Bali

PHOTO ALBUM HERE
After KL, we flew off to Bali with my sister's family six children for week of luxury in Ubud and Denpasar. Ubud was everything you'd expect from Bali guide books, beautiful beyond belief and HOT and sticky. (keep those last three words in mind because I will use them over and over again) Our Ubud resort Alam Jiwa was perfect! Our suite was on the 2nd floor and overlooked the rice fields, coconut trees and a soothing running river. Our open terrace was a playground for butterflies and birds that enjoyed zig zagging in and out of our suite. We had an open shower and the spout pour out of a statue of a voluptuous Balinese Goddess. The staff was courteous and friendly and the food amazing!

We spent the next few days riding bikes through the town, window shopping and admiring the local crafts (ornately carved furniture and pottery), feasting with a local Balinese family at their multi-generational home, feeding the monkeys in the monkey-forest, swimming at the hotel, dining at local markets, visiting and helping harvest rice with the locals and even cruising the countryside on a motorbike. we really packed it in.

We kept hearing the buzz that Julia Roberts was in town filming "EAT LOVE PRAY". We never saw her but the locals were quite excited about the American actress in town. They don't have much but boy they love their American movies.

In Denpasar, we rented a private five bedroom villa and spend a few days relaxing in the pool and at the beach. While Denpasar is cooler than Ubud, it's not as traditional and more touristy. The kids liked Denpasar because there's a cool waterpark, which we took advantage of. But personally, I could've spent the whole week in Ubud. There's a certain humility and mysticism I felt there, a connection to nature and to tradition. The Balinese way of life and beliefs are something to be respected and admired. It's in their blood and lives and there's a certain special peace I felt there