The big city life is now behind, and in our near future we foresee surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, slack lining, and singing simple songs whilst sipping Singapore slings as we skip swiftly across the sand. Before we get to that, however, let me tell you about our quick sojourn into the hill country of Bali. A short hour hop north of Denpasar, we found the cultural center of this island paradise, Ubud.
The lush rice paddie terraces of Ubud, Bali
Per usual, Shaina and I rented motorbikes and cruised the surrounding area to get a better feel for area and what we found was fantastic. There are hill after hill of beautifully terraced rice paddies, bustling markets, holy white herons that roost in a sacred village, and thousands of Hindu temples.
The heart and soul of Bali: Ubud
Dusk at a flooded rice field
The beautifully manicured garden of our homestay
A cool stone path along a ridge just outside of Ubud
In addition to the aforementioned items, one can find more yoga shops per capita than anywhere else in the known world as well as many traditional Balinese theaters. We declined the opportunity to harness our inner yogi, but we decided it would be a great idea to take a peek at a Kecak performance, arguably the most famous of all the Balinese song and dance numbers. We were not disappointed. It was a mix of a cappella, beat box, dance, and theater.
A brief example of a Kecak performance
And there ends Bali part one! Next up will be a week or so of fun in the sun. Below is a glimpse of things to come.
Pretty sunset on Balian Beach in western Bali
Cheers!
Maxell
Posted via BlogPress
Location:Bali, Indonesia
No comments:
Post a Comment