Staying in Kuta, Bali was not going to happen; I'd been there for 2 days, and it was all rain rain rain. Screw that, said I, and moved on to Ubud. Ubud is another touristy locale but instead of beach resorts and designer stores like in Kuta, Ubud has more trendy cafes and balinese cutural vibes, temples and atmosphere. I thought I'd just take the bus or something like that, but a guy at the hostel I was staying with said to just use Uber. I thought, "Uber? They're around in Indonesia?" Indeed they are. I called up an Uber ride, got picked up in less than 2 minutes, and got exactly where I wanted to be for less than half the expected cost. Man, I love Uber.
So here I am. Ubud, the other tourist destination in Bali, focuses more on hipster type cafes and cultural attractions. There's lots to see, and in 3 days I wasn't going to see all of it, but at least I'd see the highlights. There's a long cultural tradition in Ubud, you see it everywhere like this balinese troup on the street here.
Street in front of my guesthouse had names and artwork built into the roab, like the Hollywood walk of fame.
First visit was to the Elephant Temple, which was actually kind of disappointing. There were no elephants anywhere, so why call it the Elephant Temple?
I also visited Tirtu Empul, the Holy Spring Temple where balinese hindus came to bathe in the springs for ritual purification.
Aha! An elephant.
I'm not much into coffee, but I did visit a coffee plantation, even tried the infamous Kopi Luwak coffee(if you're wondering, no it's not very good).
And here we have the Besakih Temple, the largest temple in Bali. This temple was more than a little disappointing. After having paid the entrance fee, I and several other people were still denied entry to the temple as it was "locals only". If we wanted to actually get in then we'd have to hire a local tour guide. What was the point of paying the entrance fee, then?
I thought this place was the most fun; the Monkey Forest Sanctuary, where little monkeys are free to roam.
Monkeys all over, and they're not shy either. Visitors were free to offer them little bananas, and boy did they love those.
Although they may seem cute and cuddly in pictures, there are warnings all over to be careful with the monkeys and not to provoke them as they can be aggressive. 'Twas true enough, I saw quite a few troublesome monkeys; check out the one below, the gash on his arm wasn't from falling off a tree.
Taken from a balinese dancing performance. Was pretty cool, though I had a seat all the way in the back.
Ubud's a good place to go to relax, full of small shops and restaurants all crammed together with a relaxed vibe, but I think it's time to go. Where to next? I'll decide that later.