Is it true that a place can melt away stress?? If so, then I have to believe that this place is is Bali. I only passed through here on the first half of my trip, but it was enough time to realize what a special island this is and to know that I needed to come back for an extended period of time. So, I find myself in Ubud for the next few days.
I arrived very late from Jogykarta. My flight was delayed, but Yansu, who works at the hotel I had arranged to stay at, was at the airport in Denpasar to pick me up. We made the hour drive to Ubud and arrived just after midnight. The following morning, I awoke to a treat. It was a gorgeous day! For some reason, the colors in Bali are so vivid, it’s like everything is glowing and electrified. The sky is bluer than most places (if this is possible) and the green of the rice fields and palm trees seem to pop against the blue background. Small yellow and pink flowers grow in every tree, and give off an exotic aroma of ginger-lime and rose.
I am staying at the Dewi Ayu Inn. I must say it’s a bit of a splurge at $15 a night, but it came highly recommended, and I figured 3 nights wouldn’t break my budget. It’s a treat to have a hot water shower, and a pool sits just a stone’s throw away. Each morning, one of the workers places a thermos of tea on a table on my veranda, and as soon as I venture out, someone is there to see if I’m ready for my breakfast, which usually consists of a plate of fruit and a banana pancake, all ordained with the intoxicating flowers mentioned above. Luxury if you ask me!
The plans for my first day were to chill out. I had a good book and a pool and it was hot. I ventured across the road to the Ubud Inn for lunch- an open air restaurant that backs onto a lilly pond. Huge red bouganvellia-like flowers surround the lillypond, and a small water feature sits in the middle. The atmosphere is made that much better by the Balinese trance like music playing in the background. I tasted a lemon and ginger juice, which I see as becoming highly addictive.
After lunch, I strolled along Monkey Forest Road, taking a peek in some of the galleries and shops, and then headed back to spend a few hours by the pool and chilling on my veranda (I just like saying that). Yansu made periodic visits throughout the day to make sure I was happy. I told him, “This place makes me happy.”
He climbed a tree and retrieved a coconut which we split for an afternoon snack. Life doesn’t get much better than this, and I find myself contemplating staying longer or finding a reason to come back here for an extended period of time in the future.
