Ubud

Nyoman drove Chad and I up the windy, chaotic jungle road, teaming with motorbikes and small cars - none of whom seem too interested in western-style rules of the road. During the hour plus drive from the airport in Denpasar to Ubud, I tried not to let my eyes bug out too wide, or white knuckle the seats too hard. I knew I'd eventually get used to the flow of traffic, and I knew Nyoman was a pro. I just focused on conversation best I could.

Chad has been living in Ubud for a couple of months now. His girlfriend Cara has been coming here for years to design and manufacture women's clothing and jewelry. Bali has an abundance of skilled tailors, and Ubud is a relaxing and relatively inexpensive place to focus on a creative business.

Chad came out with her this year and took this opportunity to try his hand at some creative endeavors of his own during their four month stay.

They have a community of friends in the area, and Chad began to rattle off everything that was going on in town in the coming days. I never imagined having a social schedule out here. It's a little like being at home.

A few days before I arrived, Chad had told me he found a nice place in town I might like to stay. At 300,000 Rupiah per night (about $30 USD), it was a bit steep for my budget, but made for a nice soft landing without having to trudge around in the heat looking for a place. So I asked him to book two nights.


I was glad I did, because I kind of fell in love with the place as soon as we arrived. It is one of two brand new small villas behind the Wardani's restaurant in the middle of downtown Ubud. But even though it is downtown, it opens onto a couple acres of traditional rice paddies with a jungle river behind it. It's stylish with Balinese handmade wooden furniture including a comfy outdoor setee over a private wading pool.

It was much more than I expected. When I'm in Southeast Asia, I'm accustomed to far more basic accomodation. But I certainly didn't mind living like Puff Daddy for a couple days at least.

The next few days I got my proverbial feet wet on the island. Many visitors to Bali choose towns like Kuta Beach or Seminyak. I had heard that these places were a little too spring break for my taste. Ubud, although still overrun with tourists, is the arts and cultural center of Bali, and about an hour inland from the beach. That itself is a departure for me since I'm a bit of a beachcomber by nature.

Even Ubud was bigger and busier than I expected, at least a few square miles. The roads are tiny and lined with boutique after art gallery after dance theatre. Although tiny, the roads are also packed with too-big-for-town tour buses, motorbikes, vans, and taxis. The traffic during the day can be maddening, but for only about $3-5 per day, you can rent a motorbike and weave through it pretty easily.

I tried to do a walk around town one day to check out the shops, but the heat and humidity made that a one-day-only endeavor. Now I see why the villa has a wading pool. You have to wash that sweat off at least three times a day or be unfit for human companionship.

The first evening in town I had two other firsts. After eating a nice fish dinner with some of my new found friends, the sky opened up and I saw what the rainy season in Bali is all about. First a couple of drizzle drops, then a couple bigger drops, and within a few seconds, buckets of rain make you grateful that you have comfortable shelter. Next first? Cara asked me to ride her motorbike back to my villa in the rain so she could ride with Chad to a late-night party I was far too jet lagged to attend. I had only ridden a bike like this once before about three years ago, and it was daytime, and dry, with sparse traffic. But I made it. And it gave me the confidence to rent one for myself.

Honestly, I didn't know it was rainy season when I made plans to come here. With powerful geographical ignorance, I made the laughable assumption that, since Bali is close to South Thailand, it must be sunny and beautiful during February. But it's not really that close. It's at least a three hour plane ride. That's further than Seattle is from Los Angeles. And those climates aren't remotely similar. It was only when I checked the weather when I was packing for my trip that I realized how much rain I might be in for.

It actually didn't turn out to be a big deal though. Each day would generally start out pretty sunny, and then cloud up later in the afternoon. Every couple of days there would be an hour of hard rain and then it would be over for the day. It's the reason this place is so green and lush and beautiful. It's part of the personality of the place - like the fog in San Francisco.

I could do without the traffic and the constant touting of taxi drivers. You can't really walk fifty yards without hearing "Taxi Boss?" But aside from that, this town has a really nice hospitable energy. The locals take great pride, not only in the tourist areas, but also in their own homes and villages. Even the lower income areas are nicely kept and landscaped. Twice a day, everyone lays out cute little flowery offerings and incense around their homes and even in the roads. The culture is present and true, even among the distraction of all the foreigners in their town.

It's peaceful and warm. I think I'll like it here.