happy accident

alms to the Gods




Bali has been quite a pleasant surprise. I never planned on stopping here on this trip, but since Garuda Airlines (Ga-who-da? yes it's a real airline) doesn't have direct flights from Oz back to Bangkok, they gave me a free stopover in Bali for a week.
So I said OK, I'll bite.
I was anticipating nothing but westernized beaches (nothing wrong with that if that's what you're looking for) teaming with Aussie weekenders since it's so close to Australia. Kuta beach is well represented in this fashion, but travelling outside of there, I've discovered more diversity and culture here than I originally thought. The Balinese are artistic, creative, and have some of the greatest ritualistic dances. I saw Kecak (monkey dance) the other night, and for those of you who have seen the film 'Baraka', know it as the synchronized yelling and chanting and arms waving in the air by about 100 bare chested Balinese men. I know I say this about a lot of places, but they seriously have some of the nicest people in the world. When I rented a motorbike and asked for directions to a petrol station, one lady escorted me out of her way to the place. How nice is that?
Even in other countries with kind people, there's usually a few bad apples to spoil the party. I have yet to find one here. Even the touts, although persistent, are super friendly. Maybe tomorrow I'll try to be a jerk and provoke someone by pushing their buttons....wait what am i thinking. I'll just be myself (it's a joke mom, don't read to deep into this one).

I'm in the town of Ubud which is inland amidst rice paddies and volcanoes in the distance. The town is a creative nucleus filled with artists, galleries, craftsmen, woodmakers, sculptures, traditional Balinese dance studios, silversmiths and so on. You can also take classes in any of these arts. Gwow!
The town has its fair share of tourists, but this doesn't have a detrimental affect on the bohemian atmosphere. It's nice to see actual souvenirs being created in front of you vs. seeing pre-fabricated ones made in sweatshops.

Living is pretty cheap out here and I even splurged on a 1.5 hour massage for a whooping 12 US dollars. After a couple of days surfing, my muscles refused to cooperate unless I granted it this wish. Listen to your muscles. They're smarter than you think.
I wish I had more time here, because this place has been quite a happy accident. I plan on returning to Bali in the hopefully not to distant future. With that being said, here's some photos from the rural side of Bali taken while motorbiking around the island:

roadside temples and statues are everywhere in Bali


photos from the Taman Ayun temple


table for two please. preferably with a temple view if you've got it.


the spectacular, and well touristed Tanah Lot temple overlooking the sea. Additional beach shots.




green rice paddies and the blue lake below the Ganung Batur volcano taken from the outer rim



carved out statues at a temple in the forest on the outer rim of Ganung Batur



I also splurged on accomodations after being worn out by the $3/night rooms in Kuta. For a mere 11 bucks, you get a gigantic bungalow with a king size bed, pancake breakfast in the morning, and a pool set in a carved out cavelike grotto. Gwow! I can't remember the last time I had a room with a pool.
guardian of the pool

Balcony view of my bungalow in Ubud. Sunrise and Sunset.



Never an accident, and always a happy time, Dónde está Ché Pelotas?