Bali - Ubud, a World of Worlds

Our half-day Batur excursion ended in Ubud - a delightful, sprawling town where both human and vehicular traffic moved in the same alternating waltz between frenzy and insouciance. There was some wonderful shopping to be had, and Mary was desperate to get started. We saw a little of Ubud the previous night when Mr Nyoman dropped us off outside Clear Cafe at Jalan Hanoman for dinner. Shops selling all sorts of interesting knick-knacks lined the streets, with wares to suit a whole gamut of tastes and preferences, from handy fridge magnet souvenirs to monkey skulls from the island of Timor, T-shirts combining both Hindu and punk rock imagery to batik shabby chic sarongs. The initial excitement waned when we realized that many shops actually sold pretty much the same range of items, and flagged further once we learnt that prices hardly differed from Singaporean prices.

Below: where we were let off by Mr Nyoman in Ubud; walking along Jalan Monkey Forest, and stopping at the gate of Hanoman's kingdom

Yet there is no mistaking the charm which Balinese crafts hold for foreigners, and the significant role of Balinese crafts in the regional economy. On our way back to Ubud from Tegallalang, we drove by gathered assemblies of sculpted Buddhas outside lines of crafts shop - reclined, seated, serene, wooden, stone, acrylic, jet black and shocking pink, portable, immovable. The wood and stone were Javanese and Lombok, the hands that made them Balinese.  Paintings, pottery, glass art and furniture were also peddled. Products meant to be shipped abroad were then sent to the east Javanese port of Surabaya, reflecting Bali's position as a major marketplace and redistribution centre.

Mercifully, our Ubud experience transcended our abortive attempts at shopping. A royal wedding held at the Puri Saren emptied what seemed like all of Bali's elegant resplendence on Ubud's tiny two-laned streets. Away from the gridlock which developed outside the palace, which we steered well clear of, we entered a hidden world of temples peering out from amongst gaudy shopfronts, rice fields set amidst creeping urban encroachment and irrigation canals bubbling between concrete canyon walls. It was a world of worlds, which we barely explored while we kept to the main roads. We also learnt two half-days were woefully inadequate even for the main streets - an interminable drizzle, hunger and a growing weight of the day's earlier walking tiredness put paid to any further sight-seeing. Ubud had to wait for a second visit.

Below: Ubud, a world of worlds

On the way to the airport the next day, we had a short discussion with Mr Nyoman on Balinese music and dance. Mr Nyoman revealed that he had in fact previously arranged for his two boys to learn the angklung (it was 150,000 rupiahs for the first month and 30,000 for subsequent months, I cannot remember the frequency of lessons). We asked how that turned out. They only want to play football, he sighed.

He also described various Balinese dances typically performed for visitors - I only recall the kecak being one of several styles mentioned. Given the stillborn interest of Mr Nyoman's sons in the arts, we wondered if this was reflective of youths' general attitude on the same subject. Apparently it doesn't seem to be the case, as the promise of tourist money along the tourism belt on the southern coast has kept alive this rich tradition of dance among young people. We had previously ruled out watching any of these, but we might have over-generalized and thrown the baby out with the bath water.

So how does the score card between Skepticism and Balinese appeal read? There is still a tad too many tourists for our liking (no, this isn't a face-saving proclamation), but we genuinely like the island. The tourist throngs which Bali entertains meant the ready availability of amenities - chiefly a comfortable airport, decent roads and a wonderful array of both accommodation and eating options. At the same time, the island's compact geographical landmass means its major sites are easily accessible from its tourist hubs. Want to see volcanoes from Ubud? It's only a little over an hour's drive. Rice terraces? Just walk out of Ubud town centre. But you're staying in Kuta? Add an hour's driving to that. Want to get away from it all and head to the less frequented north coast? Three hours and you're there.

We doubt we'll ever step into the coastal resorts in south Bali, but we most certainly will return.