bali, indonesia: ubud.

I haven’t been updating my blog very frequently, and although the contents of this post are in the past, I’d still like to share some photos and journal entries from one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever traveled in Southeast Asia. During my weeklong holiday in Bali, Indonesia I spent some time near the center of the island in a little village called Ubud. The moment my rickety old bus arrived in this laid-back town situated in the middle of rice paddies that stretch on as far as the eye can see in every direction, I knew I was somewhere incredible. In Ubud monkeys roam freely…. they jump across rooftops, eat leftover prayer offerings in front of homes and stores, and eagerly wait for willing tourists to feed them in the Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Women dress in traditional sarongs with a single white strip of cloth tied across their foreheads. Men navigate the roads by moped while wearing Balinese wraps around their waist and bandana-like cloth piled on their heads. Cafés, massage parlors, temples, and souvenir shops line the streets. The entire place is rich with culture and beauty. I’ve always heard that in Ubud you need a new adjective to describe the word green, and I found that to be true. The rice paddies and trees and plants surrounding the village seemed to explode into every imaginable shade in the spectrum. I have never seen a place so beautiful and exotic. The few days I spent in Ubud were some of the most relaxing and peaceful I’ve ever experienced. I already look forward to returning one day.


balinese boys posing for a photo.


hard at work in the rice paddies.


one of hundreds.

“Ubud. There are no words to adequately describe the beauty of this place. I woke up this morning in a quiet cottage surrounded by lush vegetation and rice paddies. I ate banana pancakes by the hotel pool, and now I am laying here just enjoying the morning. I don’t want to move. I don’t want to read. I don’t even want to meet other tourists. I just want to lay here next to flowers and fountains and soak up every ounce of my surroundings. I have landed in a village of fairy tales. This moment can’t be real. Last night after eating dinner at a street side café I watched a traditional Balinese Kecak dance performed at a nearby temple. It was fascinating to hear dozens of men make music with only their lips…a kind of clicking sound. Ornately dressed men and women danced around a central fire while acting out a story passed on through the generations. An incredible night.

It’s afternoon now and I can easily say that this has been one of the most unique and interesting days of my life. I decided to take a walk this morning through some of the nearby rice fields, and unable to follow a map, ended up in a village far away from Ubud. I have no idea where I was, but ended up making friends with a nice Balinese guy about my age who was working at his family’s art gallery. After talking for a while, I boldly asked if he’d be willing to take me to explore the rice paddies. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the last 2 hours. Right now I am sitting on the ledge of what must be one of the most spectacular places on the island- and maybe in the world. Terraced rice paddies fill the valley below, palm trees stretch into the sky, and men with baskets hanging on poles across their shoulders work in the fields. Green. Everything is green. I can’t get enough of this place. This morning I woke up without a plan for the day, and now I am here. Travel always brings the most unexpected moments. I love the people that you meet along the way and the kind natives who are eager to share their country. Today I can’t stop smiling. I am so thankful.” – July 31, 2008


terraced rice paddies.


monkey forest sanctuary.


my hotel pool. paradise.

“CONTENTMENT. It’s the only word that does justice to my feelings now. How can anyone ever return to “normal” life after experiencing a place like Bali? I’ve only been in Ubud for 2 days, but they have been some of the most incredible I’ve ever experienced. I’ve spent mornings tanning by a pool set in a lush garden, an afternoon whizzing through rice fields and villages on the back of a moped, an evening getting a relaxing massage, and a night watching Balinese dances at historic temples. It doesn’t seem fair that one person should be allowed to experience so much joy. I feel on top of the world now. Last night I saw a traditional trance dance at the Ubud Palace in the center of town. The performance was incredible…a photographers dream. The men and women were all so ornately dressed in layers and layers of decorative silks and jewels. Their faces were covered in outrageous make-up. And their eyes… I’ve never seen eyes move so quickly or express so much emotion. I will never find the right worlds to tell my family and friends about this place. My dreams have come true here.” – August 1, 2008


traditional balinese dance.


trance dance at ubud palace.


kecak dance. (press the play button in the middle of the picture)

bali, indonesia: kuta beach.

During my vacation to Southeast Asia I spent only 24 hours in Malaysia and then boarded a plane for Indonesia. As soon as I arrived at the airport in Bali I took a cab to my hotel on Poppies Lane II, threw down bags, and began to explore the area around Kuta Beach. It only took a few hours to appreciate the rich culture, beauty, and simplicity of the island. The next 3 days were spent lying in the sun, learning to surf, riding a moped along the coastline, shopping in alleyways lined with souvenirs, hanging out with Paul, reading books by the pool, enjoying western food at fancy restaurants, and exploring the city. I found that there are no dull moments in paradise.


this is what $20 a night will get you in indonesia.


the view from my hotel balcony and the place i ate banana pancakes every morning.

“I woke up fairly early this morning in a spacious hotel room with a balcony over-looking wing-tipped Balinese rooftops. I now feel rested and re-energized and ready to enjoy my surroundings. Everything is so beautiful here…the sky, the ocean, the people, the sounds. It’s too much to take in. I must be dreaming. This morning I sat on an oversized futon full of pillows at a street side café, drank rich balinese coffee, ate eggs and bacon, and watched the surfers tackle the morning waves. It’s easy to understand why so many people travel to Bali every year, and why many of them choose to never leave. The laid-back feel of this place is intoxicating. After breakfast I met up with Paul, a friend from Seoul who is also vacationing in Bali. We rented a moped and spent a couple of hours driving along the coastline to Seminyak and Legian. It felt amazing to whiz through neighborhoods and back streets lined with locally owned shops and restaurants and to see people in a more natural environment. This whole island seems to move so slowly. The culture shines through in everyday life. Outside of nearly every home and shop are prayer-offerings left for gods carefully crafted out of bamboo leaves and flowers. Temples are around nearly every corner. Tanned children play and run barefoot in the street. It doesn’t seem possible that a place like Bali can exist on the same earth as a fast-paced, consumer driven city like Manhattan or Tokyo. After our moped ride Paul and I ate dinner at a fancy, western-owned nightclub/outdoor restaurant and watched the sunset over the ocean. Following a meal of pasta and swordfish we enjoyed an hour-long foot massage that set us back $4. Now I am once again in my hotel room…clean, relaxed, and ready for bed. I love knowing that tomorrow when I wake up I will still be in paradise.” –July 28, 2008


kuta beach.


riding the waves.


packing up the boards for the day.


relaxing at sunset.


one of hundreds of women trying to sell junk on the beach.


bali is a surfer's paradise.

“It’s another simply perfect day on one of the world’s most beautiful islands. Nowhere to be and nothing to do. I spent a bit of time laying on the beach this morning and after feeling sufficiently tan for the day I wandered around Poppies Lane I in search of new dresses and postcards to send home. I am in Bali, Indonesia now. It’s still hard to believe. I am so far from home (both Texas and Korea) and I feel so perfectly content and happy. I just finished drinking a fruit smoothie made with pineapples, mangoes, and papayas and eating a chicken sandwich. I’m sitting on oversized cushions only feet away from the ocean. This place is pure bliss…I can’t say it enough. I don’t even know what to do with myself now. Take a nap? Read a book? Grab a cup of coffee? I love that these are the most difficult decisions that I face today. It’s only 4 pm now but already the sun is hanging lower in the sky. Life is moving more slowly as the day comes to an end. Just another day in paradise…”
–July 29, 2008

Next stop: Ubud, Indonesia

thoughts from a balcony in bali.

Journal entry from July 29,2008- 9 am

A beautiful start to a new day. I'm sitting out on the balcony of my hotel room now. I just finished eating a banana pancake and fresh papaya and mangoes.I still have half a pot of thick, dark coffee beside me and I intend to sit here until it's finished. A young girl just placed a prayer offering near the statue in the garden area down below- I wonder what these offerings symbolize. The sky is full of white, fluffy clouds and the blue sky hasn't yet broken through. I love the view from here. As far as I can see in every direction there are orange and red and brown tiled Balinese rooftops. The top of each is decorated with ornate designs that sit upright like a crown on a king's head. There are trees everywhere- some with fruit, some with with blooming tropical flowers, some that stretch their palm leaves high into the air. A child just walked through the courtyard in the house next door. The family's clothes are hanging out to dry and they move back and forth in the morning breeze. I wonder what it's like to grow up in Bali surrounded by tourists and in a place that feels like summer everyday. I've only been here for 2 days, but already I understand why so many expats choose to call this place home. It's as close to perfection as I've ever seen. I am so thankful to be here...away from the fast-paced life of Seoul. I work in Korea, but I have come to Bali to live. To soak up life. To reflect. Sometimes I still don't understand why so many people choose to go through life without experiencing places like Indonesia, southern Thailand, Laos, etc. for themselves. I am bursting with happiness now. I am filled with contentment. There is nowhere in the world I'd rather be than on this Balinese balcony.

bali bound.

Tomorrow morning at 9 am I'm leaving the Korean peninsula and boarding a plane to Southeast Asia! I'm so excited about spending the next few days laying on the beaches of Bali, Indonesia, soaking up the sunshine, getting daily massages, meeting new people, and trying to capture Balinese culture in photographs. It's my first solo-vacation and I'm a bit nervous, but mostly excited, about heading out into a new place on my own. Check back in a few weeks for photographs and stories from my travels!

Random photos of where I'll be for the next 8 days. Be jealous...