Monkeys, Temples, and Firewalking

I had an amazing time in Bali, and it's one of the best countries I've visited so far.  Bali has everything: a fascinating culture, beautiful beaches, volcanoes and jungle, perfect weather, and warm, helpful people.  This was my first time traveling abroad by myself, so I was a little nervous, but everything worked out perfectly.

My first stop was Ubud, known as the cultural center of Bali.  I stayed in a homestay a few paces from the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, so there were macaques running around everywhere.  I took a walk through the forest, and inside are thousands of monkeys, three temples and hundreds of eager tourists handing out bananas to passing macaques.  These monkeys are obviously pretty aggressive, so I remained wary, unlike many of the other tourists.  At one point I was sitting on a ledge taking pictures of the monkey photographed below when all of a sudden he leaped toward me and grabbed my water bottle attached to my backpack.  It took a lot of effort to shake him off, but eventually he hopped down.  A total of three monkeys jumped on me as I walked through the park, and each time I yelped and tried to get them off me.  Needless to say, monkeys freak me out a little.

As soon as the locals put out their offerings to the Gods, the monkeys pick through them for the edible parts: usually rice and fruits.

This baby monkey was crying and sucking his finger as he looked for his mama - he eventually found her and clung to the front of her.

Pura Taman Saraswati (Ubud Water Palace)

Ubud Palace, where Ubud's royal family still resides

He found his mama...

My first night in Ubud I attended a Kecak Fire and Trance Dance.  The dance consists of a hundred men sitting in a concentric circle around the fire chanting, singing and swaying.  It depicts the Hindu story of Rama and Sita, dressed in beautiful and ornate clothing and headdresses.  After the story ends, a man representing a horse dances across the fire to protect the society against evil forces. The whole thing was absolutely fascinating and beautiful.

This was day 1 of my 9 day trip in Bali - there are many more photos coming!!