A week in Bali — just Ubud really

I’m behind on this blog but certainly not for lack of material. I have 1000s of photos that I am slowly going through. However, for about six weeks Ferda and I had rather limited electricity and internet access. But that’s getting ahead of myself. First we went to Bali!

IMG_20221214_162344 by bryandkeith on flickr

Back in 1994 Bali was the first place that I ever visited in Asia, and I was rather disappointed. I flew halfway around the world to an Australian spring break style party scene? Yikes. I wasn’t excited to go back. For Ferda, however, Bali was a dream. It seems to be the only place in Indonesia that Turks have heard of. Sulawhat? they asked when Ferda talked about our trip to Sulawesi.

Bali, it turns out, can be heaven, and it’s also a fairly easy place to extend the 30-day visa on arrival (Indonesia seems to make staying in their country harder and harder — no more 60 days on arrival (my first trip) and no more 60-day visas in Ankara (like we did last time)).

We spent the first night in Kuta only because it was between the airport and the office where we needed to drop our passports in the morning. We did find this temple before leaving Kuta:

IMG_20221208_115343 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221208_115012 by bryandkeith on flickr

In Ubud, where we spent a week, our routine was to get up early, walk through the rice fields, and rest a bit in the afternoon in the air conditioning.

IMG_20221208_182130 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221209_070957 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221209_074908 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221208_181722 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221209_094525 by bryandkeith on flickr

Days went by quickly. Ferda always loved to stop for a coconut.

IMG_20221210_094649 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221210_101635 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221214_160557 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221214_163430 by bryandkeith on flickr

Bali is certainly beautiful, and one thing that adds to that beauty is that there seems to be art around every corner — sculpture, paintings, flowers,

IMG_20221211_095203 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221210_092501 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221209_081406 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221211_103900 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221211_101848 by bryandkeith on flickr

even carved coconuts.

IMG_20221210_101225 by bryandkeith on flickr

On one walk we descended some stairs to cross a small creek and came across a couple walls full of carvings.

IMG_20221211_121212 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221211_121335 by bryandkeith on flickr

So close to (very touristy) Ubud, I was surprised I hadn’t come across these during my research. They weren’t on the map either. Well, later we learned that these carvings are new. During covid when the tourist work dried up, locals came down here with food and music … and carved day after day!

Our friend Oliver recommended Nick’s Pension in Ubud, and we were so happy to spend our week at Nick’s. The room was very comfortable, and the garden feels like a mini version of Bali full of flowers and statues.

IMG_20221212_174321 by bryandkeith on flickr

The room:

IMG_20221209_115846 by bryandkeith on flickr

and the view:

IMG_20221212_144627 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221212_144609 by bryandkeith on flickr

Nick’s hosts Balinese dances three times/week. We enjoyed them.

IMG_20221212_203222 by bryandkeith on flickr

One thing I remember fondly from my first trip to Bali were the beautiful daily morning offerings.

IMG_20221212_110621 by bryandkeith on flickr

Our biggest excursion was to rent a scooter one day, and the highlight of that day was visiting the rice terraces at Tegallalang.

IMG_20221213_092315 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221213_082337 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221213_092646 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221213_084635 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221213_091734 by bryandkeith on flickr

We found our best durian of the trip (1 of 2; we’re still in Indonesia, but I don’t think we’ll see another durian) at a roadside fruit stand that day.

IMG_20221213_120424 by bryandkeith on flickr

At Tirtha Empul Temple we learned a very little bit about Balinese Hinduism.

IMG_20221213_145740 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221213_144114 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221213_143927 by bryandkeith on flickr
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Ferda enjoyed driving the scooter on some quiet back roads.

IMG_20221213_135816 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221213_161545 by bryandkeith on flickr

Balinese were always smiling, gentle, and welcoming. Just like we said after Sulawesi, it’s the Indonesian people that make us want come back.

IMG_20221215_095858 by bryandkeith on flickr
IMG_20221214_161820 by bryandkeith on flickr

Don’t go yet, however. There’s a bit more of Indonesia to come. Also, just in case you think Bali really is heaven, note that the traffic (at least in the airport-Denpasar-Ubud part of the island) is horrible. The 43km taxi ride from Ubud to the airport took 2.5 hours.

This entry was posted in Indonesia, Traveling and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to A week in Bali — just Ubud really

  1. Mike Painter says:

    Looks like a beautiful place aways from the tourists!

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