Bali 2017: Street Shots

Taken around where we stayed, a quiet boutique hotel surrounded by some locals and their rice fields, complete with the crowing rooster at 5am.

 

And finally… probably the only shot I got of Ubud Central:

I’ve heard a lot about Ubud before coming, and friends who visited before largely told me that it’s spiritual place, probably something I’d like and find aligned to my tastes. My personal experience of Ubud is that while it does have its charm, my tourist radar could not stop going off during the trip and I just got the feeling that we were simply doing what every other tourist would do. In that sense the experience becomes lightly less authentic and unique to us.

Maybe that is the price to pay for Earth becoming a global village.

So that’s a wrap for Bali 2017:)

Bali 2017: Tanah Lot Temple

No shortage of tourists here, but what else can we expect with one of Bali’s most famous temples?

It was meant to be a sunset stop too, but given the amount cloud cover in the sky that day, and the earlier drizzles, the prognosis did not look good. And so we opted for an early return to Ubud instead. It was actually a relief to have a quiet dinner together after all that shoulder-brushing with people!

 

 

Bali 2017: Ulun Danu Bratan Temple

I can only imagine how breathtaking it would be to catch the sunrise or sunset here, over the lake. Unfortunately with the mother’s well-being in mind I was not going to arrange for us to wake up at 3am. And so we reached at the rather reasonable, earthly hour of close-to-lunchtime. And of course there were other tourists. One simply makes the best of such situations 🙂

 

Golden Hour Rainbow

The golden hour, made perfect with a rainbow.

“Nothing in this universe is accidental, not even creation. If it were, the whole universe would be chaotic. But the inherent order in nature and its extraordinary beauty indicate that behind the workings of the universe are an expansive heart and an intellectual power that the human mind can never fathom.” – source

Joseon Korea: ACM Exhibition

Quiet and peaceful Saturdays filled with walks through relatively silent museums – the best kind.

Life is the Heart of the Rainbow

Polka dots, mirrors, polka dots, mirrors.

It’s amazing how she can say so much while repeating so much.

 

 

Camellia Tea Ceremony

An hour inside a Japanese space with green tea, explanation and observing of the tea ceremony, and getting some zen insights. Enjoyed the delectable traditional sweet the most.

Wonder Cafe

This was not planned at all – it was purely a google search during lunch time and hungry stomachs that brought us here. And what an experience it was!

As all the reviews say, the toilet is out of this world. Go google the pictures. I didn’t bring my camera to the bathroom.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

The highlight of Arashiyama. Again with not so beautiful crowds – overheard another tourist say to another, later in the day, that she was there at 7.30AM and there was almost no one. Sounds worth it to me!

Tenryū-ji

Day at Arashiyama started with a visit to Tenryū-ji. Beautiful grounds. Not-so-beautiful crowds.

Would love to view it in Autumn..