Geckos, Monkeys, and a Bat

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Ubud, Bali - Saturday, 20 December, 2014

After a not so quick ferry ride (we actually got passed by a boat that left after us) we are finally leaving the island of Java and on our way to relaxing Bali. Getting off the ferry we needed to find transportation to get to the other side of the island. After some searching we found the bus station and haggled a price for tickets. Eventually we agreed on 60K IDR each for an air conditioned bus. This seemed a little expensive but we were willing to pay for the added comfort considering the last ride.

The trip took approximately five hours. What we have learned about Indonesian pubic buses is that there is one driver and one guy that sells tickets. The ticket dude on this trip was quite the character, chatting up the locals and even purchasing some DVDs at one stop for our "entertainment". The first disc he popped in could be described as Indonesian pop with 80s style clothes, dancing and lighting. After what seemed like an hour of videos, the second showing was slightly less horrid (according to Jen, Curtis found the entertainment enjoyable). We were treated to the live version of The Last Airbender. Jen is really annoyed with this movie since it too loosely follows the cartoon it is based off. For example, they pronounce the name of the main character wrong. The MAIN character. Ugh!

Finally arriving in Denpasar, the first thing we needed was a ride to our resort in Ubud (pronounced oo-bood, like in food, mood, or brood). For some reason, the bus dropped us off on the main street instead of the Ubung Bus Station and we were not sure why. Then, per the norm, the second we stepped foot off the bus we were swarmed with taxi drivers asking if we needed service. Tired and jaded from the whole Probolinggo fiasco, when the first guy quoted us 250K IDR. We said no and asked how much to the bus station. It being so late in the day, he said it was closed and we would not be able to get a bus until tomorrow morning. Of course we did not believe him, however this left us with zero options. Feeling like we had no one to trust and not knowing what to do, we called the hotel and asked them for advice. Curtis spoke to the lady at the front desk and she confirmed the bus station was in fact closed and the best way to get to the resort was by taxi, which should cost anywhere from 200K - 250K IDR.

With our tails between our legs and ashamed of what Java had turned us into, we went back to the original taxi driver and asked if he would still take us - which he happily did for 250K IDR.

Arriving at our destination we were very impressed with the layout of the Natura Resort and Spa. The only downside was you couldn't get anywhere without taking the stairs. After all the travel we did that day it was impossible to believe we had climbed to the top of the Ijen Crater just that morning. But we had. And we were sore. After a quick dinner, showers, and getting settled in, it was time to put this travel day behind us and do nothing but look forward to relaxing in Ubud for the next couple of days.

Ubud - Sunday, 21 December, 2014 - Did someone say shopping?

The resort was pretty far from central Ubud, where the shops and dining options were located. Fortunately, the resort offered a free shuttle into town which left about every two hours. After breakfast we took advantage of this option and spent the rest of the day shopping, eating gelato, and enjoying a few cocktails.

Curtis thinks the cocktails in this country are flavorless, watered down, and overpriced. It could be the fact that Indonesia is largely a Muslim country, or that shipping alcohol to these islands is expensive. Most bars and restaurants offer only one brand of each type (ie. Smirnoff vodka, Jose tequilla, Bacardi rum). Drinks run from 75K IDR to 110K IDR ($7 - $9 USD) and typically half the beverage is froth or ice cubes in a small glass. The only affordable drink is their Bintang beer, the national brew.

At this point in the tale we should remind you of the title of this story. We have found geckos to be quite plentiful, both inside and out - which is what you should expect from a resort calling itself Natura. Both of us loved the geckos inside the room since they eat bugs. They also make a very unique noise which we believe they make just to ensure you appreciate the work they are doing at keeping your room bug free. With the mosquito nets protecting us as we slept, we closed the book on another day.

Or did we? Sometime in the middle of the night Jen was awoken to a ticking noise. At first she thought it was a clock but that didn't make sense since it was not there before and after about 30 seconds the ticking got softer then faded away. The second time she heard it, in her sleepy haze she thought it was a bomb. It was the middle of the night and I'm sticking with that reason for her insane reasoning. Again, the noise faded and dreams took over.

Ubud - Monday, December 22, 2014 - Just monkeying around

Plagued with curiosity, Jen started googling creatures of Bali to figure out what brought her out of her slumber the previous night. It should probably be mentioned, we had heard a bird like chirping the night before, which we assumed was a bird perched on our thatched roof. Eventually, we figured it was actually inside but wanted to stay there because when we opened the doors for it to go out it didn't move from its hidden spot.

So, armed with a mysterious bird like chirp and a curious click it finally dawned on Jen, it's a bat. Google confirmed her suspicions and she was elated to have another creature to devour the bugs that invade her living space. The only logical next step was to name her new friend. After a few failed attempts Curtis suggests Bruce, after his late uncle. Jen feels stupid since it was such an obvious choice and from then on it's official. Their new guardian has a name.

Later in the afternoon we took the shuttle into town and found ourselves in the Monkey Forest. When they advertise you'll see monkeys they're not kidding. There is no shortage of monkeys. In fact, in most areas there are so many wandering about you have to make sure you don't step on them. The area is pretty small but you can spend as much time with the little guys as you'd like. The Monkey Forest is a macaque monkey reserve. There is no fence to the reserve and the monkeys can come and go as they please. Rarely, do they leave since vendors inside sell bananas and cucumbers to tourists who feed the monkeys. Talk about spoiled. The monkeys will take a mini banana, eat half, and toss the rest on the ground. When we had our fill, we exited out the wrong way and found ourselves wandering around the complete opposite direction of where we wanted to go. Jen went to the first hotel and asked them for a ride back to the center of town. The driver was extremely informative about the area and Balinese culture earning him an extra big tip. Our day ended with a great meal and getting ready for our next travel day.

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Photos

Missed it!
This little guy tried to steal Curtis' watch and climbed up his side. Jen was not fast enough with the camera to catch the action.

They go right up to you!
We have no idea who these people are but this is a great example of how friendly the monkeys are. Just remember they're not pets and no matter how much you wanna pet them you should not.

Grooming
Monkey's idea of a spa day.