We rode to Tampaksiring just 30 minutes North of Ubud today. The beauty and tranquility of the area is truly profound. The first part of the trip on Tegal Lalang Street is crammed full of small artisan shops that carry on for many miles. Carvings, paintings, statues, fabrics, signs and almost anything else imaginable may be found here. This is where wholesalers from around the world come to shop. The street is extremely narrow and has seen better days. After 10 m...

Today we rode to Mt. Batur, 1 hour north of Ubud in the Kintamani area. The view from the main road before descending down to the lake is absolutely breathtaking. The calm green water of Lake Batur nestled nearby the volcano is spectacular. You can still see the area where the lava flowed years ago and has left the area barren with large boulders surrounding the neighboring area. A sharp contrast to the lush, green fertile land covered with terraced gardens on th...

Hi Everyone. It's been sometime since writing as we've been enjoying some R&R on the island of Lombok, "a holiday from our holiday", if that makes sense. We took the public ferry from Padang Bai, Bali over to Lember, Lombok. After a long 5-hr ferry trip we arrived. Our friend Bill tells us just follow the main road North and you will arrive in Senggegi. Driving through the city of Mataram was difficult as there was heavy rain and without signs telli...

Hello Everyone from Beautiful Bali aka the "Island of the Gods"!!! We've been asked by several friends to start a blog so today it starts... It's now the morning of Christmas Eve here in Ubud, Bali. The weather is warm and sunny. We are living in a cozy bright and airy 1-bdrm apartment on the 3rd floor. Which is close to downtown but tucked away down a quiet street. We hear the roosters, chickens, birds and dogs starting around 4:30 am. Or should I sa...