Bali by Pool – Day 12 – Zolina's Travels

The breakneck pace of my adventures finally caught up to me today. My legs were still tired from the volcano trek, and I din’t feel like going anywhere. Plus, I had two days left in Ubud and there were only a couple things left that I really wanted to do. So I decided to spend a day doing absolutely nothing except relax. So hopefully this blog will actually be short for once.

I spent the entire day at the hotel, getting in lots of relaxing pool time. I was amazed at how long I could stay at the pool without really doing much. I’d somehow managed to clear my mind of all my normal worries, and my thoughts were very quiet. Normally I get bored after an hour or two of relaxing. But not today. My mind was at peace and wanted to stay that way.

So I alternated between relaxing in the sun of the pool and the shade of a pool chair. I did get a little entertainment from a troupe of monkeys foraging through the hotel grounds. They came along the top of the outer wall, and then came down right beside me, to the edge of the pool. A couple of them took drinks from the pool, which I found strange. And then they hung out in the pool chairs for a little while.

I did take a break from the pool to enjoy the hotel spa again. I decided to get a hot stone massage this time. I’d never had a real one before, just a quick 15 minute one that was part of a package on a cruise ship. I think it was only the shoulders and back. But this one was full body. And I actually didn’t like it that much. It was relaxing, and I liked how they left the hot stones on different parts of my body after they finished an area. But overall it was too gentle.

I didn’t really want to leave the hotel at all, but I needed food and didn’t feel like eating at the hotel restaurant again. Plus, I didn’t want to miss another night of Balinese dance. So I made myself change out of my bathing suit and into normal clothes.

I went to dinner at a place I’d walked past a couple times near the monkey forest. It was called the Tropical View Cafe. I was a little worried about the quality of food, since my random choice the night before hadn’t turned out so good. But the food was wonderful. And I had another gorgeous view of a rice field.

For the evening dance performance, I decided to go see another Legong and Barong dance. It was same kind I’d seen my first night in Bali, and it had been so amazing that I wanted to see it again. But this time it would be a different dance troupe and a different location. It was at the Pura Dalem Ubud, the same temple where I’d seen the Kuningan ceremony. It was in a pavilion outside the actual temple, but the stage was the most beautifully decorated I’d seen yet.

It’s interesting how the Balinese dance performances are never just what they advertise. There are usually at least five different dances, so there are others mixed in with what is advertised. Here’s what I got tonight:

Gabor/Pendent Dance: a presentation of an offering, normally to welcome the gods who attend a temple festival. There were three female dancers carrying an offering and at the end they sprinkled the dance floor with flower petals.
Baris Dance: a dance glorifying the manhood of the Balinese warrior. A “Baris” is a line of soldiers, and was the name of the warriors who fought for the king.
Legong Dance: a classical dance traditionally staged in the palace courtyard to entertain the king.
Jauk Dance: a dance with a demon wearing a mask, who is alone and playing in the jungle.
Oleg Tamulilingan: a love dance, which starts with a lone girl who later attracts a boy
Barong Dance: a dance that represents the eternal struggle between good and evil, with the mystical animal called a Barong representing good.

This could be a record for my shortest blog ever!