April - and it's travel season again as Easter invites us to manipulate a day off work to gain an extra long holiday! This time i'm off to the Island of the Gods - that's Bali - to meet up with my good friend, Judy, who is flying in from Singapore. I land in Bali on a short Jetstar flight and, leaving the bogans at the baggage claim, I head straight to Ubud, a beautiful mountain town billed as the cultural heartland of Bali.
What a charming place Ubud is. I wake up and smell a mix of jasmine and incense as graceful women carry trays to make the morning offering to the gods. I catch up on gossip with Judy and wander around the markets, eating great food and visiting art galleries. One of the first places we visit is Ibu Oka - the famous 'no frills' eatery serving Bali's best babi guling or roast suckling pig. Here's a picture of me looking very happy at receiving my portion of babi guling. The crackling is so sharp, the meat very spicy (not hot but definitely spiced) and the rice, fragrant and filling.
What a far cry from the madness of Kuta (which I visited more than 10 years ago) with its neon dreariness, Aussie bogans, Bintang beer smells and general sadness. The people in Ubud are laid back and chilled, very friendly and accommodating.
I also have the most amazing spa treatments at a nirvana next to our little hotel, overlooking a rice paddy field. I settle into a routine of wandering around the boutiques, swimming in the tranquil hotel pool, having an afternoon nap and then dinner and drinks before an early night. What a great way to rest up after a hectic time at work.
Not forgetting that Ubud is also the spiritual capital of Bali, I visit the local yoga centre, called Yoga Barn. Our classes take place in a gorgeous, circular thatched building in the middle of a rice paddy field. Maybe it is the warm weather but I feel my asanas are more aligned and my breathing is definitely centred. As I lie in chivasana, I hear the breeze rustling the leaves and the roosters crowing and I smell inevitable afternoon rain in the air. Rolling up my yoga mat, I head back to the hotel, for that well-earnt afternoon nap.
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