For more than two weeks in Ubud, I walked the same paths each time I go to my gamelan lessons at Pondok Bamboo. It’s more than a kilometer of walking but it never bores me.
There are quiet old moss-covered temples.
Narrow lanes.
Cute sculptures that greet you at the entrance of family compounds.
Interesting stuff for sale such as these stone sculptures.
Beautifully carved doorways that lead to equally beautiful houses.
And interesting foot paths.
In a monograph on Balinese painting, I read that the closest word there is to “art” is “life.” Why not? The Balinese, especially those in Ubud, live it and breathe it every single day of their lives. They just don’t call it “art.” It’s just is.
It comes as no surprise that everything is just so beautifully decorated.
Gamelan frames have relief sculptures.
Walking down the street, you see beautiful woven decorations such as these.
Tucked behind the Ubud Market is a narrow lane made bright by the colorful paintings on display.
The entrance to the compound is like an art gallery.
Even the entrance guardians have p a in paintings.
The Balinese love their gods and they express this through colorful offerings.
Shrines are as gaily decorated as legong dancers.
I never got bored walking around Ubud as the streets are one big canvass.
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