Bali is Love

Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud
January 25th 2009

Published: April 7th 2009

Edit Blog Post

Alisha S

I Wayan Suriadi

Wayan was a fantastic guide and friend and we truly enjoyed his company; Kuta Beach

My short journey through Bali extended as far out into the world as it did within me; I was moved by the people, by exquisite landscape and by the intangible energy of this region.

Wayan

Our wonderful driver I Wayan Suriadi, whom we found at the airport in Denpasar, Bali, was not only a knowledgeable guide for the area but one of the kindest people we met by far. We liked him so much that we immediately booked him for our 4-day stay to be our driver and guide as we explored Bali. He was only too thrilled! I promised Wayan that would write about him in my blog and encourage anyone visiting Bali to contact him and use his services: +62 81 2465 4207 and 0361 8471939.

A Cottage in a Forest

We stayed in a remote little town named Ubud in south central Bali (about an hour’s drive from Denpasar). Travelers often stop here to buy art, watch traditional dances, eat some phenomenal sea food and immerse themselves in Balinese culture. There are no beaches near Ubud, just rolling green hills and a forest in the south end of the town.

Not

Sama's Cottages

A must-stay for the back-packer and budget traveler. Sama is a kind and wonderful person as are his helpers; Ubud, Bali

knowing where in Ubud to stay, we settled for my Lonely Planet Guide’s “choice” rest house, a small group of cottages on a quiet street owned by a timid old man named Sama. A note about Balinese names: you are likely to encounter only 4 names in Bali regardless of sex. Balinese children are named according to the order in which they were born into the family, for instance Wayan = firstborn. Second, third and fourth borns are Nyoman, Kade and Sama but I don’t know the correct order. If a fifth child is born, he or she is named Wayan Balik, meaning “Wayan again” and so on.

Sama was probably in his 80s, but as cheerful and obliging as anyone. We were shown to our cottage which was happily situated at the edge of the forest. How perfect for me! Moss carpeted the steps and path that led to the cottage and deep green palms grew vigorously all around making our cottage a secluded paradise. The heady scent of frangipani thickened the air.

The cottage had a simple patio with a sofa and table. A creaky wooden door led to the modest interior of the cottage. Inside

Cottage in a forest

Mum stands on the patio of our cozy cottage in Ubud, Bali

was a large bed with mosquito netting, a cupboard and a small table. In the bathroom we already had a welcoming party: a frog and a large spider. I had no problem taking the frog out into the forest but I was too afraid of the spider. My brave Mum went in a shooed it out of the window!!

Market Day

We ventured into the town that afternoon and I was overcome with its beauty, the warmth of the people. Temples or “Puras” which lined the streets had a unique blend of Far Eastern architecture and South Asian deities. Sculptures abound in Ubud. Around almost every street corner a wide-eyed lion-head emerges from a wall, its mouth agape, or a fattened Ganesh will greet you, His four hands up to something or the other.

That afternoon, the market place seemed to be a viscous stream of bodies and we dove right into it from the entrance. Silver jewelry, masks, batik dresses and stone sculptures overflowed from every dark and dingy shop. Keepers touched our arms to welcome us into their stores, “Mama please, beautiful dress? Sarong? For you only hundred and twenty thousand, please?”

Moss-ridden

Slippery steps lined with thick green foliage led to our cottage; Ubud, Bali

Annoying as it was to be accosted by every shopkeeper, especially if you happened to glance at one of their wares, I found their manner of speaking adorable. And of course, for them this is a livelihood, so I made it a point to smile and say “no thank you.” I quickly realized that this was a mistake because they took me for someone they could convince to buy a wooden box or a ream of batik material!

We drifted from shop to shop in the market for a few hours before a terrific downpour caught us in the early evening. We dashed about looking for shelter as the streets flooded rapidly. At one point I looked out at the temple on the opposite side of the street and saw a flash of lightning illuminate all its carvings—a photo opportunity I’m sorry to have missed. We managed to find shelter in a restaurant where the host kindly gave us small towels to wipe ourselves dry. I devoured my Indonesian delights: curried prawns, fried fish, steamed rice, pickles, spicey veggies…wonderful.

That night I slept dreamlessly under the mosquito net with a bulging belly and, I think, a smile

Boo!

A sculpture at a street corner

on my face.

Pilgrimage through East Bali

Wayan came the next day, half and hour earlier than expected for our expedition into East Bali.

Although ancient Hindu temples can be found throughout Bali, a good lot of famous ones are concentrated in East Bali. Hinduism was at its peak in Indonesia around the 14th century. It was replaced by Islam by the early 16th century, but somehow Bali held out against the change and remains the only island with a predominantly Hindu population. Other islands of Indonesia have mainly Muslim populations.

Of the temples we visited, each was carved intricately out of solid rock, rich green with moss and infinitely beautiful. From what I understood, the temples were not dedicated to specific gods like they are in India, but were more general in their loyalty (there are 330 million Hindu gods, so why not be cool with all of them?).

My favorite temple (and I didn’t plan on this!) was Goa Lawah or—get this—“Bat Cave”. This is a temple built near the entrance of a cave that swarms with huge Indonesian fruit bats. The cave walls are so thick with thousands of

Market place

There were several levels in this dank, steaming market place with lots of beautiful things to buy; Ubud, Bali

pulsating bats that it appears to be undulating! The bats aren’t worshipped or holy but are just considered co-inhabitants of the temple grounds. A couple was even getting married right at the cave entrance amid the bat chatter and their characteristic musty scent.

Tirta Gangga, a Balinese rendition on the Ganges, was a deeply spiritual place. A tall fountain stands in the middle of the compound spewing mist into the air. From its base a large pond full of foot-long koi radiates to the edges of the compound and everywhere statues have their watchful eyes on you. At the far end of the compound a pavilion stood tall and empty with a breeze blowing through it. As soon as we walked into the pavilion, my mother sat at the edge overlooking Tirta Gangga and closed her eyes, smiling. There was really nothing else one felt like doing.

East Bali is a must-see for all visiting Bali especially because of Pura Besakih, Bali’s mother temple. Besakih, apparently the oldest Hindu temple in the region, rises out of the landscape as a grand and magnificent monument. At its base we were immediately followed by young men wanting to be our

View from a restaurant

It's not everyday that you can sit at a dining table and look out at an ancient temple; Ubud, Bali

guides through the temple. It turns out that you have to go in with a guide or “guardian” as they called it. I couldn’t tell if it was a money-making ploy or if it was the custom, but after a bit of haggling we caved and allowed one of them to show us around.

After having seen about 5 other temples, we were a little “templed out” but Besakih struck me as truly stately. There was a pooja in progress at the temple, so we watched as people, separated by caste, prayed and sang.

Our day ended on a black sand beach where we sipped coconut water and listened to little children squeal with joy on the sea shore.

Monkey Forest

Monkeys are fascinating creatures, not too distant from us. Ubud's monkey forest boasts a healthy troop of macaques, the type of monkey one would see at an Indian temple. Tourists are allowed to buy some food (bananas and nuts) to feed the monkeys, something I heartily dislike. Sure enough, because of the abundance of food from people the monkeys have become rather aggressive little buggers. I hadn't bought any food but was

Kecak dancers

Pronounced "Kay Chuck" this dance tells the story of how Ram rescues his beloved Sita from the clutches of an evil monster, Ravan. It is a tale from the famous Hindu epic, the Ramayana; Ubud, Bali

just walking down a path with my bag slung over my shoulder. Before I knew it, I had a monkey almost hanging off the bag to get what was inside! I shook him off and he retreated with a vicious snarl. DON'T FEED WILDLIFE!!!!!!

Massage fit for the Gods

On our last day in Bali we treated ourselves to a Javanese Lulur massage that made my senses reel! It began with a 45-minute deep-tissue massage with a flower-scented oil. Balinese massage therapists don’t think much of an individual’s modesty which took a few minutes of getting used to. Next, the therapist made up a concoction of coarse turmeric powder and water and began rubbing the tiny pieces into my skin. It felt incredible until she started working on my more tender areas! I had to purse my lips and wait till that was over. My body was blissful when a warm cover was draped over me to allow the turmeric to dry. About five minutes later the turmeric had become a dry powder and could be brushed off my body. Glowing from the rub, I was treated to another interesting sensation - cold fresh yogurt

Arch and me

Beautiful arches can be found all over temple compounds; Tirta Empura

was poured all over and gently massaged into my reddened skin. The therapist said yogurt is good for leeching toxins and is especially effective after an exfoliation. Mmmmhmm.

To end the fabulous massage, she prepared a bathtub with warm water and poured in fresh flowers collected from the spa garden. As I soaked in the tub, sipping ginger water and eating some fresh papaya, my mind, drifting in and out of sleep, kept saying, “thank you, Bali, thank you.”

Additional photos below

Photos: 24, Displayed: 24