Day 4+5 in Ubud, Bali

Our last two days in Ubud were a good mix of relaxing by the pool, exploring the city, and sightseeing.

Our driver Pompi, who took us to the various destinations, was truly worth every single one of the 400,000 Rupiah (26 Euros). Hotels and travel companies warn against these illegal drivers, claiming that they scam tourists and do sales tours, blah blah blah. We've encountered this issue in Sri Lanka as well, strangely enough all our organs are still intact and we still haven't become large landowners. Or maybe it's because these drivers only charge half the price?

Either way, Pompi told us a lot about himself, the places we visited, Balinese culture, and the different attractions. He didn't mind taking the occasional extended smoke break either. Towards the end, he became a bit sentimental when discussing the future of Bali. Bali is gradually being bought up by Chinese investors, just like what's happening in many other Asian countries. He's very sure that the island's image will deteriorate in the coming years. Let's hope not! But at least we agreed before this discussion on which group of people deserves the biggest portion of blame. Good man!

We also visited the Tegalalang Rice Fields outside of Ubud. It was quite beautiful there, and the fact that there were very few people at lunchtime was a good idea. It was just a bit hot. After climbing down, up again on the other side, down again, and up again to our car, Maren had sweat on her forehead and back. That means something! I was drenched, so swimming trunks and a towel would have been a good choice for me. But it was cool!

Another stop was Pura Tirta Empul. It is one of Bali's most important temple complexes, and a special one at that. The temple's water comes from a sacred spring, and every day devout Hindus cleanse themselves under the various fountains to free themselves from diseases and difficulties.

Of course, we were there at the wrong time. There were many Western tourists, mainly women who seem to do anything here in Bali to achieve enlightenment, healing, or get closer to themselves. They frolicked under the fountains, and many cameras and selfie sticks were used. Personally, I have nothing against selfie sticks, but I wonder how the devout Hindus feel about it. But well, to each their own.

Next stop was Gunung Kawi, and finally, hundreds of stairs again. The shrines carved into the rock niches were pretty cool to look at. This time, we were there at a better time when there weren't as many tourists, and only locals were bringing their offerings.

We also took a closer look at Ubud. We strolled through the city for a few hours and found a great Italian place. After a few days of Asian food, a very good stone-oven pizza and delicious spaghetti provided a nice change. We also finally managed to find some bargains while shopping.

Now we're off to Amed. Five days in the jungle are enough. Finally back to the sea, and we're told there will be fewer people. But that doesn't mean our stay was bad, on the contrary. I still chuckle at the numerous negative reviews of the hotel. Some people just don't get it anymore. It might happen that a gecko walks over your face at night, fireflies blind you as you fall asleep, or ants build a road from the balcony into your bedroom (okay, maybe I'm not completely innocent). If you choose to live in the middle of the forest, you should be more concerned if these things don't happen.