Ubud, Bali

Our plane touched down in Densapar, Bali without a hitch, customs was a breeze, and my driver was waiting with a sea of others holding signs with names. 

The ride to Ubud was a pretty wild ride, also an interesting one. First of all, one must get used to the way people drive here. Who am I to say the steering wheel is on the wrong side, yet it is. One would assume that lanes are reversed. They are, but nobody pays attention. Traffic here is like an intricate weaving at full speed. Minivans, motorbikes, bicycles with or without big cargo loads, and pedestrians are vying for a space, any space, and , boy, do they cut it close! The drivers beep a lot, more to announce intent, almost never out of anger. I am fast developing nerves of steel.

Once out of the city, we drove through streets lined with sculptures. My driver explained that Bali specializes in carving, and they do, in stone, wood, coconuts, horn and skulls. If it can be done, they do it and in the most intricate detail. At one point we passed a pickup truck with a huge frog tied to the top of it and something with wings in the back. It was a kite, I'm told, and flying them is big in Bali. Sometimes there are competitions. If only I had my camera!

Its all about religion here, mostly Hindu. Almost every home has some sort of temple in it, the size having to do with means. Why, I ask. The answer is obvious: to make it easier to worship. Walking down any street in Ubud is an adventure because backyards are not just lawns, but temples, colorful, thatched, red tiled  and adorned to the hilt. This is where the market for all those carvings come in. Statues are everywhere.

One of those statues.

This is the entry to the private temple next door to my homestay.