Highlights from Northern Bali

Sally and I took a day tour around the northern part of Bali, cruising by rice paddy after rice paddy, viewing temples, swimming in a hot spring, and finally checking out a double waterfall. The weather may not have been great, but luckily for us the rain held out for most of the day. Here are some highlights from our trip:

rice paddy #1

royal temple

can you hear me now?

babes

paddy #2

me and my gal Sal

workin'

oxen in use

part of the biggest paddy field in Bali

hot springs

Pura Ulun Danu Bratan

Git-Git, the double waterfall

misty

the sun finally came out for a bit

name that flower

Monkey Forest Road

Right on the outskirts of Ubud there is a monkey forest crawling with little gray apes who look cute and friendly ("they're just like us!") but really are downright brutal for bananas. I refrained from purchasing the tempting fruit and opted instead to take pictures of other people feeding them and the resulting chaos that ensued. Luckily for you, dear reader, I'm only posting the more tame photos--except for a brilliant one of a monkey attacking my friend Sally...couldn't pass that one up.

patriarch

carnage

quite literally a monkey on his back

her mini-me

Sally: 0, monkey: 1

scene of the crime

you talking to me?

the Don

One of my top 5 "must-see's" in Ubud

Ok, so maybe not everyone gets as much of a thrill from textiles as I do, but even if you don't dream of one day having a house filled with gorgeous fabrics, you still should check out the Indonesian Textile Arts Center if you're ever in Ubud. a) it's free, so that's pretty sweet; b) it shows the traditional woven and dyed fabrics of different island states in Indo and gives a history of why they're made and what they're used for; c) weaving is a dying art in Indo and the co-op helps to maintain and support the culture and idenity of the different groups; d) it's also fully sustainable, supports the women who do the weaving, and is just a great organization that is a rarity in Indonesia. Check out the website here to learn more. Now for some visuals...

see, I told you they were beautiful!

and when you get done with the arts center, stop by Sura's Warung down the street for some amazing Indonesian food! Pictured here: fish cooked in banana leaf, seafood satay, and green beans with coconut...mmmmm.

Back to Bali...

After our interesting trip to the Gili Islands, I was very glad to be back on familiar ground in Bali. There really is just something so pleasant as returning to the ease of Bali after 5 days of unpredictable in Lombok! Marianne and I decided to park it in Ubud for the remainder of our time--she leaving the following day, while I had another week to spend exploring the northern part of the country with my girl, Sally. And as the next few posts will attest, Ubud doesn't disappoint! It's definitely my new favorite city and a place I will be returning to in the future--the food, the shopping, the art--plus it's only a short distance away from miles of picturesque rice paddies and lush mountains with waterfalls. What more could you ask for?

door carving

birds of paradise

the Donald Homestay where Sally and I camped it for the week

 

Ganesh

say cheese

the Balinese even make stone walls pleasant.

Gilis from the point of view of an iphone

no motorized vehicles allowed

Scallywags

Contentment. 

designer footwear

it's official: no one looks good in a snorkeling mask

bet Gilligan wishes he had one of these...

on the other hand, maybe being stranded on a beautiful tropical island isn't so bad after all...

storm rolling off the mountains of Lombok

Sunrise to Sunset

Snorkeling day trip out to the other Gili islands--Gili Meno and Gili Air...

It all started out so lovely...

photographer hard at work (photo courtesy of Marianne)

fishing

our guides

spring break 2010?

anchors away

docked at Gili Air

best salad of my life: grilled calamari, feta, apples, olives...divine.

Bintang: the Bud Light of Indo

he's with the band

sweet Bridie

bob marley's a big influence on the locals.