I arrived in Denpasar mid morning and caught a taxi to Ubud. The ride can take an hour and a half, but mine took longer as we got stuck in interminable traffic. I didn’t mind too much though as the scenery was great.
So Bali is predominantly Hindu, unlike Java which is Muslim. So gone are the calls to prayer and here are countless statues of deities and offerings of flowers. The island – or what i saw of it on this first day – is green. Every conceivable shade of green, dotted with flowering vines, orchids, magnolias, lilies…it is stunning.
It is also very touristy. Ubud is a tourist town. Restaurants catering to foreigners, margaritas, pizza, gelato, tour touts, tacky souvenir shops, spas, and bad tattoo studios. The streets are crawling with tourists, most sporting some combination of tie-dyed harem pants, Ganesha tank tops, tattoos, beards, beads, and dresses they would never wear at home. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It just means that the place has a less than authentic gloss, and also that it is a terribly easy place to visit.
My first day i didn’t have time for my customary get-my-bearings wander; i had plans to meet up with a mother/daughter travel duo from the States whom i had met at Goa Jamblang. We had lunch and hung out poolside at a Miami Beach-esque restaurant, waiting out the afternoon rain (which i have since discovered is a daily occurrence).
After that we went to the Monkey Forest: an expanse of impossibly green jungley terrain dotted with temples, statues, bridges, and twisting walkways.
But it also has monkeys. Macaques. Monkeys everywhere. Running, climbing trees, hanging off temples, eating bananas (so cliché and so adorable), grooming each other, assaulting tourists, and having sex (with each other). You have to be careful of the monkeys. Don’t look them in the eye. Don’t smile at them. Don’t hide food on your person, because, as one sign warned, “the monkeys will know.”
I didn’t have any monkey-related troubles. I just stalked them with my camera, trying to catch them being adorable.
After that i parted ways with my companions, and continued to walk. Had dinner at a beautiful outdoor restaurant where, although smoking is allowed, I annoyed all the other patrons with my cigar smoke (unintentionally).
Back to my hotel and to bed. … wait! Have I neglected to mention my hotel? Hotel Okawati. On a charming side street off Monkey Forest Road (note: ALL side streets here are charming), it is a small complex of tropical plants around a turquoise pool next to rice fields from which frogs and birds fill the air with their chatter. It is lovely. More lovely than i am accustomed to, but I’ll tough it out.
I arrived in Jakarta from Taipei. A 5ish hour flight. Hit with heat and humidity. Glorious. Caught a taxi to Kota aka Old Batavia aka the old city. It seemed like the most interesting area, with now shabby colonial architecture, canals, and a big square. The city is large and populous; 10+ million people. I am only here for a day and a half and i didn’t have any particular sites or activities in mind. Much of what i read about Jakarta said “skip it”, but how could i? I’m glad i didn’t.
The street led to the square which was positively teeming with people. Sitting on the ground, eating and drinking, walking, and riding neon colored bicycles while wearing fancy hats that matched the bicycles. I thought there must be a festival, but have since found out it was just the weekend. It was great. I walked and had dinner on the square (vegetarian food is available but not in abundance). And i smoked a cigar on a patio.
