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!