Ubud, Indonesia

Ubud is the earthy, arty city in Indonesia, or so its said. There are so many shops offering items related to yoga, massages, vegan warungs (restaurants), clothing stores geared to the hip and so on. There are millions of homestays available aside from the hotels that are closer to where the monkey forest is. I was in an older neighborhood and quite enamored before I saw the modern side of the city which is infinitely less interesting. The roosters on my street crow about 4:00 am, the patio is being swept at 6:00 am, and breakfast is served when I get up. Imagine all that new-age stuff and in the midst of it all, there are chickens, stray dogs and lots of litter. Still, I like Ubud.

Ubud Street Scene

Cadang

Every morning people lay out little palm offerings, cadang, like small trays, with some sort of dried plant matter, flower petals, fresh yellow flowers with a strong scent, and a food offering, perhaps a cracker. They are in doorways, on steps, on autos, motor scooters, in the arms of statues...they are everywhere. I've been watching the lady make them in the office-store at my losman and people stop in to buy them day in and day out. New offerings are laid out daily but the old ones don't seem to get picked, giving the town a look of chronic litter. There was a special day for vehicles and people really went all out decorating their rides. It is amazing the shape and form given to that one material, the palm frond. On my last day, I went by a temple full of women working at tables in all stages of making them while the men lined both sides of the street stripping and splitting bamboo, making screens, weaving palm baskets. I was told there will be a special cremation ceremony in September and they are preparing for it. 

Decorated Scooter for Special Day

Across from my patio there is a little space made up to be a studio where the family grandfather paints off and on all day. Being from an art background, I couldn't resist striking up a conversation. I showed him my trip diary drawings and he shared with me a folder of his sketches. He paints stories from the Hindu tradition in intricate detail with many graceful figures and an amazing amount of detail. His grandson who, at ten years old, already speaks several languages served as our interpreter. I learned that the painter had been a headmaster who was well rated and didn't really take up art until he retired. 

Grandfather and Paintings

I've had a few adventures with food in Ubud. I had a tamarind-ginger-lemon drink at the warung up the street. It had sludge in the bottom that had to be stirred regularly and was served with a sugar syrup to sweeten it. Strong, strong but pretty good in an interesting way. I am actually in love with the lemon grass tea from the other street as well as lemon grass ice cream. I saw a man cutting something rolled up with scissors and asked if I could buy some. I got a waxed brown paper cone with some of those slices served with a bean sauce with little red beans in it. It was great. At the market I bought a variety of palm-wrapped or coned items that turned out to be rice and coconut sweets. My painter friend saw me with those and said, "ah, you eat Balinese." I think that is to be taken as approval.

Breakfast at Demank House Homestay

Leaving Ubud, the shuttle took us through the same carving area I saw the night I flew in. Yes, lots of statues and carvings, my eyes did not deceive me. I notice that many of  them are cast of ferro cement, or something similar. I don't know if that's cheating or not.