From Ubud over the mountain to (the next) paradise

Day 3 of our trip; farewell to Mawa House/Ubud. If the night had been more restful, at least I would have survived today with more actionism.

Our dinner had filled us up well, but with the coolness of the evening, the feeling of hunger set in, and it was strong. Everything closes on Bali at 10 pm, but hey, no problem, let's push through. But sleep didn't come, the coffee and black tea tasting took its toll. Moreover, our nocturnal visitor, small gecko. Two disturbed and hungry women were already considering chasing the gecko; instead, we respectfully kept an eye on it until three in the morning.

Our dear driver Agung Ratmaja (super friendly and helpful, good English- if interested: +62 81 337 337 518; agungtut_ratmaja@yahoo.com), who not only drove us from Ubud to Sambirenteng, but also dropped us off at various hotspots along the way and informed us about the culture, was open-minded and excellently informed. So if you ever have the opportunity to travel with Agung, you will be in good hands. And please ask him about the story with his lover.

First stop on the four-hour journey at 400,000 IDR/person was in Batubulan. We visited the so-called Barong dance (100,000 IDR). In a one-hour music theater, the story of Prince Sadewa, who is to be sacrificed to the goddess of death Batari Durga, is told. The highlight is the fight between Batari Durga's apprentice Kaleka in the form of the witch Rangda and Sadewa in the form of the Barong. The story is entertaining, but can only be understood with the "cheat sheet". The play itself, well "play", is preceded by a 25-minute "dance" introduction by the Barong, which reminded Caro of the Peking Opera and me of Indian puppetry. Let's just say, 25 minutes was long enough. The costumes and setting themselves were enchanting.

Subsequently, at an unknown location, we briefly visited a jewelry workshop, which we left without making a purchase. If you have a local driver, that's somehow part of it; in India, our driver happened to have friends in a carpet or jewelry factory, in Morocco it was tagines or owners of a spice stand in the bazaar. Look diligently, praise a lot, and leave. Unlike in other countries, they let us leave with a friendly smile; overall, the Balinese people have been incredibly friendly and relaxed so far. In between, we witnessed some (mass) cremations of deceased individuals. These can only be burned at certain times, as it brings bad luck otherwise.

Crossing the Batur, along serpentine roads, uphill and downhill, we longed for our destination - the sea. The arrival at 'Alam Anda Resorts' in Sambrienteng compensated for the queasy stomach; a cozy 32 degrees, but very pleasant due to the sea breeze, zero percent humidity, direct beach location, our own bungalow in elegant design, private terrace, well-kept seating area, restaurant, spa, pool, and a small bar on 2 hectares of land. Sambrienteng, as a small fishing village, is absolutely non-touristy and apart from Caro and me, there are only 12 other visitors (surprise, surprise - most of them are German; after all, the owner is German and all the maps and information are also available in German here). So we're living idyllically.

While we sit by the roaring sea, watch the snorkelers, and drink lemonade, we plan our tours and plans for the next few days on-site or in the vicinity before we go to Lombok - Bali's neighboring island - on the 10th of July.