Ubud in 2023 is much more crowded than back in 2016. The roads have not been widened to accommodate the dramatic increase in vehicular traffic. The town looked unfamiliar until we walked into Ubud Palace.
Walking into Ubud Palace immediately brought forth all the memories.A large bale, or pavilion.A gamelan bale that houses Indonesian percussion instruments.I specifically remember struggling to get a full shot of this Karang Sae back in 2016, but wasn’t able to as it sits directly facing another wall. Fast forward to 2023, and I’m able to stand right in front of it capturing the entire field using the wide angle lens on my phone. How technology has evolved…These guardian statues are a common sight seen all over Bali.Temple within the palace is off limits to visitors.Right across from the Ubud Palace used to be an open air art market, but a new two story building has since been built to house all the souvenir vendors. There’s seemingly less art, and more tchotchkes these days.
Another familiar sight is this beautiful door…
This intricately carved paduraksa, is perhaps my favorite gate around Ubud. Again, I had a hard time fitting the entire gate into one frame back in 2016. Mission accomplished in 2023.
Speaking of gates…
Here are a few of my favorite doors seen in Ubud, Sanur, and Besakih. Balinese ornate architectural elements are the exact opposite of the minimalist Japanese designs. Yet I find myself particularly drawn to these two divergent styles. Perhaps it’s the commonality of the generous use of natural wood, stone, and bamboo in their construction that appeals to me.
When in Ubud, a visit to the Monkey Forest Sanctuary is a must, unless you’re not fond of monkeys. In which case, I will need to reconsider our friendship. Just kidding…not really.
Since our last visit, the town of Ubud invested in renovating the monkey sanctuary. There is now a new parking lot, modern ticket office, and better kept grounds. There are even dedicated feeding areas where monkeys can expect to get bananas, sweet potatoes, and corn from the staff. All of this is to discourage unwanted interactions between visitors and monkeys.
Sweet potatoes everywhere But bananas are the real treatThe patriarch of this troupe always has first dibsAnd the little ones end up with slim pickings.Funny poseWhy does this remind me of myself and Joe…
I could have stuck around all day, but the battle between Joe and the mosquitoes meant we needed to move along.
No matter, there was no shortage of monkeys throughout the park..A different kind of monkey…First time seeing a monkey swimming completely submerged. Once it surfaced, it came towards me and grabbed one end of my T-shirt seemingly wanting to towel off. With an unsuccessful attempt, it settled on drying off against a tree stump.
FIRE'd @ 47 
The last time I visited was in 2016 too. I got peed on by a monkey but otherwise it was great!
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Makes for lasting memories 😄!!!
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And stains, good bye forever white t shirt 😂!
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