Nusa Dua and Ubud

If you have only been in the Nusa Dua area (beach and 5 star resorts and shops), and if you have enough time, come up to Ubud (pronounced "oo-bood"). How much time is enough? Well, it takes about 1 hour each way by car. What would you see that's different from Nusa Dua? Terraced rice paddies (a healing, relaxing green), hills & trees, Balinese villages.

Different villages specialize in different arts - jewelry (gold & silver), wood carving, paintings (at least 7 different styles in 7 different villages), batik & ikat fabric making, basket weaving, carving & painting masks used in traditional dance and religious performances - and much, much more.

If the free afternoon includes evening, you could have dinner up here, too. Maybe try a Balinese specialty - bebek betutu (steamed spice duck - or you can get chicken prepared the same way), or grilled crispy duck. Or babi guling - roast pig.

If you want to stay near Nusa Dua, 2 favorite tourist sunset locations are the temple at Ulu Watu on the cliffs. And dinner at a fresh seafood restaurant at Jimbaran Bay; we've gone to "Aroma" several times. They usually offer at least 2 types of fish, shrimp / prawns, sometimes lobsters. And a choice of cooking methods and chili-spice levels. We usually go for grilled.

There's almost always a music (gamelan) or dance performance somewhere. While there are no major Balinese Hindu ceremonies Dec 10-15, there may be a village celebrating the "birthday" of its temple.

Friendly Neighbors Take Culture Classes at Bhanuswari Resort & Spa

Just up the hill from Bhanuswari Resort & Spa, a Dutch couple built a villa. (See it at http://balirelax.blogspot.com/2006/10/new-neighbors-near-bhanuswari-resort.html) A couple of weeks ago, a brother brought his 3 girls for their first trip to Bali.

Though they stayed at their own villa, they took advantage of nearby Bhanuswari Resort & Spa for many of their meals and activities. Since they were only staying for 6 days, they didn't want to hire a cook. And a short walk (less than 5 minutes) brought them to Bhanuswari's 3-4 star meals, at 2-3 star prices (May is still "low" season).




With no swimming pool at their villa, they were still able to swim - by joining the "Swim Club" at Bhanuswari. For a small daily fee, they could use the salt-water pool, a pool towel, and get a juice or soft drink.
And when they got tired of shopping in nearby Ubud (or maybe it was Peter who got tired, rather than his teenage daughters!), they took a wood-carving class in the resort's lobby.







A few simple tools...


Attention to details...





And completed dolphins!

Recycled Glass - art and gifts

Photos taken at Nyoman Glass shop on Jalan Raya Mas, just south of Ubud, Bali.
Many of the larger pieces are displayed right on the street.
In addition to glass, the shop offers wood carvings.
There are a few pieces of cobalt / Prussian blue – my personal favorite.
And some pieces have an opaque finish.
Whimsical birds and cat / angles fly overhead.
Yes, that is a fish bowl, complete with fish!
Smaller items include a variety of beverage glasses, candle holders, ashtrays, and perfume bottles with stoppers.

Statues added at Villa

The landscaping near the Spa has grown in nicely, thanks to the rainy season.
A recent shopping trip brought a new statue.
Placed in the niche by a villa's front door (yes, double-doors secured by a padlock – very common in Bali).
Genesha is regarded by the Balinese as the god of knowledge and justice. The Indian Hindu also know him as the “remover of obstacles.”
Just inside the front door, Saraswati now resides in a larger niche in the living room.
Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge and the arts.
Her escorts are swans. On her special day in Bali, books are offered for blessing by her.

Furniture Making in Bali and Fun Finished Pieces

The beautiful decorative carving on the furniture produced in Bali is done by hand with simple (non-electric) tools.
Here are 2 carvers working outside of furniture stores.

And samples of finished products.
A coffee table with a beautifully carved insert of fish and turtles (designed to fit plate glass over the top for protection).
And a chair with built-in storage.
This 4 poster bed may be from Lombok, a near-by island. They use inlaid shells for deocoration, and I see some across the top of the posts.
This cabinet is definitely in the Lombok style.
This is a tree root carved to create a table. Just set plate glass on top.
An "apple" woven from rattan.
Burl-wood bowls.
Java-style "sofa", carved and painted.

A Field Trip - to Buy Orchids

I joined a trip up a mountain yesterday to buy orchids at the source, Bedugul. So of course, I had to take some photos of the stalls and people.

Fashions ("Drupadi Collection) for sale next to a small Muslim restaurant specializing in meatballs (bakso) and soup (soto).

Spices, packed and ready to go - including Vanilla bean.

A woman carrying her bananas on her head.

An especially tempting fruit & vegetable display.

Assorted wind chimes and mobiles.

Adorable little girls (and they know it, too!)

A mischievous little boy playing with the orchids.

And the view coming back down the mountain, taken from a car FULL of plants - at least 20 orchids of 2 different types, lime trees, and celery plants. I had 3-4 orchids and 2 celery plants between my feet because we ran out of space!