Arrived in Ubud

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After two days in the touristy frenzy of Kuta, we took a shuttle bus to Ubud, the "cultural center" of Bali. It's a relief to be here in many respects... a slower pace, wider streets, cooler climate (although still hot and sweaty), and different scenery. There are dances and shows every night, and accomodating hosts at the hotels- who will get you anything and everything you need. It's a bit strange how western the main streets of Ubud are though- filled with expensive shops like Ralph Lauren, Polo, Dolce & Gabana (I don't even know how to spell fancy brands like that..) I guess they're truly multi-cultural here, and they want to include 5th Avenue in their repertoire.

We arrived in a downpour, and as usual, someone on the street led us straight down a brick footpath to a cute and cheap little bungalow, with a HUGE bed and a hot shower, and my favorite, a little fishy pond with a tiny footbridge over it.

Last night we saw a performance of Kecak- which is monkey chanting, (lots of men in a circle chanting and singing and swaying in unison and in complex rhythms and layers) and Balinese dance. The costumes are impressive, and the dance is quite graceful.

We spent today searching for the "perfect hotel", and turned up a spacious 2-room place with a roof-top temple, grassy grounds for playing with our acrobatics and hoops, and even a small kitchenette (refridgerator and range). All for about $9/night. Wow. Thank you, exchange rate. We booked a week there, so we can take the time to explore Ubud, and figure out if we want to stay here, or perhaps head east to the coast and Lombok.