back in the city

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well here we are back in the big smoke and its aweful. we had some wonderful days in Ubud and i can clearly see why all the fuss is made of this town. Water is running everywhere - in channels through rice paddies which come up to your door, water running past your bedroom so its like fountains around you. Just cant explain how lovely it is. Wish we had spent more time there than back here but thats the way it goes. We went to the Legong Dancing the second night which was lovely. Here you get the band which consists of gamelins which are like zylephones and hit with a little hammer, gongs, flutes, cymbals and other instruments i dont know the name of. Here the dancing is all about the eye and hand movements which are amazing. they all work independently of each other by this i mean each hand is moving in different directions and the fingers are all doing something different too. the eyes move up and down and from side to side, the feet move and the rest of the body seems to be static. there are stories attached to each dance - one is about the offerings, the next about fans, some are the demons and also of course about romance. the costumes are so colourful and glitsy.
On our last afternoon we wandered down Monkey Forrest Road and its called that because at the end there is a Monkey forrest where about 300 monkeys roam free. Its a sacred area Balinese and you have to behave respectfully and especially towards the monkeys. we sat down watching the action and you feel and arm on your shoulder as a monkey uses you as a prop if you are in the way. The best for me was when one monkey jumped on Terrys head and i nearly wet myself with laughter - was so lucky we done a toilet stop just before otherwise i guarantee you there would have been a problem for me!!! we spent about an hour wondering around there.
Ubud is so special as there is so much water running past in channels you are on a hill forests surrounding the river valleys and rice up to your door. All being watered. i need vernons help with some poetic words here. all i can say is if you ever come to Bali make sure you leave enough time for Ubud you might just want to stay there longer. as you walk past the shops they play the gamelin music which is also so enchanting which adds to the feel of Ubud.
well its our last day here so must go out and spend some time in the city. (just lost the first lot once again of this tome so i dont have the energy to rewrite it all)

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Photos

Monkey forrest
Monkey on Terry's head

Legong dancers
the dancing was out of this world