Back in Asia

I'm now in Ubud, a "typical" Balinese village with M. We met up at Denpasar airport on the 25th and spent our first two nights in Bali at a very posh hotel in Sanur. While M. battled her jet-lag (there's 12 hrs time difference between Montreal and Bali), I battled the heat and humidity. All the progress I had made during my time in the Philippines and Malaysia was lost in wintery New Zealand! My hair also had trouble readjusting to the heat so I decided to get it braided!

After our days of rest, we headed to Ubud, which, though it's a village, is more lively than Sanur was! Here we treated ourselves to a fish spa:



We also went to see a traditional Balinese dance. I was very impressed by the intricate foot and hand work as well as how they moved their heads and shoulders. The costumes were a sea of color and the hall was breathtaking. A very nice evening activity indeed!



This morning we went to the Monkey Forest, named because of the 300 macaque monkeys that live there. The monkeys were way too accustomed to humans for me. Some other tourists even let them sit on their shoulders and play in their hair... fleas anyone? The forest itself was lush and humid and beautiful. The stone work, which is found just about everywhere here, were works of art in themselves. Then I was chased out of the forest by an over eager monkey. It hissed and then ran after me! Scary business indeed for one who isn't an animal fan!