Ubud, Bali Indonesia

I arrived in Bali at about 7:55PM. After cleared the immigration/custom and exchanged some TC, I was off to Ubud, the artistic center of Bali in the rain.

Ubud looked deserted when I arrived, I think the rain and recent bombing/warning have kept most of the tourists away.

The place I stayed look really nice in compare to what I stayed in Borneo and all for half the price and with breakfast! The room is tiled with ornated door. The interior is decorated nicely as well. Even though it has no ac (no need since it does not smell and vented well).

In the morning I went for a walk to the moneky forest, people are friendly along the rice paddy fields. I guess the morning/mid-day sun bring out the tourists I did not see last night, but from what I was told, the place is slower than normal.

The streets are lined with souvenir shops that are filled with many finely hand made goods for a fraction price you would find any where. I guess I'll be loading up on gifts from here :)
Intermixed with the shops you get many stylish resturants and coffe shops. The prices are pretty expensive by Indonesian standard, as many are owned by westerners (with higher expense and tax). Food is good in these resturants, but I avoid it and tried the few local resturants.

One thing annoying here is the constant being hassled by the taxi drivers. But I think after my Vietnam exprience, I have a higher tolerance for it now :) Thank you Vietnamese people.

Day two, Mary (from Boneo) arrived, and we went for walk to near by village and rice fields. Even though there are shops and up scale hotels along the way, it was scenic hike none the less.
That evening, we went to the monkey forest temple to watch local hindu religious parade and later that night we went to see some Balinese/Hindu dance. It was good except we sat at the last row, so can't see too well.

Day three, Mary and I chartered a taxi, to goto couple near by hindu temples. Not thing grand, just more of historical values. In fact the hindu temples here are just plain by my standard. It is the custom of the local people that are real facination to the visitors.
BTW, there are more temples here in Bali than houses I was told. After a afternoon of Balinese massage which was pretty good, we went to the monkey forest temple to watch local people in the hindu ritual in the evening. Even though it rained pretty hard, people still carry on the prayer ceremonies. There were also traditional music and plays. One has to dress up in local costume in order to going in to see the ceremony inside the temple. So I bought a full dress for it. Mary deicded to go back early, I stayed on till about 10PM (I was told the ceremony last to 12 or 1 AM). And some people (4 villages were represented here) hava one hour drive back....
After I went back to my guesthouse, I found Mary talking with my neighbor Jack, who is from Hawaii but lived in Bali for over 20 years, now retired (from sarong business) and a surfer. He is very knowledgeble about Balinese culture including that of Balinese people don't trust each (since they gossip a lot), hide themselves when eating except during regious gathering since they consider it as animal behaviour, joke with each other a lot and in public and work places (many involve sexual jokes), has modified caste system, some religious ceremonies near/at tourist areas are bit exaggerated. Anyway, Mary has decided to go with Jack to where ever he is going instead to Amed with me as originally planed, I was kind upset since I changed my plan and paid the transport so we will both be in Amed for new year.

Next morning (day four), Mary felt guity and convinced Jack to goto Amed with us (he has sold everything he owned and now traveled in a mini van with surf boards to catch the waves), so Mary, Jack, and I left for small beach town Amed for new year.

Jack (in his late 40s or early 50s) and Mary (in her early 40s) both into meditation, yoga, mysticism, so they connect prety well. On top of that Jack believed UFO because his mother was abducted by aliens. Anyway, Mary is looking for a man that is compatible with her, so Jack fits the build and Mary seen to grab on to Jack. But I have the feeling that Jack is not that interested and he did us a favorite by going to Amed with us after Mary insist he come. Anyway more on this saga later to come in Amed log.

O, I left all the souvenirs I bought here in Ubud which I intend to come back after 2 nights in Amed.