.

Although we've not been quite fearless enough to try it ourselves, the main mode of transport for Balinese is the moped. Mopeds outnumber cars here by a wide margin, and in heavy traffic, mopeds travel along in packs, flowing around the cars on both sides through the winding streets. We've also observed that a single moped is capable of carrying quite a bit more than you might imagine. For instance, an entire small restaurant, sun umbrella and all. This afternoon while we were sitting in a roadside cafe, enjoying our iced cappuccinos, we saw a family of four pass by perched atop a small moped, with the youngest fast asleep draped across the handlebars.