A Day In Ubud

We wouldn't have headed up to Ubud except that the girlfriend had asked me to look for a table made of treated teak from a single piece of solid wood, and the man wanted to take a look around. It was a wet day. A steady drizzle followed us around, but it didn't dampen the spirits (pun not intended).

I found some ideal pieces. I took a couple of photos and sat down at a cafe to skype it over to her. A short and quick discussion ensued, resulting in a decision to purchase a specific piece. So I sorted out the shipping arrangements and everything, sternly reminding her that in her part of the world, she ought to oil that teak table each quarter of the year. Her house is filled with humidifiers, so the dryness in the climate shouldn't pose too much of a problem.

Once the errands were done, we broke for lunch, avoiding Ibu Oka (since the man groaned and swore he had hit the babi quota for 2010) and went round the corner to the super touristy Bebek Bengil for their bebek tutu. I didn't care about the duck, but the man liked it. He marvelled at how lean it was. I didn't mind the vegetable curry at all. Over lunch, we had a casual chat with our guide to learn a little more about how the Balinese way of life is now and the state of the tourism industry now vis-à-vis narrow roads and perennial traffic jams. If you're into sightseeing and traipsing across Bali instead of staying in one area, you'd be peeved with the state of the traffic on the roads in about 72 hours. Also, we learnt from our guide that a pack of Dunhill Lights in Bali cost just RP12,000.

The man wanted to check out Alila Ubud because his colleague told him about its beautiful pool. He wanted to see that. So we went there for a foot rub and ginger tea after. I hung out at this resort in April. A long time ago, I stayed there for weeks when it was known as 'The Chedi'. The rooms are now old, but still quite well maintained. No tv though. The newest additions of the pool villas are really quite lovely, with all the extra comforts and trimmings similar to our villas on this current trip.

Avoiding Mozaic (already went by!) and Seminyak, we rounded up the day with a light seafood dinner at Ju Ma Na, which was definitely a better experience than the nonsense at the row of seafood restaurants at Jimbaran Bay and Kedonganan Beach. It wasn't just about the more sophisticated ambience. The food was superbly fresh and very delicately presented.