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| our little boy's favorite thing about Bali: Ubud's dirty ducks! |
It’s been a month since we got back from a short family vacation in Bali, Indonesia and I still haven’t gotten over how beautiful a place it is.
The short visit to the magical ‘Island of the Gods’ actually became one of the reasons why I finally decided to stop procrastinating (I’ve been wanting to start this blog since the beginning of 2010!) and just start writing.
Bali seemed to be the perfect place to begin this whole journey. Our few days there were enough to inspire me to stick to my promise to live a greener, healthier, more holistic life. With early morning yoga; green paddies & blue waters & skies everywhere you went; delicious healthy organic food at just about every cafe on the island; and with natural spa treatments, Ayurveda & alternative therapies readily available with spas at every corner... Bali just made it seem like it was so easy! :)
And this is why it seems only right that I start this blog writing about Bali. So I’m dedicating a series of posts to this amazing island, starting with a few of our favorite photos (and memories!) of Bali.
Our days in Bali were made up of just the slowest, most incredible little moments…
…stepping out onto the streets and instantly being hit by the smell of burning incense sticks and spices...
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| burning incense cones to clean the air |
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| Balinese spices for our cooking class at Laka Leke |
...swimming in pools while watching ducks play across you in the paddies...
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| the pool at Tegal Sari sits right beside Ubud's rice paddies |
...visiting gorgeous temples by the sea (or in the middle of a lake!)
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| a cloudy but still awesome sunset at Tanah Lot |
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| Pura Ulun Danu Bratan sits in the middle of tranquil Lake Bedugul |
...waking up at what I would usually consider an ungodly hour of the morning to a view of farmers in the rice paddies and feeling more energized & refreshed than I’ve ever felt before (well, at least never at 6am!)
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| a farmer hard at work in Ubud, Bali |
…finding daily offerings on the streets and spotting trees & stone statues wrapped in cloth because they're believed to be sacred or carrying the souls of their ancestors...
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| stone statue by Puri Damai |
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a canang - small daily offerings made by locals to their gods
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...meeting kind, friendly local Balinese people whose lives revolve around their gods & goddesses, their daily rituals & offerings, their arts and their faith.
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a sweet old lady selling pretty handpainted
woven baskets at the Pasar Ubud |
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locals at a Balinese temple ceremony at Lake Bedugul
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…witnessing fascinating Balinese traditions and temple ceremonies…
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| locals heading into a temple for a ceremony |
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| Balinese locals with their offerings to the high priest |
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| Kecak Dance at Uluwatu |
…an early morning walk to the beach to watch people do yoga, surf, jog and even fish!
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| our beach baby at Legian Beach |
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| a local Balinese surfer on Legian |
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| a fisherman on Seminyak Beach |
...the yummiest breakfasts of fresh fruits, banana pancakes, nasi goreng and pots of Balinese coffee or yummy lattes…
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| breakfast at Tekor Bali |
…afternoons spent in lovely little cafes with either a view of the sea or the rice paddies or colourful local life...
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| Balinese coffee & rice paddies |
...while getting to try the most interesting fresh fruit smoothies, shakes, homemade herbal health drinks (we wanted to try them all!) and healthy organic (mostly vegetarian) fare…
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| fresh fruit granitas & juice at La Lucciola |
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a detox juice of aloe vera, lime, cayenne & mint
with a raw cacao cake at Bali Buddha |
…getting cheap but incredible massages & amazing spa rituals that locals clearly take very seriously…
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a fresh Mandi Lulur scrub, yoghurt &
petals for the flower bath at Bali Botanica |
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hibiscus leaf mask and orange & clove oil
for an Ayurvedic Crown Massage at Bali Botanica |
…early morning yoga in a shala on top of a barn in the middle of the rice fields while the sun comes up…
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| the shala at the Yoga Barn in Ubud |
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watching the sunrise while walking to early morning yoga class |
Now, who wouldn’t be inspired by that?!
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a gorgeous sunset at Uluwatu Temple |
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