Anna is already mentally home and eagerly planning her schedule for the first week back.
Brad and I are trying to keep our minds and bodies in the present while also doing all the reflecting and planning of goals and such, as we know home will bring with it a whirlwind of activity making that more difficult. I'm not succeeding very well and will just have to be okay that I can't wrap this time away up in a neat package.
We are enjoying our airbnb villa in the rice fields. It's charming, artsy and a treat to spread out. It took a bit of getting used to, this whole open air living with local critters part of your space, but in the end, we left them alone and they left us alone. A treat to be away from the busy city center of Ubud and it was fun to take one of the many many paths that weave in and around small rice paddy farms and find a local warung (restaurant) for lunch or dinner.
The rice fields outside our door.
A maze of back lanes, all more interesting at night with no streets lights.
Can't get a way from the steps.
Time was spent checking out the temples, the Ubud palace, art museums, local market, bicycling to the outlying areas and our ongoing quest to find a piece of art.
The Ubud Palace which is still a family residence, but areas open to the public and for occasional music shows.
Not quite the same as our orchestra instruments back home.
Ubud market is a huge complex and we headed to the basement area where the locals do more of their shopping.
Ubud sits on the slops leading up to the central mountains of Bali and is quite a tourist hub with the focus on Balinese culture in its different forms. From checking out the traditional Kecak Ramayana and Fire Dance, to taking a silver jewlery course in an outlying village where silver making has been in the family for generations, you get a different flavour of Bali when away from the beaches.
Evening entertainment. Not sure how to describe the music. Listen to Brad's new ring tone for a sample.
Brad ready to take in some art in one of Bali's most stunning homes, now museum.
Love the colours of Bali!
It was disappointing to not connect with a piece of art, but abundance didn't always mean good technique or personally moving subject matter. Oh well.
I had just told Brad that I wished I could watch how the rice got harvested over a fresh fruit smoothie while biking. Ten minutes later, back on our bikes and around a corner, there they were.
Amazing hard work in the midday heat, and on these small farms, it is still all done by hand.
Unfortunately, with the massive growth in Ubud, bicycles have been changed for motorbikes and motorbikes changed for cars making the streets noisy and busy.
One thing mentioned by many, read about in books and seeing for ourselves, progress is happening everywhere. What you see and experience is not always going to line up with your preconceived ideas or daydreams.
One thing that stands out for me as different than with other cultures is the religious devotion of the Balinese. Or maybe just more outward, I'm not sure. But the Bali people are very religious and ritualistic and their devotion to their beliefs is admirable.
It is hard not to stumble on little beautifully made and put together offerings everywhere which is a big part of their daily routine. They bring new offerings to each station in their home/business two or three times a day.
The gift of ritual helps you to stop and remember truth.
Ritual, discipline? Is that the same? Stopping to acknowledge your need of help, being thankful, etc....... That is a good thing.
Gifts are placed on banana leaf or put in ornate little woven baskets and set in front of home doors, at the family temple or other areas of significance like a garden or pond.
