Archive for December 13th, 2006
Ubud has some great museums such as the ARMA, Neka and Museum Blanco (for those with a sense of humor). Ubud also has some great smaller museums and here are a few.
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Museum Puri Lukisan
This museum of fine arts is located in
downtown Ubud, off of
Jl. Raya Ubud, just to the
west of Jl. Kajeng. Museum Puri Lukisan displays the works of
Rudolf Bonnet, I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, and others. The museum was opened in 1954, and offers exhibits representing
all schools of Balinese art, as well as the more modern styles. The
Pita Maha movement was started in Ubud in 1936, by
Cokorda Gede Agung Sukawati, I Gusti Nyoman Lempad,
Walter Spies and
Rudolf Bonnet. The purpose of the movement, was to maintain the high standard of Balinese art, and not give in to the temptation to mass produce stuff for the tourist market. Exhibits of the Pita Maha movement are on display.
Museum Puri Lukisan also shows works of the ‘Young Artists’ a group founded in Penestenan in the 1960’s, inspired by Dutch artist, Arie Smit. This school of painting encouraged local Balinese to break away from restraint and paint in a free, almost naive style, expressing modern items in their work. There is also a space for temporary exhibitions.
Open daily 8am-4pm
Admission 10,000rp
•Museum Rudana
Located to the SE of Ubud in the village of Peliatan, Museum Rudana opened in 1995 and offers traditional Balinese paintings, as well as drawings by Lempad. There are also some modern pieces.
(0361) 976479
Open daily 8am-5pm
Admission 10,000rp
•Widya Kusuma Woodcarving Museum
Located outside the southern end of Monkey Forest, in the village of Nyuhkuning, this quite place offes a small selection of carved items, in various forms and styles. Heading south you have to go past the Pura Dalem.
Open daily 10am-5pm
Admission free.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 13th, 2006
Raising a kid in Bali, for a foreigner has pro’s and con’s. The con’s are that kid will develop outside of your culture and away from your relatives. There is also an increased chance of disease out here. Pro’s include a climate that allows the child to be dressed in light clothes, making changing them, very easy. Balinese poeple love kids, so having a kid with you will often score you ‘bonus points’ in whatever you’re doing. Costs of having a birth in Bali are way less than in the west (Ika and I paid around $750 for 2 days in a private clinic) and hiring help is easy.
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Today outside my house, the neighbor’s little girl was sitting on the porch with her nanny. She just had her 1st birthday and is a strong, healthy kid. Down the gang (alley) is a little Japanese girl named Lovina, who is the same age as Jevon (1.5 years). Her mother works fulltime, so since she was born, has spent her days with the nanny and the other Balinese locals.
How safe is it, to leave your kids with local nannies? How long is a piece of string? Depends on the nanny and where they are. Some houses are designed in such a way, where there are many places a kid can have an accident. I have turned around and found Jevon standing on the dining table, after having hauled himself onto the chair and the top of the table.
One obvious advantage of having a local nanny, is the kid will be exposed to other languages. If you come to Bali and need a nanny, the best thing to do is ask around, as there are many people looking for a job.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 13th, 2006
Denpasar offers a different type of scene to that found in the Kuta area. Not a tourist center, or even a party center, Denpasar is home to locals, Balinese from othe parts of the island, who work in Kuta, and other Indonesians who have moved here. It offers cheap accomodation, street food, cheap locally made goods and a nightmare traffic system. There are some highlights and my LP guide book points out a route that can be done on foot.
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Starting point - Denpasar Tourist Office, located a Jl. Surapati #7 (open 7.30am-3.30pm Mon-Thurs, 8am-1pm Fri), head south to Pura Jagatnatha, the state temple, which also has a museum. Puputan Square, the most famous landmark in Denpasar, is directly across from there. Puputan Square celebrates the Balinese struggle against the Dutch, culminating the ritual puputan (group suicide), in 1906, by the royal court.
From Jl. Surapati, you can head to the junction with Jl. Veteran and see the Catur Muka statue. This is the statue of the 8 armed, 4 faced Batara Guru, lord of the 4 directions.
Head west from the Catur Muka statue, to Jl. Gajah Mada. Keeping heading west over the bridge, where you will see the famous Pasar Badung market (fruit, veg, meat, fish, spices) on one side and Pasar Kumbasari (nick nacks and textiles). Just a stroll around the outside of Pasar Badung will take 20 minutes and gives you a look at how a busy Balinese market runs.
Keep going over the bridge to the intersection, head north to Jl. Sutomo, then go left at the narrow gang (alley) that leads to the temple at Pura Maospahit. This temple was built by the Majapahit empire in the 14th century. Check out the statues of the giant Batara Bayu and Garuda.
Head back in the same direction, then head south along Jl. Thamrin, to Jl. Hasanudin. At this junction is Puri Pemecutan (para = temple, puri = palace). It has been renovated as a hotel, and you can check it out if you feel like it.
Heading east on Jl. Hasanudin, you’ll come to Jl. Sulawesi. That area is known as Kampung Arab, as are many jewelry stores, open to the street. This is were Ika and I shopped for wedding rings. These places are owned predominantly by Muslims, and you’ll be able to pick up that vibe.
You can keep heading north past Pasar Badung market and return to Jl. Gajah Mada. This walk will take 2-3 hours and longer if you spend time exploring all the sights.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 13th, 2006
Jetstar has started its Bali serivce with a flight from Sydney last friday. The AU$409 one-way fare has got to be tempting, for people dying to get back here.
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As
eTravelBlackBoard reports, Jetstar will now be operating flights to Sydney or Melbourne to Bangkok, Phuket and Ho Chi Minh City, plus Honolulu after Christmas.
You can visit Jetstar’s website for more details.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 13th, 2006
Bali is hot right now, as I’ve been saying for a while. The sun is as relentless as ever and yesterday, after going to the gym and then to Kuta, wearing a short sleeve shirt, I realised my forearms were rather rosy. Being one of Britain’s paler citizens, that’s something that’s always going to happen. One recent visitor reckons its too hot to shop in Ubud.
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FezMonkey is on a RTW trip (check out RTW air tickets for your trip!), starting on the west coast of the US, heading to Europe and making it as far as Bali. Fez checked out some Balinese dancing, the Monkey Forest and the downtown shopping. Expecting to find a quiet artist’s village, he found a place full of people trying to sell stuff, fancy that.
Actually downtown Ubud seems like an oasis to me, after coming from the zoo, which is Kuta / Seminyak. I find people to be way more laid back, and by simply getting one block off off the main street, I see people who are living a village lifestyle. The Ubud area, including the surrounding villages, is a great part of Bali, in my opinion. Riding around on a motorbike during the day, I’ll see people carving things at the side of the road, men painting pictures, all the scenes you imagine. Riding around at night, the air is cool and the streets are empty. One can get an incling of how Ubud might of been back in the 1940’s, by taking a moonlights crise through the villages of Penestenan, Campuhan, Peliatan etc.
For visitors who find the downtown shopping scene, tiring and constricting, hire your self some transport and go on an adventure. If you just don’t feel like moving, I suggest sitting under a bale at Cafe Lotus and sipping a cold arak madu, always works for me.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 13th, 2006