Hi everyone,
We have been a week and a day in Ubud so far. We are going up to Lovina Beach on Wednesday for five days and then back to Ubud, so no shopping till we get back. Then we don't have to pack it.
By chance on Tuesday night we went down to Murni's Restaurant, walking from the Monkey Forest Road. The pavement on one side as you go down the hill was TOTALLY taken up with motorbike parking. Something was up!
In Murni's the waitress told us a procession was coming, so we had a Bintang and waited. Then dinner and more Bintang. We could hear the procession in the distance winding its way down from Penestanan. Suddenly it was there and the waitress shooed us outside to watch. It went past FAST! Mostly men in white, right across the road, a long procession with at least six barongs. Going so fast you didn't know what to look at. Extremely tall umbrellas in black and white, black and white flags. Some other stuff that went by too fast to see. After it was gone, dozens and dozens of motorbikes that had been waiting for the procession to pass.
We had to walk back up the hill to Ubud. No drivers. All in the procession I expect. And we had to do it all again the next night...another procession.
The second night (Pager Wesi Day) the procession came before dark...a shorter procession with only one Barong. Very fast again, and people making a wooooo sound as they went along. What was that about? Just after dark another procession came through, then another, but they were too fast for us. maybe a procession from each village up the hill.
We have also been down to Sanur for a day. Just a wander along the beach. Cool drink at Bennos and lunch at Rosetta cafe. Then back to Ubud for mojitos at Cinta Grill. Have decided there is no alcohol in them. And to eat Laksa Lemak. To die for!
Cheers,
Wendy