World as Muse: Ahhh.....Bali

Our journey to Bali began with a 6 hour flight from Australia. There are many four letter words I can think of to describe said flight, but “good” isn’t one of them. Little J treated the other passengers to her (newly developed) piercing screech for most of the journey. We fed her, bounced her, sang to her, fed her again, played with her…to no avail. We certainly heard a few negative comments, but the passengers were mostly jovial Aussies, and so we (just barely) survived. Big J was the stellar traveler he has always been.

Upon our arrival in Denpasar, we stored two large suitcases and our double stroller, and jumped in a cab to Ubud, where we’ll spend a week…and possibly longer.

M. and I were in Bali 11 years ago, and we fell in love with it so much that we knew we had to return one day. My first impressions this time were much the same as they were last time. You almost immediately experience Bali on a sensory level: the sweet smells of incense and fresh flowers, the ornate carvings and statues, and sounds of bamboo flutes or gamelan orchestras. This creates the feeling that you have arrived in a truly exotic place. I had the same feeling last time, and that was after I had already travelled throughout Southeast Asia for over 4 months. I had visited many incredible places. But there is just no place like Bali.

We chose Ubud as a starting point because it is the cultural heart of Bali. It is known for its traditional dance performances, crafts, art galleries and museums, and great food. It’s also a place to just chill out on cushioned platforms and gaze out over the rice paddies while sipping a fruit juice and listening to chilled out trip hop. Ahhh….

Wait. That was last time. There won’t be a lot of chilling out this time with a 3 year old whose day consists of talking, running, asking questions, running, arguing, asking “Why?”, and then arguing again. And a 1 year old who is not yet walking, but touches EVERY SINGLE THING, and then screeches when you take anything away. But with kids a world of new experiences opens to us, and we’re excited. It’s going to be a big adventure, that is a guarantee. Stay tuned!