Ubud is in centre of Bali. It has no beaches, but that isn't important. It has a LOT more to offer than Kuta or anywhere else (even Sanur which was our last stop). It is known as Bali's center for its arts and cultures which is why we attended two different dance here. The traditional Balinese dance held twice a month named Masters of Bali, and the Kecak Fire & Trance Dance which really got into me (chak chak chak...chak chak chak). It even got a toddler so obsessed that he was attempting to join in despite his parents holding him back. LOL. It was quite amusing but a few of us were looking out for him in case he got trampled by the taller beings.
In Ubud, you can't miss the famous Babi Guling in Ibu Oka... We had our first sampling in south of Bali during the daytrip, I spotted a Warung selling Babi Guling and it got deeply engraved in my mind. So when it was lunch time, I asked the driver if he could drive us there for a meal!! It was yummy for a Warung... and S swore he would want it a 2nd time. This one is Ubud did an excellent one - Gosh, I told myself I could have a 2nd helping there amid of finishing my 1st (how ambitious!!).
We stayed at GreenField Bungalows, my 2nd choice to Tegal Sari which happened to be just next door. And the reason I booked it was because we were probably sharing the same view but instead we're paying a third of the price! I will still love to try Tegal Sari's wooden house if I have a chance :) Anyway GreenField offered a lot for what we paid for, great service and filling breakfast... so we didn't have any complaint at all. The salt water pool was cool too but a little too deep for me (yeah depth-phobia!). We stayed besides the rice paddy and it was pretty and easy for the eyes in the morning!
Bali, surprisingly, does it own wine too. During the time there, I tried their Rose wine (not bad at all) and Brem wine which is like dessert wine!!The streets of Ubud was filled with shops, but not as touristy as Kuta. There were shops with souvenirs, shops selling proper leather stuff (I'm impressed but not rich enough to buy any), a few massage places (I tried to go for one but the place was closed, in renovation! There goes my massage :( There were some cool cafes and bakeries (KaKiang bakery does awesome cakes, Kafe has a super cosy ambience). We visited the Ubud market where we bought stuff not because we wanted them but because it was such a quiet time after the execution of the Bali Bombers and business wasn't good. Those people were so desperate to sell you anything even for a low price, so I ended up with a few things.
We were staying in Pengosekan, just south of the Ubud center. And after 3 nights, we moved up to Penestanan (renowned for artists' village). It was a little out of nowhere, especially if you want to get around... but best for chilling and staying in. The Madrigal guesthouse we stayed at was marvellous, it was basically a studio apartment (mini kitchen, open-air outdoor bathroom, a dining area inside and outside, a chilling out sofa outside and a 4 poster bed!). A God-send, except for the bathroom with lots of bugs. The owner, Bill, was a very friendly and helpful guy; we could borrow his phone to ring for delivery or make calls! His dog was our regular visitor too... but she got really angry when we went over to Bill's place to make a call. I got frightened once when she barked at me non-stop!
And it was also credits to Bill that we found the Warung with the best Indonesian cuisine - Bubu Warung!! I have the best babi sate (pork satay with super thick peanut sauce). Till today, I can't stop singing praises about it and oh my, how I miss the food!During my walkabout in Ubud, I got chatted up by some random driver, and I decided to give him a call after discussion with S. We got him to take us to see the volcano - Kintamani (unfortunately we didn't go upclose to see the crater :( ), and rice terraces - Tegalalang, the mother temple - Besakih, Goa Gajah (elephant cave) and some things along the way. He wasn't that great a tourguide, didn't seem to know a lot but at least we had a fun time seeing places in other parts of Indonesia. We even got blessed during the journey, the lady put some rice on our forehead and an orange flower in my hair! Pity we didn't venture to the north or east, but there will always be a next time!
It was also in Ubud, me and S had a talk about how well we got along during the trip, and I was so glad it happened because the trip would have ended in a disaster if things weren't communicated properly. I went without much expectation but things gotten so bad at one point it was so unbearable and I didn't know how to deal with it anymore. We wouldn't speak and I dread waking him up in the morning... or asking him what he wanted for breakfast. I guess when you travel together, you see another side of the someone (a different color?). An online friend told me, people change when they are on holiday - do they really change or it's just a part of them hidden??
Anyway I'm still friends with S now, but has things changed... I can't say for sure.
p.s: Ubud is frequent by the Japanese. I notice the sales staff can speak fluent Japanese and there are lots of them willingly to spend and lavish on themselves.
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