Soaking Up Ubud

Sitting under my bungalow porch watching a tropical rain cool down the day after getting a massage. I can see why most of my friends never made it out of the Ubud area. My intention was to cruise around the island, but it's pretty unbeatable right here. It has only taken me half a day to decide to make this home base and do day trips to the beach and volcanos without a backpack strapped on.

After breakfast I headed out on foot to walk the town. If the physical beauty of this place is not art enough, every other storefront is a gallery, art studio, or museum and it's not just the same type of piece replicated to be sold to tourists. Styles have a wide range and variety including batik, clothing, beaded pottery, woodcarving, and statues that fill every corner and crown each hilltop.

I walked down through winding ravines, over bridges that cross thin deep gorges, up and down twisting hills. The topography here is magnificent, embellished by lovely gardening and carved out by running water. And can I take any more pictures of terraced rice paddies? Maybe it's a coming-from-Colorado-thing? Mesmerized by so much water and vast shades of green.

To put the icing on the cake of Ubud, the Ubudians are super friendly. Their smiles and hi-how-are-yous feel genuine and mellow and are not coming from people selling anything. Actually, I dislike frosting - folks in Ubud are the yummy crust crumbs that make that last bit perfect.

Location:Ubud Bali