Mulloskeys Adventures Abroad

Time is of the essence so another condensed BLOG post is before your eyes. Little text but a lot of pictures.. Some of the best yet. 5 days will be condensed into 2 Bali posts. Here is the first.

In the middle of the island is a small town called Ubud. It boasts a thriving art community and a sacred monkey forest. Since you can rent a jeep for the day for $15 we decided there was no better way to get there. As if driving on the opposite side of the road, in the opposite side of the care and driving stick with your left hand isn’t hard enough. Add crazy moto traffic and complete lack of street signs to boot. It took us a little longer to get there than planned but as they say .. the road less traveled and all that.

The first stop was the sacred monkey forest. Here, an ancient temple was abandoned centuries ago during a volcanic eruption. Over time, it was taken over by monkeys and now is a protected site for visitors. We were amazed at how many monkeys there were and how friendly they were. Even the babies got really close. The first hour was spent taking about 10,000 pictures of monkeys playing and resting.

Erin fell in love with this poor old guy who seemed to be saying “If I ever see another f*ckin banana…..”

The whole time we heard the chanting form a nearby Hindu temple on the outskirts of the jungle. We walked up these hidden steps and stumbled upon a huge ceremony. It was a celebration of their ancestors and funeral for recent dead. We watched as a parade of brightly coloured offerings went by seemingly forever. The colours of fruit, flowers and fabric, coupled with the music made for a magical experience. There even was a sacred cow being marched around. Here are a million pics and some video.

Next when walked across this wicked ancient stone bridge. The moss and vine covered stone spanned a deep valley and ran through a mass of hanging vines. It felt very ‘Lord of the Rings’-ish. Having monkeys playing all around us only added to the exoticness.

A quick left turn brought us halfway down the side of the valley where two giant Komodo Dragon sculptures peek out ominously. I’m still not sure why they were there but hey, here’s a pic anyways

This side of the bridge was where we first found some of the temple remains and enjoyed the monkeys run of the place. Down by the river, local children whose parents might have been at the ceremony nearby, played in the water and rocks. It was all so serene.

We continued to walk around and play with monkeys. In another part of the forest we found endless baby monkeys. Every time we saw a small cute one, there would be an even smaller cuter one around the corner (a la baby sheep at the petting zoo on The Simpsons). This one got real close for a bit before the come came over to check things out. Erin was squealing in joy.

Then this other guy got really curious about what might be under Erin’s skirt. I felt some bonding going on here. I clicked the camera as fast as I could and was rewarded with the best picture I have seen of Erin this year.

At the other end of the forest is the rest of the temple. Gates forbade our entry but this is what it looked like. When it is open to visitors, there are some pretty strict rules. For example.. check out the sign board which states “No entry while menstruating”

Our favourite part of the temple were these monkeys licking the walls. Whether it was the moss, salt or simply a tongue message, we don’t know. It was like they were in a trance – licking away in ecstasy. It was brilliant.

As we were leaving, a couple who had just arrived found themselves overwhelmed with the excitement generated with a bunch of bananas they just bought. They eagerly gave them to us and we got to have one last moment of monkey friends time. They were just so awesome.. their little fingers and toes so human like. I want a monkey pet more than ever.

After the forest we had some lunch in one of the many charming cafes in Ubud. The streets were lined with displays of art, crafts and pottery. Up the road was a central market where we indulged in some shopping for our future home (quilts, dishes, etc). The stuff was amazing and the prices so cheap… If only we had more time and bigger suitcases!

Back in Bali.. and I’m not sure which night, we went to the famous Jimbaran Beach. This beach is entirely devoted to seafood barbeques. There are no hotels or condos.. only restaurants and tables on this gorgeous white sand. As you walk the menus are displayed beachward for you to see their prices.

Before you say anything the hosts will offer you 50% discount. Sounds good right? Okay.. so the food is literally caught that day and the boats are being offloaded at the far end of the beach by the docks. Lobster, crab, snapper, squid, king prawns, etc are all at your pleasure. But here is where the real fun begins. The waiter takes you into the restaurant to choose and weigh your food. I chose a giant lobster, whole snapper and 15 king prawns to start. He put them all in a basket and filled out the order sheet. $30 he says. What?? This was after my 50% discount. So then I had to negotiate for my dinner too.. this was a first. Basically I got all of our food for $9 with some fudging of the scale, but it took 20 minutes and threatening to leave 6 times. But it was all in good fun and just how things go. Here’s where the action is.

Heres the BBQ MMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm………………

And here is the result.. It was divine. Everything I could have wanted. Just perfect.

The best part was the food, but a close second was the ambiance. You choose your food then sit and watch the spectacular sunset, listen to the waves crashing and drink ice cold beers with your beautiful wife. All along the beach candlelit tables glow as the darkness falls. Best meal ever.