Sari Organik Restaurant... a must see in Ubud!

I would never normally do an entire blog post about a restaurant, but holy schmolies... this place NEEDS it's own blog post!  Thanks to Lonely Planet, we navigated through 20 minutes of paths leading through rice fields to this gem of a restaurant, set right smack dab in the middle of rice fields as far as the eye can see in every direction!

So, here's how you get there.  Go west on Jalan Raya Road and look for these signs on the right... It's the last turn in before Jalan Raya Road starts going downhill.  Turn here! 

If you're on a scooter, you can technically scooter down the pathway all the way to Sari Organik, but it's NARROW and drops off on either side into muddy pools of rice, and if you're staying for the sunset you'll also be scootering back in the dark!  So, I'd recommend parking the scooter and walking. Besides, that way you can enjoy these stunning views along your 20 minute walk!

Feel free to stop and take a picture making a heart with your guy/girl in the shadow.  And no need to be embarrassed... There's no one else around! :)  #low season

After walking through the rice fields for about 15 minutes, you'll notice small stands of handicrafts, painting, sarongs, etc... and adorable little kids who hang out there with their parents while they work.  Beware, they'll try and snag your camera to take their own pictures!  #Self photo!  Such a schmooch.

It'll feel like you're walking too far, but keep going.  You'll eventually find it.  Just look for this sign on your left.

Ahhh, we made it!

After stepping over this big fatty first, of course!

Can you believe these views?!

We found our little table for two with a front row seat to watch the sunset...

... while we feasted on delicious $4.00 organik vegetable quiche, soup and salad (all veggies are grown in their garden.  You can actually go out and pick your own veggies if you want to.)...

... and a delicious $4.00 burrito and salad!

Talk about FRESH juice!  They'll chop a coconut for ya if you want some fresh coconut juice!

Speaking of coconuts... As we were walking to the restaurant, I caught this guy climbing to the top of this coconut tree to chop down his own coconuts! 

We could have stayed here forever, but alas, we decided to make the 20 minute trek back to the scooter before the sun went completely down. 

 If you're ever in Ubud, please, please, please treat yourself to this awesome place!  You'll thank me later. :)

Cafe's, Rice Terraces, Temples and more Monkeys!

It's another lovely day in Ubud... blue skies, warm air, just the right amount of wind to cool you off!  We had breakfast at the hotel and then scooted over to Juice Ja Cafe for some fresh squeezed juice! 

We had to make sure not to step on today's offering, which was right at the front steps!

Hindu's place these palm frond baskets offerings filled with flowers and rice on any and everything in their home, or shop, that they want their god or ancestors to watch over for them that day, even the outdoor water faucet.  I saw one of these offerings onto of a box of cookies at the supermarket yesterday!  Whoever was doing the offerings that day must really like cookies! lol

 After we had had our fill of juice, we jumped on the scooter and headed North, in search of Goa Gajah, which we quickly found out, after asking some of the locals, was in the complete opposite direction.  Thanks google maps.  Good news for us is there was another temple we wanted to see up north, so we went in that direction instead and scooted right past these gorgeous rice terraces, which we had to stop and see!

 Turns out, the area is called Tegallalang (5kms north of Ubud) and is one of the best rice terrace views around!  Lucky for us, we just happened upon it.

Next stop: Pura Gunung Kawi Temple

In Indonesia, you can't enter a temple without wearing a sarong!  I guess it's like Southern churches in America and their rule about wearing suits and dresses.  Regardless, Aaron loves this tradition! *Insert sarcasm here!

...and girls, if it's your "special time of the month", you're gonna have to stay in the parking lot!  lol

 It took us about 30-45 minutes to scoot back over to Ubud, but the views along the drive were stunning!

Indonesians are serious artists and wood carving is one of their specialties!  Around the temple area, we would see tiny shop after tiny shop with people carving animals, Hindu gods, decorations, etc... Then as you get closer and closer to ubud, the carving shops are replaced with retail shops where the carvings are actually being sold.  I love that it's LOCAL!

 We went back to the Monkey Forest today to get another look at those crazy monkeys!  I wasn't quite as skiddish this time.  Dino really freaked me out when he leapt at me from the tree on Lembongan.  It gave me a whole new fear of monkeys, so I knew I needed to toughen up and not be such a baby!

Speaking of babies!  This was the teeniest, tiniest baby monkey!  

There's a little pathway in the forest that leads down to a stunning ravine.

... and the trees here are GINORMOUS!

But, really, the monkey forest isn't about the ravine or the trees, it's about these little schmooches!

Dinner was spent at "the cheapest restaurant in Ubud", at least that's what it says on their sign!  Cheap prices doesn't always mean bad food though.  My $2 curry was great!  

Next stop was, no surprise, Juice Ja Cafe, our favorite!  BTW: It's humid around here and we're constantly covered in sweat (or glow!) and I'm breaking out like a middle school girl all over again!  ugh

Hope tomorrow's just as exciting and adventurous as today was!