I'm in Bali!

It's so beautiful here. And noticeably different from the Island of Java - first off, over 80% of the population here is Hindu, instead of Muslim. This means
1) I can wear shorts without feeling disrespectful
2) Pork exists on the menu (mm pork satay)

3) Cute little temple in almost every single house

(It's all dressed up like a person because of the recent Balinese holiday of Galungan!)

And also the men here are a LOT more respectful.

The first morning, after waking up in my luxurious room, I met up with Lara and Joe and continued to relax at the gorgeous beaches of Pemuteran. Apparently this area has the world's highest marine biodiversity? I didn't go snorkeling though. Maybe I'll come back one day and do that.  This time, I just sat on a bamboo beach chair and thought about nothing for a couple hours. Bliss.

I'm done with getting up in the middle of the night to hike for a while. 4 times is enough.

In the early afternoon we reluctantly said goodbye to the beautiful beach town and hopped in a car heading to Ubud, the spiritual capital of Bali.

On the way we passed by breathtaking rice terraces, lakes, and charming little villages. Here are some photos!

 (Twin lakes)
                           
(Every house makes its own horise tail like things for the Galungan holiday. The richer the house, the fancier the decorations)

Hundreds of kites filled the sky, as July was kite competition month in Bali - every household made their own kites and let them fly from the first until last day of July. Apparently they pick a winner based on design, size, and durability somehow? The driver tried to explain but the language barrier was real :(. We were driving through the island on July 31, lucky us!

But soon as we drove into the center of Ubud my heart a little - it was even more touristy than I had prepared myself for. Way more than Yogyakarta. In Yogya you've got tour companies that wouldn't leave your alone until you buy a sunrise package. Here in Ubud, you've got Ralph Lauren, Taco Casa, Stone Oven Pizza, the list goes on for miles.

Also, to no one's surprise, things here are quadruple the price of what they cost on Java.

So the first thing I did was to walk out of town as far as I could to find a local warung (food stand stand with seats) and got myself a $1 meal.

I'm so glad I went to Java first, because
1) I know how much things are supposed to cost (got my laundry done for 1/4 of their asking price)
2) I'm not afraid to eat street food (delicious, also the only thing they had on Java so my stomach is used to it)

Anyway, all the tourists aside, I think all the Eat Pray Love stuff is actually telling the truth. Ubud is a place where you can find the utmost spiritual, mental and physical luxury. If you can afford it.

Off the beaten path and away from the hustle bustle of tourist central, you can find the mystical Ubud escape - imagine a beautiful, luscious tropical forest, with some steps and streams carved into a circuitous maze connecting hidden stone temples. Oh and don't forget the rice fields.

It's the ideal kind of place to meditate in. Here and there you have these luxurious rest stations:

They probably looked like this 1000 years ago (found at the temples that are about 1000yo):

But of course I can't afford to stay at a place like that:

I planned to visit an art museum the next day to learn about balinese art. I was still really feeling unwell so I sat in one of those resting huts and had some coffee and tea for a few hours facing the rice terrace. Twas amazing. Best headache medicine.

The art museum was great. One thing I noticed walking around the temples was that everything the Hindus here did was intricately thought out and meticulously arranged (as seen in their little palm-sized offering basket).

This was reflected in their art pieces as well. I could stare at one piece for 3 minutes and still have new things to look at. Here are some of my favorites:

Also, random observation - almost every piece had volcanoes in the background, regardless of the subject!

So, having grown up in a Chinese household, especially with a father who knows so much about Chinese history and culture, I am not proud to say that I have almost had a China-centric point of view when it came to culture. I never really had an urge to visit other Asian countries, because subconsciously I believed that they would all be similar to China - and we had the longest, most impressive history of all. This trip has shown me how wrong I was. Indonesia has such a beautiful and unique mixture of cultures, religions, and traditions. I have really come to appreciate the art here, and can't wait to continue traveling to all the other southeast Asian countries!