Tropical Storm Tour: Bali Part 11
Friday, September 4, 2015
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
A family compound gate on Jalon Hanoman in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
Gado gado at Pulu Sari Warung in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
A jungle near Jalon Bisma in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
After lunch this afternoon, I stopped by Bali Mode, a travel and visa agent, where I had dropped off my passport on my first full day in Bali, August 26, to get a 30-day visa extension. The idea was I paid them 850,000 rupiah ($58.92) to drive all the way to the immigration office in Denpasar two times, so I wouln’t have to take a taxi, which would get really expensive. They were supposed to email me by September 2, yet I still hadn’t heard from them. They said they tried to call me at the Suartha Pension, but no one had answered. I told them I had moved to a different guesthouse. They also claimed they emailed me, but I never received it–not even in my junk folder. So, they told me to return to their office on Monday, September 7 so I can hitch a ride on the back of a motorcycle to the immigration office, where they have to photograph me and have me sign some document.
A view looking north on Jalon Bisma in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
A view looking north on Jalon Bisma in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
Next, I set out on a walk south down Jalon Monkey Forest and west on a “hidden” lane over to Jalon Bisma to go on a photo mission. This was at least the third or fourth new artery I’d never coursed through during my previous two visits to Ubud in 2010 and 2012. The southern end of Jalon Bisma boasted a more rural feel, with rice fields and farms dotted with the usual villas, warungs and small stalls. The northern half looked a lot more like the rest of Ubud, packed with ornate family compound gates, guesthouses and fancy pants resorts and spas.
Some rustic shacks on Jalon Bisma in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
A rat’s eye view of Jalon Bisma in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
After turning left onto Jalon Raya Ubud, I ended up a kilometer west at Murni’s Warung near a quaint bridge across the scenic Sungai Wos River gorge. On her web site, Murmi claims that her establishment, opened in 1974, was the first real restaurant in Ubud. Occupying four levels connected by staircases that descend all the way down to the river, this ultra swank eatery caters to a well-healed clientele, offering up a gorgeous, dimly-lit atmosphere in the form of classical Balinese interiors chock-full of Hindu-Buddhist drawings, paintings and sculptures that festoon the walls and stand throughout the space.
A family compound gate on Jalon Bisma in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
The swank Sanihita Garden hotel basks in the setting sunlight on Jalon Bisma in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
After I finished eating my nasin goreng (fried rice with vegetables and tofu), I filled out the little survey card, on which I checked the “excellent” boxes for service, cleanliness and environment, but only gave them a “good” mark for the actual food. For such a steep price, I was expecting gourmet grub, but it actually tasted exactly the same as the fare in a much cheaper warung, and I told them as much in the notes section of the survey. Stepping outside, I took a short night time stroll over the bridge across the river as a light sprinkle fell from the clouds. Near a large Balinese Hindu temple complex down in the jungle, I spotted a few folks engaged in a religious ceremony on the banks of the river far below. I snapped a photo, but it turned out super blurry. I’m such an amateur!
Level two at Murni’s Warung in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
Nasi Goreng at Murni’s Warung in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
Levels three and four at Murni’s Warung in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
Words and photos ©2015 Arcane Candy.
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