From Kuta we traveled to the mountain "village" of Ubud which calls itself the center of "cultural tourism" in Bali. It's definitely constructed for tourists with all the normal tourist tat shops, English language menus and touts everywhere. Ubud, however, also offers great mountain walks, balinese spa treatments at reasonable prices and easy access to classic balinese dance performances -- all of which we hoped to sample. 

On our first day in town we followed the Campuran ridge walk through small villages, rice paddies, and beautiful mountain scenery. It's amazing how just a few kilometers outside of a major tourist center you can find something completely different and so peaceful. While on our walk, one villager offered to sell us a fine specimen of a chicken... (I think he probably would have even killed it for us!) but instead we decided to stop at a little cafe for a late lunch. 

Little did we know that the place we had chosen was an expat hangout for some of the most colorful characters this side of the Pacific. First we met the bar owner, Brian who was or I suppose still is a New Yorker. So, we stopped for a chat, and a brew, of course. In due time, Morgan, a Bostonian arrived. Best have another beer. Next rolls up the local "character" Victor. Vic was, let's be charitable... utterly mad! He could've been John Clease doing an impression of a crazed Englishman living in the colonial sun for too long. After barmy Vic there was a procession of expats dropping in for a wee drink... or six. For the first few hours it was quite entertaining but slowly but surely it became a bit trying. It seemed that many of these people were permanently lost in their own self-importance. We're not saying they were bad people... Morgan, for one, seemed like a genuine bloke... but by the time it was time to leave, we'd had quite a few drinks and heard well enough about everyone else's astronomical salaries, global adventures and inspired ideas. 

The next day in order to get rid of the beer we’d consumed the previous evening, we decided to treat ourselves to a Balinese Spa Treatment. We selected a Balinese Lulur which consisted of a 1 hour balinese massage followed by a lulur scrub (hence the name) which consisted of tumeric, sandal wood and rice powder. We were completely yellow and Mark though we smelled like roast chicken! We were then slathered down with youghert and given a cold shower before a long soak in a hot floral bath. To top it all off we were treated to ginger tea and fresh fruit! All this lovely luxury for around $10 per person. Have we mentioned that we love Indonesia? 

Later that evening we attended a classic Balinese dance performance at Ubud Palace. Although we had previously visited the Balinese Art museum where we had been given some detail of the classical Balinese stories… we still had no idea whatsoever of what was going on during the dancing. However, the traditional Balinese music, elaborate costuming and interesting dance steps (many done with the eyes!) were enough to keep us entertained! 

After three days in Ubud, our next stop was the nothern beach resort of Lovina. The black volcanic beaches are nice but were completely deserted. Tourists have started to return to the island but no so many have ventured out of the main resort area of Kuta. People in Lovina are struggling and their stories are heartbreaking. One restaurant owner told us of how he’d leave his restaurant space just a few months before the bomb and has had a rough time feeding his family let alone making the lease payments. And his was just one of many similar stories… 

From here we will head to the island of Java and the fantastic volcanic landscapes of Gunung Bromo.  

Also - a belated Happy Birthday to Mark's Dad!! We look forward to seeing you in a few more months for a birthday pint.... or four!