I really made sure that I have at
least a day off in this trip so I can visit Ubud. I promised myself in my
previous trip that I will definitely stay even for just a day in Ubud! I checked
out of my hotel in Denpasar in the morning and haggled with a cab driver to
take me to Ubud for just 180,000IDR (1USD = 9,600 IDR) for the 1-hr ride.
No more 4-star hotels this time, I
cannot even afford the 30USD price tag of Ubud Bungalows (which was my first
option!) and so I walked around Jl. Monkey Forest Road to look for a decent and
cheap place to stay. No worries, the whole street is just exploding with
options.
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| The small alley across is the entrance to Dewi Ayu. |
It’s only for a night anyways, so
I checked into Dewi Ayu Cottages. They
charge only 150,000IDR for a single fan room. For those with time to while away
in between treks around the village, there is an inviting pool in the middle of
the cottages that you can cool yourself off. My room was unfortunately located
just close to the pool (no choice, they only have 02 rooms left and the other
one is on the upper floor), I can hear all the splashes from the swimmers. No need
to look for AC (unless you really want a cooler room temp) since Ubud cools
down a bit at night.
The good thing about Ubud is
that, you just walk from one end of Jl Monkey Forest till the other end and its
crammed with notable sights, it’s a virtual assault on your senses --- not only
the shops, restos, museums, temples….everything can be found there in just one
strip!
I started off at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary as it is
just a block away from my guesthouse. You pay a 20,000IDR entrance fee before going
in. The place is considered sacred for the Hindus and its main residents are
the cheeky monkeys who roam around the forest and play up for the
camera-clicking tourists.
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| The security guard.....hehehe |
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| Mother & child --- nagsinukay? lol |
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| These two are busy chatting....on top of the temple roof! |
There are 03 notable temples
within its grounds; the most prominent is the Pura Dalem Agung Temple, there is
also the Holy Bathing temple and the Pura Prajapati or cremation temple. I even
had to “rent” out a sarong as I need to cover up my legs if I go around the
temple grounds.
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| Pura Dalem Agung Temple |
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| Pura Dalem Agung Temple |
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| Pura Dalem Agung Temple |
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| Outside the Pura Dalem Agung Temple |
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| Pura Dalem Agung Temple |
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| Pura Dalem Agung Temple |
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| Pura Dalem Agung Temple |
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| Pura
Prajapati or cremation temple |
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| Pura
Prajapati or cremation temple |
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| Pura
Prajapati or cremation temple |
After a hefty lunch, I went to Ubud Market for some souvenirs. Although
I bought some souvenirs already at the massive Krishna Oleh Oleh Store in Kuta,
I still couldn’t resist taking a peek at what Ubud Market has to offer. The market
is a colorful mishmash of everything; vendors sell everything from bags, massage
oils, souvenir masks, to dresses or food items. It can be a little
claustrophobic though. Haggling with a smile is definitely a requirement!
Just in front of the market is
the Puri Saren Agung or the Water
Palace, used to be the palace of the kings of Ubud and they said that even up
to now there are still some family members living in the closed off area. I recognized
the outside courtyard, we also came here for a photo ops when I last visited.
All the next destinations in my
list are all a bit out of town so I negotiated with a cyclo driver to take me
around these places for 150,000IDR. He was very nice and accommodating and a
font of information about the places that we are going to. He made sure that
before we ride off I have to wear my helmet, just to be on the safe side. J
First stop was at Goa Gajah or Elephant Cave (entry fee
is 15,000IDR), this site is already nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It
was already about 3pm when we got there so the tourist population has thinned
out a bit and I was able to walk around the site without bumping into tourists
often. The main attraction in this place is the 9th century cave
with an entrance that looks like a demon’s mouth. There’s nothing much inside
when you go in. Around the complex is a pool with carved stone statues serving
as faucets or water pipes and if you go further, there is a waterfall and a
mini rice field.
Since we were already in the
vicinity of Banjar Batulumbang, I asked the driver if we can head on to Yeh Pulu. I have no idea really what it
is about but I read about it my guide book. We had to walk a little bit and
passed through rice fields which are ripe for harvesting (reminded me of home!)
and came through a little clearing. Yeh Pulu is a complex of rock carvings
dating back to the 14th century. Good thing my driver also doubled up as guide and explained the importance of the places that we visited.
It was already almost 5:30pm and
after another 30 minutes ride to Tampaksiring, we arrived at Gunung Kawi
or Poet’s Mountain. Going down is a bit steep, my legs were a bit
wobbly after being on the cyclo for more than 2 hours interspersed with a lot
of walking. The scenery though was pretty, golden colored ricefields, small
streams snaking through and converging in a small river.
Gunung Kawi dates back to the 11th
century when it was used as burial complex of King Anak Wungsu and his wives
and concubines. When I went into the central complex, it was very quiet and
solemn with just the sound of the nearby river accompanying you.
The climb back was torture! I just
cannot put one leg in front of the other anymore. I’m done.
But the tourist in me will not
give up! I still need to tick off one more item in my itinerary --- Tirta Empul. My driver was a bit
concerned now and keeps on asking me if I am still okay. Considered as one of
the holiest temples in Bali, the place was teeming with devotees and since it
was a Sunday, whole families came in droves.
It is believed by the local
Balinese that if they come here and took a bath in its holy waters then they
get purified and cleansed spiritually. The entrance for foreigners was supposed
to be 15,000IDR but my driver told me to just keep my mouth shut and my head
down and not to look at the guards so they will think I’m a local. Hehehe
It was a bit cooler when we rode
off from Tirta Empul. It was already around 7:30pm when we finally arrived back
in Ubud. I suddenly finally felt all the aches and abuses in my body. I went
looking for a spa (and since the whole street is littered with them, you can
take your pick!) and ended up staying there for almost 3 hours!
I just made up excuses so I can
sleep off in the massage bed, first it was a 1-hr Balinese massage then I asked
for another 1-hr foot massage/reflexology then another 30minutes pedicure. When
I looked out, I was the only one left in the spa. They close down at 10pm. Hahaha
It was a lovely day and I would love to come back again and explore Ubud more.
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