Bali

If I was asked to describe Bali in one word it would be "green". I can't say how many times I was stunned by how absolutely, vividly green everything was. It was also incredibly pleasant and stress-free to travel around the island. From the moment I arrived in the airport and picked up my visa-upon-arrival, to the moment when I checked back through security to return to Bangkok, everything was quick, efficient, and easy.

Besides all that however, I can easily see why so many people fall in love with Bali. Asia's most famous island has a very unique culture, is vividly colorful and richly spiritual, and is a place to get in touch with stunning nature. Although it's rapidly becoming more and more touristy, due in no small amount to the "love" portion of Eat, Pray, Love (unfortunately), it's still totally possible to find the "real" Bali that so many people go to search for.

my first meal in Bali was enjoyed with this view

About an hour inland from Denpasar's airport, Ubud is a little jungle town with a lot of charm. It was a great place to start the weeklong Balinese adventure, far away from the grungy backpacker crowds who hang out at the public beaches. Ubud, while definitely a western town, caters to a different clientele (think baby-boomer hippie types). It was a fun place with lots of health food restaurants, temples, museums, yoga studios, and outdoor adventures to be had. Ubud is the Bali's cultural heart.

my hotel was like staying at a jungle temple; one of the most unique places I've ever stayed

Just down the street from the hotel, Ubud Palace is a free attraction. You can only go to the outer gardens, as the old royal family still lives there, but it's a great first place to visit.

the entrance to Ubud Palace

They have cultural dance shows at the palace at night, but during the day you can wander around the gardens taking pictures. Bali was hot and humid, like Bangkok, although the air felt much fresher and cleaner, so you don't feel as gross after a day out as you do in Bangkok. It wasn't at all unpleasant to walk around outside in the hot sun.

inside Ubud Palace

Lets play a game. Guess what this building in the Ubud Water temple compound is? (below)

It's a Starbucks!

I like that in Bali the people still seem to make even modern things look beautiful despite rapid commercialization. It seems that so much western architecture nowadays is so utilitarian; it's nice to see form valued over function. This Starbucks just fit with everything else. Even the tables outside were raised wooden platforms where you had to remove your shoes to sit in the traditional Balinese way.

The Water Temple, built surrounded by a large lotus pond, is Ubud's most famous temple. It was one of my favorite sites in Ubud.

the Water Temple

Hinduism, unique in the world's largest Muslim country, is actively practiced by the vast majority of the people in Bali. I've never been to India, so I really can't say how Balinese and Indian Hinduism differ, but Balinese Hinduism seems to favor the same deities like Ganesh and Garuda that Thai Buddhism does! By the way, Indonesian Garuda is much more frightening than his Thai counterpart!

Besides the famous Water Temple, there were lots of other smaller temples all over town. Every family villa will have a small family temple; each of Bali's clans will have one too. There are local temples, city temples, public temples... lots and lots of temples. However, we visitors weren't allowed to go very far into them. Unlike Thai Buddhism which is incredibly welcoming and allows people to visit the temples regardless of their beliefs, Bali's Hindu temples are much more private, which I respect.

While the Water Temple may be the most visited temple, there are dozens of other temples of various sizes throughout Ubud, some visible and some hidden. One temple I stumbled upon was hidden away in a little grotto. I followed a set of stairs that led from the street down into a ravine in town and there it was! One cool thing about Ubud is that they don't clear the jungle away; it grows around the town.

a hidden temple

I'll admit that I know next to nothing about Hinduism. Most of what I know comes from the borrowed aspects that are found in Thai Buddhism! This, and the fact that foreigners cannot enter the temples without special permission, makes Bali seem all the more mysterious and exotic to me.

a wooden temple bell

Ubud is a small town. Just a few minutes of walking, and you would never even know that there was another person for miles around. Ubud's rice field was one of the quietest and most peaceful places that I've ever been, and I found it quite by accident by following a narrow and overgrown alley while trying to take some cool pictures.

There is a path through the rice field. I'm not sure how far it goes. I followed it for maybe fifteen minutes before heading back to town. The locals I passed were friendly, waving or saying "hello" as I passed. They were obviously used to tourists wandering through the fields, and although there were other people walking there besides me, I still had a feeling that I was the only one around. It was nice.

NOTE: This was my second time to go to Indonesia (although the first time was only for a few hours) so I can't add a new country to my map. I feel like Bali is so different from the rest of the country though, so I think it's best that I add the tag "Bali" to these posts, along with "Indonesia".