Bali: The rumors seem true

Where Taman Negara definitely fulfilled our expectations for a dense jungle, Bali feels like a beautiful, well-tended tropical garden. Here is where we had lunch upon arrival in Ubud:

We sat side-by-side on cushons at a long wooden table, directly in front of this pool covered in lilly-pads.

And here is our homestay from the first night (outside the family compound):

Jen in front of our room...

These were not very carefully chosen shots. Everything in Ubud is lush and beautiful. There are flowers, coconut trees, and ornate stonework everywhere.

As we walked the streets, I was excited to find what looked like a temple from its decorated stone walls and statues. It turns out that it was just a normal family compound. On every street there are at least a few such walled compounds which all look like exotic temples. Here is another pretty average entrance.

Remember: they all look like this. It's pretty amazing. The streets are narrow, and with the exception of a few main tourist thoroughfairs, fairly quiet. Here's what the street looks like right outside our homestay:

For you chess fans out there, we also found the Ubud chess club, one street over (though it seemed to be closed when we walked past).

The food has also been excellent. We've been eating a lot of vegetable, tofu, and tempe curries. A delicious meal and a fresh fruit juice is about $1.50, so we've felt very spoilt.

We went on a 2-hour hike out of Ubud, along a ridge next to the small river canyon (there are many rivers that run north-south through Bali). Here's a good shot of the edge of Ubud in the distance.

Futher along we got into the rice paddies.

Tomorrow, we move to a different homestay--with a Balinese music teacher! I can take lessons in Balinese drum, or any of the Gamelan instruments for $8/hour, so you'll likely hear more about that as well.