Ubud, Bali - A big smile greeted me as I finally reached Arjuna House after a harrowing 1-hour walk from Perama's bus station. Heavens help me, but I thought Arjuna was walking distance from Perama station. It wasn't!
I kept dodging touts who wanted to get their slimy hands on my cash-strapped wallet. On I walked along Monkey Forest Road (because it is a monkey sanctuary full of - whaddaya know - pesky monkeys) hoping Arjuna Road would just be up around the next block. But it stretched on for 1 hour and 15 minutes. It would have been a "walk in the park" if I wasn't carrying my 7 kg baggage. By the time I finally found the guesthouse in the hidden enclave of Bali, I was drenched with sweat, trying to catch my breath between smiles.
My host: a guy named Ketut! And like his movie namesake, he is 4th generation carrying the name, I kid you not!
If you've been to Mars within the last 12 months or so, you would know my references to Ketut, Ubud, Elizabeth Gilbert the brat - and of course, toothsome Miss Julia Roberts! Ubud indeed has become sanctuary to the middle-aged newly-divorced women, knocking on Ubud's doors seeking redemption. But as wikitravel would emphasize, not all potions for emotional or psychological ailments could be found here. Besides, as my new-found friend Ketut mentioned, Eat, Pray, Love's Ketut (Meier) seems to be making oodles of money from his magical medicines - to the tune of 300,000 Rp or $33 per bottle (my long distance Bali-to-Bromo bus ride cost me 250,000 Rp).
My bus ride from Kuta to Ubud was pleasant - like split-second infomercials of Bali's other wondersights like Sanur, etc. By the time I reached Perama's station in Ubud, I was psyched to parry the blows from touts who had erections to dog me around despite my friendly "no's".
Highlight of the day would be my bike ride through hilly terrains of rice paddies, wood-carving villages, artist towns. Gunung Kawi is romantically called "Poet Mountain" but romance isn't in the pages of a King named Anak Wungsu who designed a burial complex in the 11th century. In the heart of hilly Tampaksiring, some 40 kilometers northeast of Ubud's center lies the resting place of this adulterous king who had several wives. To get to the giant bas-relief, you have to descend 400 steps down. There's a rushing riverine scene and a couple of areas with gigantic otherworldly sculptures. By the time I made it back to my motorbike, I was breathless.
The second temple was even stranger. The name is Tirta Empul, one of Ubud's holiest temples, boasting of a hot spring meant for the faithful. Since I am mostly a sinful cad, I was content watching hundreds of half-naked bodies lining up in one pool, immersed in slightly brackish water, cleansing themselves. It's full moon tonight and ceremonies like these are being celebrated. Since 960 A.D., people have been purifying their souls here at Tirta Empul. I rudely pushed myself against the throng and practiced paparazzi-uncouthness. One of these days, I shall share these amazing photos here. As for now, I am too soaked from the sudden heavy downpour while watching people bathe. Karma? Is karma even a Hindu concept?
On our way back to Ubud, we were forced to take shelter by the roadside when the rains spitted away water arrows on the pavement. Getting wet wasn't so bad under these circumstances.
My host: a guy named Ketut! And like his movie namesake, he is 4th generation carrying the name, I kid you not!
If you've been to Mars within the last 12 months or so, you would know my references to Ketut, Ubud, Elizabeth Gilbert the brat - and of course, toothsome Miss Julia Roberts! Ubud indeed has become sanctuary to the middle-aged newly-divorced women, knocking on Ubud's doors seeking redemption. But as wikitravel would emphasize, not all potions for emotional or psychological ailments could be found here. Besides, as my new-found friend Ketut mentioned, Eat, Pray, Love's Ketut (Meier) seems to be making oodles of money from his magical medicines - to the tune of 300,000 Rp or $33 per bottle (my long distance Bali-to-Bromo bus ride cost me 250,000 Rp).
My bus ride from Kuta to Ubud was pleasant - like split-second infomercials of Bali's other wondersights like Sanur, etc. By the time I reached Perama's station in Ubud, I was psyched to parry the blows from touts who had erections to dog me around despite my friendly "no's".
Highlight of the day would be my bike ride through hilly terrains of rice paddies, wood-carving villages, artist towns. Gunung Kawi is romantically called "Poet Mountain" but romance isn't in the pages of a King named Anak Wungsu who designed a burial complex in the 11th century. In the heart of hilly Tampaksiring, some 40 kilometers northeast of Ubud's center lies the resting place of this adulterous king who had several wives. To get to the giant bas-relief, you have to descend 400 steps down. There's a rushing riverine scene and a couple of areas with gigantic otherworldly sculptures. By the time I made it back to my motorbike, I was breathless.
The second temple was even stranger. The name is Tirta Empul, one of Ubud's holiest temples, boasting of a hot spring meant for the faithful. Since I am mostly a sinful cad, I was content watching hundreds of half-naked bodies lining up in one pool, immersed in slightly brackish water, cleansing themselves. It's full moon tonight and ceremonies like these are being celebrated. Since 960 A.D., people have been purifying their souls here at Tirta Empul. I rudely pushed myself against the throng and practiced paparazzi-uncouthness. One of these days, I shall share these amazing photos here. As for now, I am too soaked from the sudden heavy downpour while watching people bathe. Karma? Is karma even a Hindu concept?
On our way back to Ubud, we were forced to take shelter by the roadside when the rains spitted away water arrows on the pavement. Getting wet wasn't so bad under these circumstances.
This is the Eye in the Sky!
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