September 25, 2011 / A day in Ubud and a Foot in the Mud

Matt and I started off on a walking tour listed out in our Lonely Planet guide book. We walked through a jungle ridge called Campuan ridge that took is through multiple little villages on the out skirts of Ubud. Our trek continued through rice patties where I lost my footing and ended up with a foot full of mud. Actually it was clay and I was caked in it. We walked more through villages and back to our hotel estimating a total of 5 miles. We were going to link together the first walking tour with a second but after getting lost in rice fields due to unknown roads, we decided against it. Instead after lunch in a Japanese garden, we relaxed by the hotel pool with a drink and taking a refreshing dip or two.
Next we cleaned up and headed out for the rest of the day for some souvenir shopping, a massage at a fancy spa, and then a special traditional dance. The dance, called Kecak and Fire dance, had no instruments for music, but rather had 50+ men chanting and clapping their hands as music. It provided for a very rhythmic and spiritual atmosphere. The last dance of the nighty included a man dancing on flaming coconut shells add he imitated a horse.
After the show we went to a to recommended restaurant in our guide book, a Cuban restaurant, where we both had baby back ribs in a guava barbeque sauce. They were fall off the bone delicious. Three live salsa music and our private two top table on a terrace provided for a fun and romantic dinner.
I also called home today to wish my baby brother Josh a happy 18th birthday, which was a treat for me probably more than him.

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