Ubud, Bali

Ubud, Bali  - August
“I just met you. Want to share a room?” One of the best parts of traveling is meeting new people. There’s a type of kinship among those backpacking, taking a “gap year,” a “sabbatical,” whatever you call it, particularly among those traveling alone. I liken it to Freshman Orientation. Everyone is pretty open minded and laid back, open to making new friends and having new experiences. Things you wouldn’t normally do at home (ie, hitchhiking, meeting people and deciding 5 minutes later to share a hotel room, are commonplace.

I met a Dutch med student on my way from Gili T. to Ubud. We were in the same van going from the port to town and were both traveling alone. Neither of us had booked a hotel in advance, and while rooms in Ubud were incredibly cheap ($15 for a decent hotel), we figured why not save the $7.50 and just share a room. Anouk had been to Ubud once before and thus became my pseudo tour guide for the next few days.

“Of course I know how to drive a motorbike...” The golden rule when renting a motorbike is telling the agency you know how to drive one. The second rule is actually being able to drive one... After crashing my bike into a wall (oops), the agency refused to rent to me, despite my protests that I was just a bit rusty after having not driven one for awhile (or ever). Thankfully they rented one to Anouk, she taught me how to drive it, and the second agency I went to rented to me. The hardest part was just remembering to drive on the left side of the street. We spent the first day exploring the marketplace, art market, various bead shops, and the Ubud Palace before moving on to the Wats.

“The Island of a Thousand Temples.” There’s a reason why people use this phrase to refer to Bali - the wats are everywhere. I learned a lot of about Hindu gods on this trip. We rode our bikes out to Monkey Forest, Pura Panataran Sasih (Moon Temple), Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave, which was beautiful), Gunung Kawi (spectacular).

Goa Gajah,which means Elephant Cave, was pretty amazing. We entered the site by walking down a series of steps, and were met with a pond bearing life-size stone carved maidens holding jugs of sprouting water believed to possess “magical properties.”

The cave itself dates back to the 11th Century, and has a grotesque, demonlike figure at it’s entrance - which, when looked at from a distance, resembles big elephant ears. A little Balinese man guided us through, pointing out statues of Ganesha (the Elephant god of Hinduism), as well as the Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (Hindu Trinity).

Gunung Kawi is a Hindu Complex founded in the 10th Century and was absolutely incredible. We entered the site through a steep, stone stairway and then made our way through terraced rice paddies. The river flowed through the center, cutting the site into two sections, with a bridge connecting one side to the other. Simply put, it’s a bunch of ancient tombs lining the banks of the Pakerisan River, located at the bottom of a ravine and overlooked by terraced rice paddies. The legend of Gunung Kawi holds that a mythical giant named Kebo Iwo carved the ancient tombs in one night with his fingernails. It’s the type of place that makes you feel pretty small and insignificant.

The temples were spectacular, but the ride back was what really made the day. We rode alongside rice paddies, stopped to take pictures and ask locals for directions, and basically just took it all in.

I was a bit “watted out,” so went on an Eco Bike Tour the following day.

"Cat Poo Coffee." We had a group of fifteen, and began the ride at a Luwak Coffee Farm. Luwak coffee is supposed to be exotic and “the best,” but the idea behind it is pretty gross - it comes from beans collected from the excrement of a civet (a cat like creature). For some reason, when civets digest the coffee beans, it enhances the flavor, or does something to it that causes people in the states to pay upwards of $30 a cup for what is basically Cat Poo Coffee. But as I said - traveling is about trying things you wouldn’t normally, and so I tried it. And while I’d never pay $30/cup, I’ll admit, it was pretty good.

We toured a local home and learned about some of their beliefs and traditions. The Balinese are very superstitious, and a typical house compound features shrines and temples. One thing I found really interesting though was the juxtaposition of ancient beliefs and pop culture: there was a teenager who lived in the home, and while standing in the middle of the compound I could see the family shrine, the pig farm, and her Britney Spears poster on her door.

And then I saw more Wats.

Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot was another favorite. It’s a Hindu temple basically built into a rock located in the middle of sea. I went there at sunset one night. The legend of Tanah Lot holds that poisonous sea snakes protect the temple from evil spirits and intruders.

Tanah Lot

Pura Ulun Danau Bratan was another favorite (okay, I had a lot of favorites).

Pura Ulan Danau Bratau

When I wasn’t visiting Wats or biking around, I got massages (incredible and cheap). Nights were spent eating spring rolls and noodle dishes, followed by drinks at either Laughing Buddha Bar or the Reggae Bar. I improved my motorbike skills, and even put together a business plan one night regarding opening a bar in Bali with an Australian guy.

I loved Ubud. The place smelled like incense and rice, and there were bamboo offerings set out everywhere (which I was always afraid I’d step on). There was an artsy, laid back, spiritual vibe to the city, and a constant roar of motorbikes. And the people were so kind.