Ubud and the Monkey Forest

K: Today we traveled to Ubud, about an hour north of Kuta, Bali, in the heart of the jungle. Often referred to as the cultural center of Bali, it is rich in cultural activities, handicrafts, and Hindu temples.

Our hotel, the Alam Indah, is a true slice of paradise. With only 10 rooms (bungalows), it is set high in the jungle and at the edge of the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. The view from our balcony is stunning... deep jungle, rice fields and a gurgling river below. To get to the center of town, we must walk through the Monkey Forest. It is filled with Balinese macaques, revered as sacred keepers of the forest, who seem ever hopeful to catch a morsel of food from passing tourists.

Rice fields




Nice teeth, buddy!



Monkey Forest river

Alam Indah bungalow	Note above doorframe the Sanskrit symbol !
Monkey Business ??
Jungle view from room
Royal Temple Gate at Ubud

V: Is there anything more fun to observe than big and baby monkeys playing, jumping from branch to branch, grabbing each others' tails, rolling around in a furry ball, then leaping up to a branch and flinging themselves to the next tree?! No, there surely isn't! It's absolutely cool and amazing to 'have to' walk through the monkey forest to get to the village.

A note regarding one of the photos: "Om Swastiastu" is Sanskrit for 'Welcome'. And, as such, welcome signs hang over the doors of buildings. Interesting how that symbol was appropriated by a certain Western European group a while ago.

Ubud is a marvelous cultural and craft center for Bali. So many beautiful jewelry stores, carved wooden crafts vendors, batik cloth and clothing artists, that it is clear to me that we are returning to Bali, if for nothing else but the purchasing of home decor additions. (Hear that, good friend Chuck Soldano, TV personality, designer to the stars? Guess you'll have to join us on the next trip to help us pick out some stuff!)

I am looking forward to a Balinese dance performance that we plan to attend tomorrow eve. Should be quite interesting to watch. Dance classes, art classes, cooking classes are all part of the fabric of the arts scene here. The Balinese people seem to be very pleased to share their traditions with visitors from the world.

A literary note: Some hours of relaxation are well spent just taking in the sights and the sounds as we each sit and read a bit. I finished rereading the madcap comic novel A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, and have started The Fatal Shore, the epic of Australia's founding, by Robert Hughes, as a bit of prep work for our next locale. And crossword puzzles keep me ever so involved.

Karen is immersed in the first volume of William Manchester's biography of Churchill: Winston Spencer Churchill, The Last Lion, Visions of Glory, 1874-1932.

Highlights:
Sips: Storm Beer, brewed in Bali. A craft brew that doesn't taste all that bad, but still needs a little refinement, for a smoother, heartier taste.

Bites: The Wah Wah Restaurant. (Yes, Philly friends, a WahWah exists in Bali!) This place has the funniest, most suggestive drink and dining menus I have ever seen. Long Stiff Cocktails were countered by Limp Cocktails, in the bar. And the menu detailed hilariously the procedure for 'tenderizing' the Waygu meat ... leave that to your imaginations, for decency does curtail the revelation of more of the salacious, suggestive, and hilarious menu listings.

You know that hanging a sign that reads "4 Your Oral Pleasure" just compelled us to pop into the Wah Wah. The food was well prepared, tasty, and well presented. Karen had three Burger Bites with rocket salad, and I had the Triple Cheese Burger with salad and fries. A very reasonably priced Chilean Cabernet was very nice as well. We both were impressed with the vibe, the ambience of the place, and the notion of pairing gourmet burgers with fine wines worked so well. (I know, why burgers and fries? Rice and fish overdosing of late is why.)