A Day in the Life - My Ubud Neighborhood

Temples like this one are common around Bali - the architecture is amazing here

In a couple days it will mark one month since I arrived in Bali and the time has flown by! It has been quite the experience settling into the neighborhood and getting my bearings around Ubud. Often when you travel somewhere new you have limited time there and right around when you finally start figuring out your routine or sense of direction you have to go home. I feel lucky to be able to enjoy the area and really explore and get a better sense of the daily life and culture here. I have met pet bats, encountered monkeys in the streets, and enjoyed seeing chickens and ducks roam the land freely. Amazing to call Bali my home for the time being.

Flock of ducks in the rice paddy by our house - they help keep insects away

Chickens roam the streets and often I wake up to the sound of a few roosters crowing in the distance

There is a monkey forest in Ubud and often these guys spill out into the city streets causing trouble

Our neighbor showed us his pet fruit bat that just "hung out" on a tree in his courtyard

Back road on the way to the Yoga Barn

Loving being back in the scooter life!

Our villa has proved to be a nice home base an easy 10 minute walk to the Yoga Barn (once our villa manager, Guly, showed us the back way) and 15 minutes to downtown Ubud with all the shops and restaurants. I have enjoyed many morning meditation sessions on our balcony, inversion practice and exercise out front, afternoons pool side and evenings sitting on the porch listening to music and chatting. I have met many interesting fellow travelers coming and going from the villa compound and have enjoyed chats with Guly about local life and traditions. Plus the surroundings are lush and beautiful and it makes for a peaceful setting out by the rice paddies. There is a temple down the street from our house that has had a few different ceremonies and events during our time here which has been interesting. Music, comedy, and even a few cock fights have all unfolded before our eyes. We have a couple dog friends that come hang out with us, one named Pootie (belongs to the retired expat couple next door) and another dog that Katie named Shanti which means Peace. 

Writing in my journal after meditation on the upstairs patio has become a nice morning routine

Porch sitting and chatting

Pootie keeping us company

Incense is a constant part of the ambiance around the villa - Balinese burn it everywhere for religious offerings

Full moon ceremony at the temple down the street from our villa

We have enjoyed some amazing dinners out in some gorgeous places, I really love the Balinese style with its natural elements incorporating stone and wood and water features. One place in particular called CLEAR cafe was amazing, I have added a bunch of photos below to give you an idea, but they never really do a place like this justice. In Udub you have the choice of heading to a local "Warung" which is a family owned business selling local Indonesian food for incredibly cheap (around $1.50 for a plate of food including rice, chicken, some veggies) or you can go upscale like we did one night and headed to the Four Seasons (credit to my dad for the recommendation) for drinks and snacks followed by a unique experience at a dessert only restaurant with a 9 course tasting menu for two. My chef on Mia Elise recommended I check this place out it was called Room for Dessert, and I am so glad we went! There are many places catering to Westerners looking for incredibly healthy options; think lots of organic ingredients, vegan/vegetarian meals, fresh juices, raw food, Kombucha, etc. The best part is that generally these healthy options are so much more affordable then they are back in the states so it makes it easy to eat healthy. We have also found some cool places to hang out in the evening and often there is live music to enjoy while sipping a beverage and chatting among friends.

A cafe menu showing where the organic and local ingredients were sourced

Beautiful doorway to the incredible CLEAR Cafe

Stairway at CLEAR Cafe

Looking down through the stairway at CLEAR - it is like a tropical oasis

View from our seat at CLEAR - looking into a Koi pond

Cute detail they had on the steps to the bathroom, made out of flowers

The pond behind me is actually the roof of the Four Seasons, pretty crazy!

The roof pond of the Four Seasons

Four Seasons "date night" with my sister-friend!

Indonesian sampler platter

The signature bartender drinks at the Four Seasons came in a coconut with a cascading dry ice affect - so cool!

Pastry Chef Webber from Room for Dessert plating up one of the nine dessert tasting courses right in front of our eyes.    Such a cool experience!

Room for Desserts take on Tiramisu - a work of art!

      And now for a very different dining experience...lunch from our neighborhood Warung. This plate cost 20,000 Rupiah or about $1.50. Still delicious!

Reggae night at a locals spot - Bali Bohemia

Food truck - Balinese style!

A couple days ago we decided to hire a driver for the day to do some sightseeing which was fun as well. It is pretty common to hire a driver, and for the entire day (11am-11pm) the price was $50! We ended up tipping our driver an additional $20 because he was so great. We got to see a waterfall, a well known holy water temple called Tampaksiring and the famous Tegalalang rice paddies. It was nice to get out of Ubud for the day and see some local sights. It is a beautiful country but also unfortunate to see how much the people here have turned to trying to sell things to tourists at all these sights, everywhere you go there are numerous stands set up all around and locals trying to hustle you to buy things such as carvings, sarongs and other various souvenirs. It can get a bit overwhelming at times but you just learn to politely, yet firmly, say no thank you.

Waterfall!

Being a tourist

Checking out the waterfall from a bamboo bridge

 Bathing at the local holy water temple

The water at this temple has been coming up like a hot spring from the ground for centuries into this pool and then it gets showered out so people can bathe in it 

Spiritual tree at the water temple

Terraced rice paddies for as far as the eye can see

Lush and green landscape

It has already been such an epic trip and I am looking forward to what the next few months will bring!