Vagabonding Field Report: The endless visual candy of Ubud, Bali

Cost/day: $50

What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen lately?
While touring a Balinese family’s compound, a thin old man came wandering through the home. He didn’t live there, and he didn’t speak or ask for money. He just stood there, vacant-eyed, with a bag on his back and no shoes on his feet. It was like seeing a ghost. The moment I put my camera in front of him was eerie and beautiful because I didn’t say anything, yet he didn’t move at all.

Describe a typical day:

I wake up to the roosters at sunrise. Life takes a more natural pace here—I don’t feel tired, even though it’s early. I hop on the back of someone’s motorbike and eat an awesome vegetarian breakfast in town. The best food I had was a tempeh lemongrass omelet with a chocolate mango chai latte. And coconuts. Lots of coconuts.

I wander around town a bit, but every day surprises me with something different. One day I biked twenty kilometers around rice paddies; the next day, I did nothing but eat and get a cheap, luxurious massage. I went to a barefoot Sunday morning dance at a yoga studio. I hiked a volcano. I watched a Balinese dance.

Ubud seems neverending in its greenery. It’s like nature and the intricate Hindu architecture have wrapped around each other in a luscious embrace. I can’t look at anything without finding moss, gold, petals, curlicues. I can barely stand to blink, it’s all so beautiful.

Describe an interesting conversation you had with a local:

I hired a guide to lead me up Mt. Batur, an active volcano, for a sunrise hike. The guide was twenty years old and working two jobs while going to school. Despite having to get up at 2:30 in the morning a few days a week, like many of the Balinese I met, he seemed genuinely happy with his life. He had an unshakeable affection for Bali and his culture.

What do you like about where you are? Dislike?

Though I didn’t make it to the beach, Ubud is still one of the most, if not THE most, beautiful place I’ve ever seen. The weather was a perfect 25 degrees Celsius and sunny most of the time. Exotic flowers, verdant jungle and tranquil gardens were ubiquitous.

I didn’t like haggling for everything. I know Southeast Asians enjoy it, but it made me uneasy. I felt I was either getting ripped off or cheating the business owner out of rightful pay. However, I did successfully bargain for a pair of sandals.

Describe a challenge you faced:

Getting around Ubud can be challenging. There are no taxis, and public van-buses are infrequent at best. I decided not to rent a motorbike because 1)I’ve never driven one, and 2) to my surprise, Indonesians drive on the left side of the road—the opposite way I’m used to.

Luckily, hitchhiking is completely normal. I only had to stick out a thumb once or twice. The locals offered me rides for a slightly inflated fee the rest of the time.

What new lesson did you learn?
I learned that finding a place to stay with like-minded people can make a solo trip ten times better. I stayed at a community art house, and every day there was someone new to meet, talk to and pair up with as travel buddies.

Where next?
I’m going to Cambodia to spend two weeks at a meditation retreat. This is the rest and recharge I need after teaching abroad in Korea for a year.