Today was our second day with Wayan and we also had a full agenda.

Balinese Dance

We started the day out with an suggestion from Wayan to see a Balinese dance performance. We figured that would be a great way to start the day. Unfortunately, the performance was more like a bad community theatre performance than a beautiful Balinese dance show like we thought.  Oh well, it was still interesting and we got some shots of the action.

Wood Carving

Wayan explained to us that each seaside port area and/or village specializes in a different craft or good.  We passed stores that specialized in stone carving, imported wood, artisan wood carving, pottery, painting… etc. We were really interested in seeing the wood carving and possibly purchasing something small to bring back with us. Wayan took us to a village that specialized in wood carving and they explained to us all the different types of wood used and the three categories of artist; student, teacher, or expert. The detail in each carved piece was extraordinary.  We specifically like the wall mounted carvings and searched for one to purchase.  But in the end they were way to large and too expensive for us.  We decided to look for something at one of the market’s that we could afford.

 

 

Since we came to Bali during the rainy season, it rains off and on throughout the whole day.  Next, we were supposed to go to a waterfall to cool off but when we arrived the entire place was a big mud pit and the water was brown due to all the rain.  We decided to pass on the mud bath and headed to the Monkey Forest instead.

 

Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

We really had no idea what to expect of our next stop, the Ubud Monkey Forest.  We pictured images of what you see in movies of large groups of monkeys taking over a sacred temple. Loads of tourists with monkeys on their shoulders or heads and an over all chaotic feeling. As we bought out tickets there was a long list of rules you must follow or suffer the consequences of your ignorance.  Do Not Panic: if a monkey jumps on you just keep walking slowly and they will eventually jump off. (easier said then done) Do Not Hide Food: they can smell even the smallest amount of food and will go into your bag, pockets, and grab it directly out of your hands. Hide Your Valuables; this will come into play later….

 

This ended up being one of our favorite things we saw.  The monkey’s were an added perk, but the most breathtaking part was being immersed in the rainforest.

 

We left the sanctuary feeling excited and ready to go back to our hotel, when all of the sudden – WHERE’s MY PHONE??? I said. Oh-oh. That monkey stole my phone!

Not really, but she did lose it at the sanctuary. We went back to see if someone had returned it in the lost and found. Nope. All gone.

Now, I’m on a forced digital detox.