Day 80 - A lazy ride to Ubud and a bunch of random photos - Unfinished Business

July 19, 2023

Day 80 - A lazy ride to Ubud and a bunch of random photos

I woke late feeling as though I may have smoked a good few of the fags that I saw on yesterday's ferry.

I had no idea where I ended up last night but was pleasantly surprised.

I was less impressed with the view 50 m away and was certain of one thing - a couple of hours here would be plenty.

Snorkeling day! Does no one realise that the sea is a dirty chop?

Trying to defend their patch. But what about bookings.com and the rest? They keep 18% and keep your money for a week.

I had a slow start to the day - a couple of breakfasts before heading off at 11. I hadn't gone 500 m, when I got away from the masses.

I used my internal compass to head directly towards Ubud, but it wasn't long before I hit busy roads. Again, they didn't bother me.

At one point, I got onto a divided road.

The traffic got heavier until it jammed. I slid up the inside and continued on my merry way. Ubud was getting close, I thought.

A Balinese roundabout choked with traffic.

And then I started to see yoga places, spas, massage and tattoo joints, vape shops, tour vendors and a higher concentration of white people on scooters. Things were turning from cosy warm to Arizona hot. I don't know what separates Ubud from the next place but I had arrived.

I easily found a very nice guest house set in beautiful grounds. It sat next to a restaurant, "Chai of the Tiger", that dished up first-rate Indian food. The guesthouse deserves a few photos.

My host - Nyman Warta, preparing temple decorations.

The guesthouse sits in beautiful gardens.

I spent part of the afternoon wandering about amazed at what the streets offered. Rid this place of the traffic and you expose a gem! That's unlikely, because Indonesia seems a place where anything goes.

Here's a random selection of photos.

Toss in a few cars and you've got Ubud's traffic problem.

Just up the road was a vegetarian buffet. If I owned such an establishment, I would display a sign "TOURING CYCLISTS NOT ADMITTED". They didn't and suffered accordingly.

Today's ride: 37 km (23 miles)
Total: 6,066 km (3,767 miles)

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