So sad to be leaving Perth but so happy for what comes ahead! 

Neil dropped me off at the airport and of course I get to the counter and they look at my passport like I'm from Mars and the staff starts questioning each other about whether or not I need a visa since they had never heard of El Salvador. They even asked me if I had ever used my passport and I just said "Yes, I have my Australian stamp in there!" Of course I knew that would happen and I was prepared with the Bali.com website that stated that I do not need a visa! Now... Off to Bali!!!

From the second you get out of the airplane you feel the change in temperature and pretty much start sweating!
I had forgotten about third world countries airport craziness! I had arranged a pick up from my home stay but when I got out no one was there holding a sign with my name. Once taxi drivers see somebody without a driver they literally harass you and come to you as often as they can saying "taxi, taxi" or "you need taxi?" Or "cheap cheap taxi come!" It is very annoying! Thank goodness I am smart and I use my "No english" phrase and they all banish! yeay! After 30 mins my ride finally arrived and we were on our way to Ubud!

OMG... No words really to describe Ubud!
Everywhere I look there are beautiful statues, temples or offerings happenings. Every single door is beautifully decorated and has offerings by them. Bali's religion is Balinese Hinduism and Ubud is very traditional so throughout the day you will see people at temples doing prayers and bringing offerings.




I am staying at a home stay, meaning that a family has rooms for travelers and they rent them. The place is very simple and beyond cheap, at only $13 per night including a small breakfast and hot showers! I found it on AirBnB and it was actually free since one of the moms from the school I taught gave me a gift card as an end of the year present. But if you just come in you would be able to book for Rp180,000 a standard room with fan (no air con)

The entrance of Teba House

The beautiful garden

My room right at the end of the path

View from my room!

My super simple room... the bathroom not so nice, but for $13 is good enough!

Simple breakfast overlooking the garden

It was just a lucky coincidence that on my 1st day the owners of the home stay had a traditional ceremony for the owner's grandchild who is turning 3 months and all the guests were invited to attend.
Apparently in the Balinese Culture a baby does not touch the ground until he turns 3 months and there is a grand celebration called 'Bali Nyabutan Celebration.' For the first 3 months the baby is held in someone's arms at all times and when he turns 3 months they celebrate when the baby touches the Earth for the first time in a super big celebration... another Balinese tradition is not to name the baby until he is 42 days old!!! 

My room is located on the first floor right by the garden and at 5am I could already hear people getting ready for the big day.
At breakfast I met some other travelers and they said the celebration was at 12 and we could all attend. At noon I came back and I was amazed at the amount of people in the guest house, then I was even more surprised when all those people left and the next set of people came! It seemed like everybody in town was invited and they came in waves, people would bring gifts, eat, and then leave. All of the travelers in the guesthouse were invited to the ceremony and we were given a traditional Balinese buffet lunch.

With the "Jessie's" and Rachel outside my room

The actual ceremony did not start until past 1pm but I had a great time just people watching. The women were all dressed up in their colorful temple shirts and long skirts, when they came in most of them had a basket on their head with a little present for the baby.
When the priest came he started by blessing the temple and then ringing the bells for quite a long time while many women walked around the garden of the house with baskets full of offerings and bowls of water (probably holy) that they would splatter around. It was a big procession that lasted about 30 mins. After all the blessing the baby came out and was brought over to the priest and put on the floor and he got blessed by the priest.

The offerings

The ceremony went for longer than an hour and I didn't really understand much of it but I felt blessed by being able to be part of such a special ceremony and witnessing something that I have never seen before.

Women walking from temple to temple

Blessing the baby

Blessing the baby... in a different location! haha

In the late afternoon Rachel, my new friend from the homestay, and I went to the monkey forest!
Those were some cheeky little monkeys!
The forest is filled with wild monkeys that are very used to humans and are not scared to jump on anybody who happens to have food!
Before going another friend warned us that monkeys will grab your sunglasses or take your water bottles and even open your bag and take stuff out! Crazy!

This little monkey was having the time of his life jumping around the tree. Mom was at the bottom just waiting; not much different that taking kids to the park! haha

Mommy and baby!

hahaha... I just had to put this one!

This monkey literally got a shoulder ride for a good 3 minutes! He would not get down!

My first day was spent just walking around Ubud looking at everything and taking pictures... It is so pretty and it is hard to put to words what you experience while walking this beautiful town!

You see offerings ALL over Ubud, in all different places. This one was in the middle of the street! They put offerings on the floor to protect home from bad spirits.

Transportation in Ubud

Top of a temple

So many statues!

Flowers flowers everywhere!!!!

Ganesha!

Temples everywhere!

So many different kinds of temples!

Such a pretty door!

This decoration means there will be a wedding (or a wedding just happened)