My favourite things

Yes, of course whiskers on kittens, but also:

• Hanging drip dry washing on the branch of a frangipani
• Delicious drinks involving ginger and/or lemongrass
• Swimming 
• Happening upon a ceremony, whether it be a wedding, funeral or a special day for whatever reason
• Green-tea scented soap
• Banana pancakes, and
• Black rice pudding
• Offerings
• Free wi-fi. Everywhere
• Therefore, $10 sim cards that seem to last forever
• Mysterious items on supermarket shelves
• Living simply 
• Geckoes
• Sarongs

Goodbye to new friends

The workshop has wound up, and the ashramers (?) are beginning to head for home. Over the past two weeks we
have thoroughly enjoyed the company of the larger-than-life, charismatic Aussie and the adventurous and delightful US lady. We have shared meals, stories and laughs, become philosophical and exchanged contact details.

The place seems so much quieter without our down-to-earth Aussie mate but even if our paths never cross again, we will thank whatever Ubud spell brought us together in this time and space. We have all learned something, and are, I'm sure, just a little richer for the experience.

With a few days left before she heads back to the US, the gentle and lovely L. will accompany us to Bar Luna tonight where I will be doing one of the four pre-Festival talks. Hoping to help out in other capacities too in coming months.

Three weeks under our belt, 23 to go and it's all good.

Risky business

Bali has been receiving a bad press lately, particularly in Australia. The tragic death on Sunday of a Perth woman has brought the island back into the headlines, but, dreadful as it was, the accident could have happened anywhere in a flood. Such incidents occurred during the Queensland floods and they are all the more terrible for their cruel randomness.

Other deaths, a rape and robbery, burglaries, might leave the impression that this is an extremely dangerous place to be.

Yet we have never felt unsafe here. If I had to I would not hesitate to walk home unaccompanied at night; my greatest concern would be a twisted ankle from the dodgy footpaths.

We are long past the age of teenage risk-taking, so granted, we take a sensible approach to life. We live in a secure compound with a Balinese family and other guests, but we have our own space. We lock the door, but I am not sure that it is necessary. Ubud is like that. So far.

Down on the coast though, it is a different story  and to understand, a little background is required.

Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17000 islands, and the government has named only about 8000 of them. Many have a distinct cultural identity and language, but the country is politically united through the official language, Bahasa Indonesia, and religion, Islam. Bali is unique, having retained its religious identity of Hinduism where religion is an integral part of daily life. Speaking generally, the Balinese people are gentle and spiritual and crime is anathema to them.

However tourism brings with it greed, and the people of Bali, and its close neighbour Java are poor. A policeman earns $250 a month; a labourer less than $5 for a long day. Goodness knows what hotel staff earn, but even a $1 tip is received with gratitude. Westerners must seem extremely wealthy. Some spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a night on hotel accommodation. Wherever there is social inequality the have-nots will want some of the action. Recently in Canggu there has been a crime wave. Luxurious villas owned by Westerners have been targeted and the story is that Javanese labourers have been recruited by Javanese crime syndicates to give information about likely stings. Even if you pay for security, it is said that a blind eye can be turned (or worse, a key copied) for a cut of the takings. The penalties are harsh if caught, so they must consider the risk worthwhile. Fortunately we don't have wealth to flaunt, but it's certainly not smart to walk around with flashy jewellery or phones.

The arak problem also has cultural and political roots. Islamic Indonesia decries alcohol of any kind, but pragmatically realises that tourists demand it. The government is also officially unhappy with the Balinese attitude to the relaxed non-Islamic life. Taxes are therefore very high, and to make a profit, unscrupulous bars will dilute the local spirit. With methanol. At best you will feel terrible, at worst you will die. Your choice.

And then there's terrorism. We've had our own six-degrees brush as mentioned yesterday, but again, you'd have to be terribly unlucky. Hundreds were terribly, tragically unlucky, in 2002 and again in 2005, but security has been stepped up hundredfold, and the mass targets appear to be mostly symbols of non-Islamic 'decadence' such as bars and nightclubs. For Australians, subscribing to DFAT's regular travel advisories keeps you in the loop and it's not a bad idea to register with the Consulate or Embassy if you are here for any length of time.

Yes, there are risks, but living itself is a risk.

Three funerals and a wedding

It's called 'snore' by those who are looking for a party life, but our most recent trips to Sanur have been far from boring. Last year we found ourselves there by default as the tail end of a cyclone had made our Amed accommodation uninhabitable. We secured comfortable walk-in accommodation, but during the night were roused by sirens. Well, it's a bit noisier than Ubud so to be expected. But the talk at breakfast was all about the shootings. Apparently police had been tracking a terrorist cell for five months in Java. When they moved to Bali, Sanur to be precise, they wasted no time in storming their cheap hotel and shooting them. Dead. All three. And that was only a couple of hundred metres down the road. Another two in Denpasar.  So boring? Not that time.

Yesterday we decided on the spur of the moment to catch a bus down to Sanur Beach. It's less than an hour's drive from Ubud, and you pass the traditional rice-growing areas as well as craft villages specialising in wood, stone and silver. In one we saw the preparations for a wedding, with everyone beautifully dressed and the gorgeous decorations all down the gang (alley) to the village hall.

Sanur itself had been hit by a severe storm in the early hours. We were unaware of this but the heavy surf swell and the debris - broken boats, rubbish, shoes (many shoes) - scattered along the beach told the tale. Tourists headed to Nusa Lembongan had to brave the heavy swell to get out to the outrigger that would take them there.
This provided some entertainment, but shortly afterwards, the dog patrol appeared. Armed with blowpipes they circled any stray dog on the beach and aimed. The yelping indicated that the feathered dart had reached its target. It wasn't pretty to watch but we were told that it is a government program to vaccinate the dogs, who quickly shook off their annoyance, were banded with a yellow collar and left to go their way. A good thing.

Sanur, being very flat, is ripe for a tsunami and warnings along the beach indicate the direction to run should there be an event. It's not a comforting thought. Provided everyone is evacuated in time though, it would be no bad thing for what is surely Bali's ugliest hotel (right on the beach front) with its even uglier wedding pavilion to disappear. There is no planning in Bali. Unfortunately.

We didn't expect to find a turtle conservation project right on the beach, but here it was, and all donations to keep it going are gratefully received.










Nor did we expect to find another cremation. Actually two. Much simpler affairs than any we had seen before, with the cremation bull constructed of simple bamboo. Loads of people participating and watching. A real community thing.

So what was intended to be a simple stroll along the beach provided endless interest. Sanur is much quieter than Kuta, but the stall holders are very keen to have you 'just look' at their wares. 'Persistent' would not be an exaggeration. But firmness and good humour usually saves the day, if not entirely to the shopkeeper's satisfaction.

And the third funeral? Just as we were leaving, traffic stopped for a long procession led by women, followed by the men and a walking gamelan. We were told they were on the way to the beach to scatter ashes from an earlier cremation. The Balinese certainly know how to do death.

Boring? Not this time either.

Full Moon

On Friday it was full moon. Which means ceremony. There are many reasons on Bali for a festival or ceremony, but as a bule you don't always know what they are. But a full moon is a full moon wherever you are on the planet. When you see truck loads of villagers and scooters loaded with family, including the baby, heading to the temples it's not hard to know what's happening.  All, men and women, are in beautiful traditional dress, which you can read about here. The only problem with Friday was that the afternoon rain, which usually clears before dark, didn't.  And it was torrential, so the villagers must have spent an uncomfortable time. When we arrived home from the Fly Cafe's quiz night (which our table won - all prizes alcoholic!) the drums continued beating well into the night, but the rain had stopped at about 8pm. In June we will ask our host if we can accompany his family to the temple for Full Moon - at the moment he is in Melbourne getting a fix of the cold, which he loves!

The moon is still spectacular. Last night we had a budget meal in a five-star setting on the verandah of Anhera as we watched the moon rise over the gorge. The budget was their Thai steamboat special - 3 courses for Rp 80000. I'll leave you to do the conversion. And we were the only diners! Unfortunately their website seems to be down, so I can't link, but trust me, it's lovely.


I didn't take the picture - it's from Wikipedia Commons.

Bar Luna

Bit of a literary hub, Bar Luna. Situated in Jl Goutama, it's the de facto Festival club during UWRF week, with book launches, drinks, talks and just conversation with other attendees. But each Thursday night (and other nights too we discovered) they hold a literary event. The bar is one of the enterprises of Australian expat, long-term Ubud resident, and honorary Balinese, Janet DeNeefe. Janet's name and Ubud are synonymous and she has been inspirational for many young Balinese women in showing them just what is possible. She founded UWRF in 2004 as a positive response to the terrible Bali bombings that took so many lives, Western and Balinese, and which all but destroyed the tourist industry. UWRF is now considered to be one of the best literary festivals in the world.

Last night was the first of a series of talks previewing writers who will attending the 10th anniversary festival this year. Called Festival 4Play, four writers and their work are profiled. Not everyone who is invited to Ubud is a household name. That's part of the charm, discovering wonderful new talent, especially from SE Asia.

So last night we heard about:

• Ian Burnet and his beautiful book Spice Islands, a historical account of the trade that changed the world.
• Carina Hoang's Boat People: personal stories from the Vietnamese exodus 1975-1999. We were fortunate to have M. Bundhowi present. His photographs from the period is one in the book and he now travels the world as a  peace photographer, having long since discarded his boyhood wish to be a 'war' photographer. He told his story with grace and charm.
• Pat Grant, a young cartoonist (his description) whose graphic novel Blue is causing a bit of a sensation.
  
  So far, one Javanese and three Australians, but finally
• Danny Morrison from Ireland. Two very different titles - Then the Walls Came Down, a series of (one-sided) letters to his partner from his time in prison during the troubles and Rudi: in the shadow of Knulp, which the reviewer described as the best piece of fiction by a living writer he had read in the past ten years. Quite a wrap. Having recently been in Ireland, these were of particular interest and have been added to the TBR pile.

But wait, there's more. Becky Wicks is back in town and on Tuesday night she'll be talking about her latest adventures as recounted in Latinalicious while another four books and their authors get the treatment on Thursday. Somehow I have got in on the act, so I hope I can do Lionel Shriver justice.

So much to do and, fortunately, plenty of time to do it in.

Living the (expat) dream

We've had a taste of how good it can get. Mind you, we love our simple life, but there's no doubt that it's Bali on a budget. We have everything we need here* but last night we saw another lifestyle altogether. And I have to confess to just a teensy bit of villa envy.

The lovely couple that we caught up with at the Villa Kitty do** spend about 9 months here in Ubud and only about three at home in Queensland. They have a villa in a prime location in Penestanan, a stone's throw from the action but very private down a laneway that backs onto a rice field. And what can I say but it's gorgeous. They have done a wonderful job in creating their Ubud home and even have two beautiful Villa Kitty cats. When they arrived as youngsters, the cats spent a few hours exploring the lane, visiting the warung on the corner, dispatching the rats in the roof and haven't been outside since. They sit in the doorway and watch the world, but are now homebodies. When their humans are in Australia they are cared for by the one staff member, a delightful young man who does everything needed to keep the villa ticking over.

It's possible, but not easy, to purchase property outright here. You will see many places available but they are usually leasehold. The length of the lease will vary and therefore the upfront cost. A longer lease will be 25 years with a renewal option; shorter ones may be as few as 7 years. Not having outright ownership is a stumbling block for many who are used to other models but, as our new friends commented, their lease will see them out and they will have had the pleasure of the lifestyle for the amount that they paid.

Our meal was in a local cafe that has a strong expat presence. It's part-owned by an Australian, with food geared towards a Western palate, but certainly tasty enough and well priced. We met a few people and have been invited to the notorious expat Flyday night quiz at the Fly Cafe. By all accounts this is a Very Fun Night.

Tonight Bar Luna is giving a preview of the 2013 Writers Festival as part of their regular Thursday night literary event. I know that they have secured Lionel Shriver*** and Deborah Moggach as two of the headline attractions. But the afternoon rain has been very steady and if it doesn't ease as it usually does, we'll stay in.

The image above is not of their villa - I wouldn't be so rude, it's an Internet one - but theirs does have a swimming pool. lovely gardens, open plan pavilions ... sigh.

*And sorry, not telling
**Raised Rp 20,000,000 or $2000, so that will help a great deal.
*** Have just finished reading Big Brother, and still digesting it, so to speak.

Reading Ubud

It happens occasionally. The blah day when there's nothing serious like BaliBelly but just a I-don't-feel-crash-hot day.

There's nothing for it but to take it easy and read. No swimming, no walking, no eating. Just reading. Reading about Ubud mostly.

And the first on the list was Balilicious, by Becky Wicks. English journalist but citizen of Asia, Becky spent her own six months in Ubud and documents her story with honesty, humour and insight. She tries all the things a 30-something, single traveller should, with the right amount of curiosity and questioning. I have learned a lot more about Ubud in the past day, and I thought I knew a bit. It's not difficult to stay in touch with your inner 30-something, and although Becky is ever-so-slightly disparaging about some older women, especially those at the Yoga Barn, those of us who have reached, ahem, maturity, understand that one day every young woman will be one of us. They just don't realise it, and nor did we. Becky has now moved on and continues to write about her travels in other parts of the globe. The list of charities at the end of her book has encouraged me to create similar links on the right hand side of this blog.

Thanks to Amazon's disregard for geography, at least in this part of the world, I have also downloaded Bali Daze, Cat Wheeler's observations. Ibu Cat has been an Ubud resident for more than a decade and is a highly regarded expat, so I am looking forward to reading her story next.

I will start adding charity links soon, so if you are heading this way and are looking for a cause to help, it will be a starting point.

Early morning

Between first light and about 8 is the coolest, loveliest time to walk. There is almost never rain; that tends to come in the afternoon or evening, when it happens. By about 7.30 the traffic has started to build and the heat of the day is becoming apparent. But early morning is magic, especially when you go off the backroads and though the rice fields and villages.

Yesterday we climbed the short staircase beside the Bintang supermarket* up into the scattered villages of Penestanan, high on the ridge. This route begins as narrow laneways, barely a motorcycle width and often with steep falls on one side. It would be very easy for an inexperienced rider to lose control and never be seen again, but the Balinese have been riding their machines since they were children and are very skilled. Tucked down these laneways are all manner of accommodation from homestays to luxury villas, although you would want to be travelling light to access them. A visitor to Bali need not book in advance at this time of year. Head for the hills and explore what is available. You are unlikely to be disappointed.

This village is known as a yoga, meditation and alternative medicine hub, but many tiny warungs also tempt a break in the walk. Another glimpse of how Bali used to be, with papaya and mango growing freely in the lanes.

Once you hit the main Penestanan road however, it's back to traffic although the noise is not so bad as it is punctuated by the crow of the fighting cockerels that the Balinese men keep under baskets in the compounds.

Plenty of spas, hotels and cafes along here, including a branch of Kue, the go-to place in Ubud if you fancy a bread or cake fix. The Penestanan store is much smaller, but has a selection of goodies and is a lot more convenient for us. A tamarind and ginger soda did the refreshment trick for me, but Eddie had a great coffee and a scone that he declared very nearly as good as the ones he had in Ireland (and they were the best ever).

Down the very steep hill (no pavement, lots of traffic) past the Blanco Museum brings you back to Jl Campuan and home. Along this road is the usual access stairway to the top, but the Bintang stairway provides a longer, but more scenic (if narrow) pathway. Two hours at a comfortable pace was rewarded by the scenery and the post-walk cooling swim.

*entitled to a post of its own at some stage

Garden of Earthly Delights

We have eaten a number of times on past trips at Warung Pulau Kelapa, an attractive and cheap eatery less than a minute's walk from where we are staying. The food is a bit different from the standard fare, with tasty Javanese dishes on the menu. Because it was usually later when we ate, we had noticed, but paid no attention to, the small sign (not the one above) inviting people to visit the garden at the back. But this morning, on a leisurely stroll along Jl Sanggingan, we decided to walk down, expecting something lovely, but modest. 

Jl Sanggingan is an extension of Jl Campuan* and usually there is a steady stream of cars and scooters. We had no idea that, 200 metres behind the bustle, old Ubud was still in evidence with rice being harvested, coconut trees in abundance, the mountains behind and an amazing organic garden occupying several acres of land. Although the gardens have consumed some of the rice fields, it has been done respectfully, replacing what was there with green, not concrete. Not so long ago, all of Ubud looked like this. The arrival of electricity is within the collective memory, but now the rate of change is frightening. It's good to be reminded of how things were. 

 

Walking past the restaurant a series of steps takes you past a lovely pavilion down to a small valley, and then up again to see the sign at the top. Yes, pick your own. Everything is beautifully arranged, plants are labelled, some in English, and you can easily spend an hour wandering and admiring. Papaya and pumpkin; galangal and lemongrass - there is an abundance of everything edible.

Such a treat, and all so beautiful. May it ever stay so.

*I intend to do some street-specific posts at some stage.

Bali cats and dogs

As in all developing countries, most domestic animals in Indonesia have much tougher lives than their Western counterparts. Certainly the middle classes and the wealthy have their designer dogs, but anyone who has been to Bali (in particular) will be aware of the dog problem. Street dogs are often malnourished, mistreated and diseased, with rabies a very real problem. We have noticed on this trip that there are fewer dogs than usual and it appears that the authorities have undertaken measures to reduce numbers, almost certainly involving culling. Animal cruelty is common and it falls to private agencies to pick up animals damaged from beatings or traffic accidents and do what they can. Overworked and certainly always struggling for funds, these agencies do wonderful work. Indonesian-trained vets work in clinics to immunise, sterilise and, when all else fails, euthanise their charges.

If the dogs have it bad, and they do, they are at least mostly tolerated and allowed to wander the streets and take sustenance from the small amounts of food left in temples and offerings that dot every pavement. Cats are regarded by most Balinese as being beneath contempt.

Because the original Ubud animal welfare agency, BAWuA (Bali Animal Welfare Association) tried to cover the needs of all animals that came to their attention with very limited resources, a couple of years ago one of its volunteers, Ehlizabeth Henzell, branched out and created Villa Kitty to focus purely on the needs hof cats and kittens.

Reliant, as are all agencies, on donations and fundraising, Villa Kitty has created a purpose-built facility on the outskirts of Ubud that employs local professional staff and assistants. Part of the work is as a rescue centre where animals are nursed back to health, immunised, sterilised and made ready for fostering or, even better, adoption. But education is important also, and Villa Kitty is slowly changing attitudes by reaching out to local children and teaching them that cats are not to be feared. Recently they organised for 12 kittens to be taken to an orphanage to be cared for and loved by the children, with Villa Kitty picking up the tab for all expenses. So far it seems to be a great success.

A well-attended fundraising event was held today - a lunch at the beautiful Maya Ubud Resort. Absolutely fantastic food, raffles and auctions all helped to fill the Kitty coffers. Elizabeth mentioned that at present they have 102 kittens and although they are beyond capacity they will never turn a needy cat away. And of course people still dump, even, I'm sorry to say, Westerners who have previously  made a commitment to keep a Villa Kitty cat. You have to admire the dedication of all the staff and volunteers who work under such difficult circumstances.

A charming aspect of the day was an auction of cat-themed artworks done by children from the Green School. Some genuine talent there.

For us, too, attending the lunch was a way of reaching into the expat community here. We caught up again with a Queensland couple who now live here that we met on a previous trip.  So it's drinks and dinner next week with them. We also sat with a man from NSW who has also made the move, and he gave us some great insights.  An invitation to become involved with Bali International Women's Association offers more opportunities. A good day.

Bali Animal Welfare Agencies

• BAWA Bali
• BARC
• Bali Street Dogs
• Villa Kitty

More camera grief

I didn't really intend these ramblings to be a and-then-we-did-this-and-then-we-did-that exposition. At some stage I hope to be a little more reflective. But. Stuff keeps happening. Today, the new camera karked it. Just refused to work. So back we trotted to a fairly sceptical Ubud Music Centre, who finally acknowledged that yes, the thing would not switch on, no matter how many times we tried a different battery. And wasn't it strange that the battery in the dud camera worked perfectly well in another one.

Goodbye Olympus, hello Panasonic again with fingers crossed.

Earlier we had enjoyed a long conversation with the Aussie mentioned earlier. I'll maintain his privacy, so no names, but he continues to surprise. Lovely man. He had just finished a session of Qigong, and did such a good sales job of it that we are investigating classes. New people are such horizon enhancers.

Dinner tonight, after a Golden Hands massage each for dodgy ageing shoulders and knees, was at Fair Warung Bale, the face of a charitable foundation that helps Ubud's young people, who do all the cooking and service. Absolutely delicious and such a rock bottom price that you couldn't just pay what they charged. Another place to revisit.

Finally, a moonlight swim to end a pretty satisfactory day. Tomorrow we will ... no, sorry, I wasn't going to do that.

The wash up...

... after the cremation. Not only were we soaked through yesterday*, everything we were carrying was. My super-duper security handbag might be unslashable and unpickpocketable, but it certainly isn't waterproof. Everything in it was soaked - wallet**, phone, makeup bag and of course, the camera. Now officially dead. Fortunately, although damp, the phone has survived but I can't work out how to get images off it and onto the blog. Bluetooth remains a mystery to me so I am always surprised when it works, and the tablet doesn't recognise the USB connection. So a trip into Ubud today saw the purchase of a cheap(ish) point-and-shoot digital Olympus, with none of the refinements of the drowned Panasonic, but we just can't spend 25 weeks here without a camera. Not sure how the pics will turn out, but mediocre is probably better than none at all. The one above (not mediocre, I hasten to add) was borrowed from here and I appreciate it.

Meanwhile we'll check out what fine print the insurance policy undoubtedly has to prevent us from claiming, but we'll give it a go anyway.

The thunder is growling outside and it has been stiflingly humid this morning following yesterday's unprecedented event.***

Time for a swim.

More soon.

* Remind me to tell you a funny, but unprintable, story when next we speak.
** The money (millions, being Indonesia) is drying out under the fan as I type
*** One commentator said that he had never known it to rain on a Royal cremation in 40 years, let alone a downpour like we had.

Event of the year

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. Ubud was packed with locals, hawkers, tourists and participants for the huge event. A beautiful morning turned torrential as the tower proceeded down Jl Raya Ubud, as if on wheels, to the cemetery after about an hour of preliminaries. It was incredible to watch that team of men lift, twirl and carry that immense tower. Auspicious rain or not? Who knows. I only know that we virtually swam home, beyond drenched, and the camera died. Possibly permanently.  Fortunately the card was OK but we couldn't take any pics of the smaller, and in many ways, more dignified second cremation. The same attention to detail on a much, much smaller scale. All the more impressive because the bearers had to run that tower and the bull up a very, very steep hill.

However, the Royal event was an incredible experience. Impossible to convey the noise of the gamelan and the cheering when they finally managed to get the body into the tower after a great effort up the white ramp. Good humour prevailed all day.

 Added later

In case this doesn't work for you, you should be able to links to the images here.

Some other information about the cremation has appeared in the Jakarta Post.

Sorry about the music, you can see why in the comments. If I can make it go away, I will.

And even later:

More photos from the Ubud Now and Then website.

Routines, or not...

In the week since we arrived the rhythms of our day have shifted. It's early to bed, early to rise and two meals a day - our usual Bali pattern and we slip into it almost without realising. An early coffee, a swim, then reading an ebook and checking the online newspapers, followed by a latish breakfast around ten. We don't eat again until somewhere between four and five, when we have a fairly substantial meal.

This morning our American neighbours told us about a restaurant that has sprung up in Jl Goutama since we were last here. The couple are permanents who are building their dream home on one of the ridges. It's taken over two years so far and probably won't be finished any time soon, but that's OK by them.

One of the benefits of eating when we do is that we have the full attention of the kitchen and excellent service. Another is that we can walk the meal off on the way home while its still light, thereby avoiding the traps of falling into a deep hole on a dimly lit footpath or being attacked by a rogue frangipani.

Dolce Arancia proved to be as good as we had been told. A bit more expensive (at around $26) each than we usually pay for an evening meal but for three delicious courses and coffee, worth it. After a vegie day yesterday, we felt a need for meat, and the steak (and home-made Pringly crisped potatoes) filled the gap.

Goutama (sometimes Gootama) is a charming, tree-lined narrow street that runs parallel to Jl Monkey Forest. As well as the usual spas, clothing and gift shops, there are a number of lokal warungs, and as well as this new restaurant, other excellent eating places such as Nomad, Bar Luna, Pignou di Penyu and a favorite of ours, The Melting Wok. It is the street chosen by the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival for its annual street party. There are plenty of reasons to visit often.

Walking past the Palace on the way home it was obvious that everyone had been working hard. The tower is up and the bamboo litters that the men will use to carry the body to the cemetery have been constructed. Tomorrow will be a big day but it might be a good idea to stay well clear - we have seen a large Ogoh-ogoh monster topple and it was nowhere as big as this.

Shaken but not stirred

Now that Eddie is feeling a little better, we walked up to town today to see how the preparations are coming along for Tuesday's cremation ceremonies. Wayan Arjuna, who has sponsored us for this stay*, told us last night that each banjar (the community of the various temples) has the same specific task for every cremation and has done for hundreds of years. His banjar is responsible for making the white steps that lead to the tower. The beautiful bull will hold the body for the actual cremation.

Ubud today was much busier than it has been. By the activity in the palace grounds there is still a lot to do before Tuesday.

 We went looking for the other cremation, but could not find it where we had been told it was happening.

Walking in this town presents a few hazards. The foothpaths are a disaster, so you tend to keep an eye on where your feet are headed. Which means that I totally failed to see the frangipani that deliberately stuck its branch out at head height just as I reached it. The result was a graceless tumble and a literal egg head. Shaken but not stirred. Eddie now gallantly stands next to every potentially hazardous overhanging branch to prevent a recurrence.

The other problem with walking in this climate is that feet swell so uncomfortably that shoes and sandals that fit perfectly well at home rub and cause blisters. Liz, why didn't we bring your Wonder Wool Ease! The tropical fashionista look is somewhat deglamorised by multiple bandaid applications.

However we succeeded in a couple of tasks - organising two pairs of comfy, cool trousers to be copied from a pair I left as a pattern, and locating a hairdresser who knows how to deal with Western hair. Apparently this is important, as most locally trained hairdressers can't deal with the very different texture of our hair.

We also had a delicious lunch at Down To Earth, an organic, vegetarian cafe discovered an recommended by Meg and Burns on their last trip. The (non alcoholic) ginger beer was amazing. Frothy like a milkshake, with cinnamon on top, but made with a ginger and palm oil syrup so very sharp and spicy. You'd have to like ginger, but if you do...

*I plan to talk about visas in another post.

On matters medical, political and spiritual

Eddie has been unwell since getting here, so he has finally been persuaded to see a doctor. After receiving a thorough going over at Ubud's Toya Medical Clinic on Jl Raya Pengosekan it turns out he has bronchitis. The clinic is recommended, should you find yourself in need of medical assistance when in town. No need to take the scripts away. His three lots of medication were presented after a short wait in this thoughtful paper bag. Nice touch.

Meanwhile we have learned that a two-week workshop on 'palpable forgiveness' will be held next week at an ashram across the road. We had been chatting to an older lady who has flown from the US to attend. Her mobility is not wonderful, and she has never been to Bali before, so it's been quite a journey for her. Last night, while we were having dinner, an Australian man checked in. Tall, salt-of-the-earth, practical sort of fellow. You'd take him for a farmer. Left his home in a NSW country town more than 12 hours earlier, and was dressed 'properly' - in other words, not Bali style. Friendly, outgoing in that way we Australians are, and not the most likely person you would imagine to be attending an ashram. But that's why he's here he tells us, and he too is a Bali virgin. By breakfast, he had found his shorts and was deep in conversation with the US lady. They had both been to the chanting earlier in the morning.

I had judged this particular book by his cover, and how wrong I was. People never fail to surprise.

Next Wednesday is a public holiday. Bali will be electing a new governor and the banners spruiking the virtues and promises of the various candidates are flying. Not so much on this side of town, but certainly all along the road to Denpasar. Unusually, too, on that day Tuesday there will be two cremations. One for a member of the palace  (a diplomat but not a royal we are told*), the other for someone less important. The paths won't be crossing though. Apparently the mourners for the second cremation are not allowed into the cemetery. Meanwhile the men are hard at work at the palace building the massive structure that will take the deceased to the funeral pyre. Ubud is unbelievably quiet (even the monkeys seem to be on strike, and the dogs have disappeared) so this royal event on Wednesday might bring some much needed business to town. This YouTube video gives an idea of what is involved.



* As this is a Facebook link, it might not open for everyone.

Change is all around

Each trip to Bali leaves me struggling with the question of whether visitors like us are part of the problem or part of the solution. Change is everywhere, the result of catering to tourist needs at the expense of traditional lifestyle. We can rationalise our involvement as being low impact as we stay in simple accommodation, have modest needs but are also contributing to the economy. Nevertheless we see the rice fields disappearing around Ubud visit by visit, and evidence of even greater development. There has to be a limit to how much this place can sustain.

As Eddie has not been feeling well, we spent the first few days quietly. Yesterday we walked up to town - the centre is about a 20-minute walk from Campuan where we stay - and saw the  'new' market for the first time. If, like us, you have fond memories of the shambolic space opposite the Palace, you might be as disappointed as we were at the sanitised version. Safer? Absolutely. Cleaner? Sure. Atmospheric? Not at all. That there were so few people there (although Ubud is pretty quiet at the moment) seemed to say it all. I imagine the stall holders have a higher rental, but they certainly seem to have fewer buyers. There is no incentive to wander upstairs, so stalls up there would be lucky to have any sales at all. Not the same for anybody although remnants of the old place remain at the back.

L

Eddie's shoulder has still been troubling him so he had a massage at Golden Hands in the lovely Jalan Kejang. The recommendation proved excellent - the best treatment he as received in four countries, at no more than $6 for the hour. He is saying that it is definitely feeling better, so he'll go back in a few days for more. Golden hands and magic fingers.

Another change along Jl Campuan is this scary excavation. Wouldn't want to be in the temple when it's raining heavily. The space will be filled by yet another gallery in about three months.

Why Ubud?

If you have never been to Ubud, but you have seen the film Eat, Pray, Love you might think you know what to expect. Sorry. A bit like it, but not a lot. No dogs or scooters; traffic-free roads on which to cycle; Javier Bardem around the corner. I don’t think so. But since the film, large numbers of solo women travellers have come to town, so the Julia Roberts effect has certainly kicked in.

This is far more like it. In other words Ubud is what you want it to be. It is all of the things listed here and more. It's filthy. It's beautiful. It's an environmental disaster. It's spiritual. It's what you choose to see, and what you choose to become concerned about. The rice fields are disappearing for yet more tourist accommodation and amenities (such as 'spiritual' yoga schools and imported Starbucks) but the place is hanging on to a magic that we can only hope will transcend the rapid changes.

We choose to see the magic, and the time spent really getting to know Ubud and the surrounding villages, learning the language and helping where we are needed answers the question we have been frequently asked (usually in an incredulous tone) ‘What are you going to do for six months?’
I just hope Starbucks is using local coffee. We'll stick to the local cafes and warungs.

Sayur urab

This probably won't be the last time I mention this utterly delicious and super healthy dish of snake beans, coconut and secret herbs and spices. It can also be spelled sayur urap.

If ever I get the choice of a last meal, this is one dish that would be on the menu. I have found a recipe here that seems close to the taste sensation I enjoy. Do try this at home.

The experiment begins

It's six months since we were last here and another six months before we leave again. After coming to Bali many times in the past 30 years, we have seen many changes, and no doubt over the course of this longest stay, we will see many more - things move quickly here. You'll read about the good and the bad, the uplifting and the concerning, as our experiment unfolds.