I’ve settled into Bali and bliss has already occurred, but not before a few moments of panic! It took me 24 hours to get to Bali with a layover in Taipei so I was pretty exhausted when I arrived. I’m in Ubud, Bali, the interior of the island and the cultural heart of Bali, surrounded by rice patty fields. When I arrived, I was a bit disappointed because my room was very small, bathroom was dingy but what can I expect for $20? Didn’t sleep well at all and woke up disoriented and don’t even have a clock. It was rough goings in the morning and I was feeling frustrated and wondering if I have made a horrible mistake travelling alone on a backpackers budget of $50/day with two months stretching in front of me. At first, I couldn’t figure out where the free breakfast was (the hotel staff gave me vague directions), it was hot, my new sandals gave me blisters, I didn’t know where to buy water and was parched, on and on.
After breakfast, I wandered down a side street and found another guesthouse for the same price with a much better room/bathroom. So I returned ready to check out and wound up haggling for a massive upgrade and now have an amazing huge deluxe room with air conditioning, beautiful sitting area overlooking the rice patties. Then I found this amazing spa reservation service that will get me discounts anywhere and make all the arrangements. I had a two hour session that included a Balinese massage, scrub of sandalwood/tumeric/rice, detoxification with cool yogurt, and finished off with a bathtub of flowers overlooking rice patties — all for $15! So all is well in the world once again.
The food is delicious and the drinks are so refreshing (watermelon mint juice, ginger lemon squash). The people are very kind and there are offerings everywhere. It really is a magical beginning to my journey. Tonight, I’ll have Thanksgiving dinner with friends from Seattle who happen to be in Ubud as well. I’m loving it so much here that I will likely stay for two weeks, skip Thailand and head to Laos next. Attached are a few photos of me in the flower-filled bathtub, doorway to my room, view from the hotel’s outdoor area.
Sucking the Marrow from Life 