Bali Day 1 - Ubud

OMG, we made it!  After a full 24 hours of traveling, we're actually here!  The flights were on time and not as bad as we expected.  Arriving in Bali was so beautiful - it was like landing at SFO, but in a bizarro, tropical way.  The airport is right on the water, so unsuspecting passengers worry until the very last moment that the plane might actually be landing in the sea.  Luckily we touched down on dry land and met our guides to take us to the hotel.

The Samara is a little set of villas tucked back away in a quiet corner of Ubud.  The drive through town was spectacular - so many temples on the side of the road, so many motor bikes weaving in and out of traffic, and so many smells - something I didn't expect at all.  Incense is burned throughout the day and it wafts through the air, making the experience of just driving through town more personal than any other place I've ever experienced.

Our driver stopped at the base of a small driveway that led up to the hotel and we were told that we'd be picked up soon...on motorbikes.  That would have been great, had the road not been muddy, fairly rugged and steep!  We held on for dear life (well, at least I did) and made it to the top of the hill safely to find our amazing room and pool waiting for us:

Pool; view from our room

our room

Restroom, complete with outdoor shower :)

The place is so cool.  Anyway, we got washed up and headed out to find a quick spot for dinner.  We didn't have plans for tonight, so we just jumped into a place that looked good (and it was).  During dinner, a huge group of school-aged boys walked down the street playing what looked to be traditional Balinese instruments - flutes, drums, etc. - and a few of them were dressed as a dragon - think Chinese New Year celebration on a smaller scale.  It was so awesome, but I couldn't get any good photos.  I'm sure we'll come across them again, though.  But while wandering through town, we saw these every few feet:

They're super tall traditional Hindu offerings that are supposed to look like dragons.  They're made of the husk of a young coconut and they're put on display for just over a month for one of the holidays celebrated here.  They hang over the roadways here and make decorative archways.  They're so cool, but I promise to have way better photos in the next few days.

It's just after 9 here and we're off the bed.  Hoping to get some good sleep before we start exploring tomorrow!