Ubud, Jaffles, & Another Injection

After a swim and a pancake breakfast at Three Brothers in Amed, I got back on the road to Ubud. It was a long day on the motorbike, but the scenery was gorgeous. I only got caught in 1 rain storm and 'misdirected' twice! Each time I was reminding how many nice people are out there in our world. After a few hours I pulled into Ubud and wanted to leave immediately. It was very different than the tranquil rice fields I had imagined! It was crowded, touristy, commercial and expensive. It was also raining, so I had no desire to get back on the highway. I went off to find a bed for the night and was fortunate to find Duana's Homestay. It was a beautiful compound and the next morning I discovered they had the best breakfast yet! That evening I took a walk around town, window shopped, and enjoyed a nice dinner. There was a big yoga festival happening over the next few days, which could explain my experience, but I did not feel the zen yogic vibe for which Ubud has become known. People just weren't friendly, and large tour buses were continually driving the main road. Maybe I'll have to try again!

The next morning after the awesome breakfast of jaffle, banana pancake & fun fruit, the rains subsided a bit and I jumped back on the motorbike to head to Denpasar for rabies injection #3! It was a messy day, but I arrived at Bali Royal Hospital – soaked to the bone but in one piece. I was nervous but the shot was easy and fast. The most inconvenient thing about the rabies vaccine is that you MUST get the injections on specific days - no questions asked. Prohibitive if you are leading the traveling lifestyle, but I felt lucky to find a nice hospital with inexpensive vaccines. Outside the hospital I found myself yet again figuring out where to head next. I had one more full day in Bali, and decided to head back to Padangbai. It's a nice, mellow place where I could relax and see some new friends. Two hours later, I pulled into the Aloha Cottages. They weren't as nice as Kerti, but the pool was lovely. It was 150,000 IDR for a double with breakfast, and there was a great vibe. Plus, I wasn't awoken by the 100 Gili travelers every morning! It was also close to the white sand beach – great for sitting, snorkeling, and having lunch at a warung with your toes in the sand. Low stress :) My last night in Bali I enjoyed live music at the Sunshine Bar, caught up with Esta, and said goodbye to new friends – promising to return. Next stop? Back to Malaysia!

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