09-NOV - Sat - "Let's get physical..."

After having a day of absolute bliss, we thought we needed to counter that with some physical activity. We took on the challenge by Lonely Planet and took the “ridge walk”. We put on our running shoes, shorts, singlets, caps, sun lotion, drank a glass of water and set off from Ubud’s Royal Palace towards the river. We crossed the tiny bridge and passed the most magnificent river temple, currently under restoration, with a brand new tower shining in the sunlight, black thatched roof, red and gold everywhere. We climbed up and up and up, till we reached the top of the ridge between the two rivers, with grass falling sharply away to our left and our right, the ridge just wide enough for a little paved path. The view spectacular! Palm trees everywhere on the slope, across the valley, old and modern villas on the opposite side. As we walked in the heat, drenched in our sweat, we could only admire the beauty and tranquillity surrounding us, nothing but the noise of water falls, birds and the wind through the foliage. We passed a little village, stopped for a drink and pressed on, only to come to an elevated platform of rice paddies, one after the other, cascading down the slopes of the valley ridge we were on. The cameras were going crazy, clicking away at every step. Invariably it is the law of hiking, when doing a closed loop: if you’re climbing up, you will be rewarded with a descent, but if you’re enjoying a steep descent, you’ll be paying with a worse climb up! And so we enjoyed the descents and cursed the climbs! What a walk! 3 hrs later we were back at Ubud’s Royal Palace, in the centre of town, looking like two backpackers that just walked the Himalayas in their shorts and tracking shoes, sweat pouring out of every inch in our skin. We kicked off all we had and jumped straight into our pool and made sure to order complimentary afternoon tea, to be delivered at the water’s edge! Ah, luxury! But we wanted more! Re-energized and refreshed, we made our way to dinner and straight to the front row seats of a Kecak and Fire Dance! What a spectacle! The choir of men singing and humming in rhythm, the most intricate costumes and dance movements, the fights, the love story to be finished off with a real fire dance, where the dancer goes into a trance and kicks and walks on the ambers of coconut shells! (Mind the burning shells as they come flying towards you, maybe an elevated back row seat is more suitable for the faint hearted)