Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Bali
We arrived in Bali in mid-December to a warm, tropical climate. Having already absorbed our share of sunshine and cocoa butter on beaches of Thailand and the Philippines, we chose to spend our time within the interior of the island.
From the airport, we proceeded directly inland to the extraordinary town of Ubud. Known as the cultural center of Bali, though less frequented than the tourist-laden southern beaches, Ubud was a fine place to spend the bulk of our time on the island. Here we hiked and bicycled through expansive, cascading rice terraces and explored the surplus of ancient temples dotting the sculpted hillsides just outside the city.
Of particular note is the architecture in Bali. Each neighborhood is encompassed by intricate, stone walls and entered via a towering, split gateway. Every village seems a shrine, and every lawn a manicured sanctuary. Where these folks find that much stone, seed and time I’ll never know, but it makes for a photo-happy visit.
From Ubud, we took a short trip to the town of Munduk to take in its’ remote, mountainous scenery. While the town is nothing to speak of, the surrounding waterfalls, rice terraces and tropical forests made for good hiking and incredible views.
As we returned to Ubud, I was overcome by a very passionate flu bug which left me bed-ridden for our last few days on the island. My loving wife stuck with me for the first days, though ultimately escaped for some “necessary” shopping and a Balinese spa & massage treatment on our final day.
Bali is gorgeous, and its' people are as friendly as they come. We were enamored with our visit here, and we didn’t even make it to a beach. We will definitely return.
From the airport, we proceeded directly inland to the extraordinary town of Ubud. Known as the cultural center of Bali, though less frequented than the tourist-laden southern beaches, Ubud was a fine place to spend the bulk of our time on the island. Here we hiked and bicycled through expansive, cascading rice terraces and explored the surplus of ancient temples dotting the sculpted hillsides just outside the city.
Of particular note is the architecture in Bali. Each neighborhood is encompassed by intricate, stone walls and entered via a towering, split gateway. Every village seems a shrine, and every lawn a manicured sanctuary. Where these folks find that much stone, seed and time I’ll never know, but it makes for a photo-happy visit.
From Ubud, we took a short trip to the town of Munduk to take in its’ remote, mountainous scenery. While the town is nothing to speak of, the surrounding waterfalls, rice terraces and tropical forests made for good hiking and incredible views.
As we returned to Ubud, I was overcome by a very passionate flu bug which left me bed-ridden for our last few days on the island. My loving wife stuck with me for the first days, though ultimately escaped for some “necessary” shopping and a Balinese spa & massage treatment on our final day.
Bali is gorgeous, and its' people are as friendly as they come. We were enamored with our visit here, and we didn’t even make it to a beach. We will definitely return.
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| Link to Bali photos |
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