Bali
Our friends suggested we go with them to Bali. I mean who goes to Bali - we thought. It turned out to be beautiful and memorable. So memorable that our two-year-old brings up going surfing in Bali at least once a week. We began the trip at a beach resort in a tourist area with a great beach and a great pool for kids - ours loved the water slide.
The first night we went to the famous surfing spot Ulu Watu up on the cliffs to watch the Ramayana which is the story of Sita and Rama.
The dance began with 30 men chanting around a fire and we watched the dance with the sunset and water as a backdrop. The dancers were ornate and gorgeous. And the kids were transfixed for the entire two hours. Afterwards, the dancers stayed around to meet and take pictures. Berkeley wanted to meet “Princess Sita.” We waited out turn. “You did a beautiful dance,” Berkeley told her. And then princess Sita started teaching Berkeley how to put her hands. Berkeley’s face was starstruck. She still talks about how Princess Sita is the best princess - even better than Fiona and Cinderella.
Later, we made our way back to Uluwatu for some surf watching and swimming.
We hung out in Kuta and got lost in surf shops and made out way to Ubud which is the cultural center of Bali. It is lush, interwoven with rice paddy fields and lush, mossy statues and temples. The hotel (Alila) we stayed in there was perfect. The pool, the rooms, the service, the view. It was on the edge of a jungled ravine and one morning, we walked out a little into the jungle and watched families of monkeys swinging in the canopy above.
The kids were engaged fully the whole time we were there - the music and the dance and the costumes. It is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. We had a great time.
seriously in india blog
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
