Garden of Eatin

Kuta
The beach is trashy, the hawkers are aggressive, crime is potent, and the drug scene is the worst in Indonesia. I certainly don't like any of these true statements about Kuta, but oddly enough I enjoyed my time there.
The first day in Kuta we walked down to the beach to relax and watch the surfers. After liberally applying some sun screen I thought I'd lounge about and read for 20 minutes or so. Unfortunately, my pasty white skin is as delicate as camera film, it becomes irrevocably damaged when exposed to sunlight. Two hours later, I was doing the lobster man thing where I looked like an Easter egg that's top half had been dipped in red dye for five minutes. Ironically, this is the exact color scheme of the Indonesia flag.
The only reason why I liked Kuta so much can be summoned up in two words, Sky Garden. Sky Garden is a five level dance club/restaurant that operates in the most genius of ways. First off, they offer an all you can eat and drink buffet for five dollars, this is exceptional deal when beer any where costs $3. Adam and I consumed what any accountant would consider a net loss for the company each night we were in Kuta. Between the hours of 9-10pm, the establishment offers free cocktails to get people in the door. The club draws a good mix of foreigners and locals. Similar to Venezuela, Indonesians love to dance. Maybe they don't dance the same style, but they are also very open to dancing with anyone. One usually loses track of time, until it dawns on them that it's time to head home.
I realize I probably left you bewildered how this seemingly fiscally irresponsible enterprise has managed to remain a business. The business strategy became immediately apparent when I had to succumb to buying a small bottle of water (no fountains anywhere) for a whopping $4. Nevertheless, Adam and I always left being convinced that we got our money's worth, which is what makes Sky Garden such a good business.