My days are numbered in Bali as 2011 is well underway so I decide to bid farewell to the ocean for awhile and venture inland to the well known and certainly touristy town of Ubud. Best known for its role in the movie ‘Eat, Pray, Love’.
Deep layers of moss encompass every wall and balcony edge. Statue after statue, each depicting a different idol from elephants to warriors, one is amazed at the sheer number of them everywhere. Offerings line the pavements just an hour after sunrise and shortly before sunset. Religion is interspersed amongst western culture botiques and a multitude of silk dresses, sarongs and scarves. A vast array of colours, yet somehow each complementing the next. The hum of the market draws you in and the agitated prodding voices of the merchants forces you out. From silver to silk Ubud has an endless and seemingly repetitive supply.
Reggae concerts follow frantic fire dance clanging and dinner in the courtyard is tasty but not peaceful. The night come alive with bars and restaurants and the quiet essence of Bali is somehow absorbed or hidden down the many cobbled alleyways. However when the sun crawls through the tangled forest and runs its fingers across the rice paddies and ancient rooftops, Bali is born again everyday.
My fondest memories of Bali will be the lemon juice drinks, Bintang beer, the people’s depth of emotion without the exaggeration of expression and the unlimited resourcefulness of the Balinese. It is indeed like nowhere else I have ever been, all new and unfamiliar yet so warm and enchanting. Do yourself a favour and buy a ticket to Bali. Everything else you can figure out once you get there.
