I was Yogyakarta couple of days ago...I didn't like it at all. Maybe I wasn't at the right spots but to me, Yogyakarta is a little like Suzhou of China in the sense that it is known for the philosophers, temples, palace and preserved ancient culture...but all these things are all miles apart and surrounded by the dusty roads and polluted air of the city. Sometimes, well-preserved things can lose their meanings. There is little difference between seeing those monuments on a picture and in person.
Ubud is different; everything feels so fresh and balinese here. I don't need to walk 2km across a dusty city to find a balinese temple; the culture is simply everywhere I go. The rituals, the nature, offerings made to spirits, nature-based worship, flowers, bali coffee, penjor, etc. Those are things that I cannot see on a picture. It's a very special place; little things like walking out of my house to see flower offerings on my doorstep make me love this place so much...
I stay in an Indonesian house; there's a pond right in front and a rice field in the backyard. There is no aircon here, but it is surprisingly cool. But sometimes, I'm a little scared at night because I can hear the noise from outside...
Monkey forest. I saw monkeys having sex for the first time...I was so embarrassed to look at them! They were so close to me that I could even see their penises, tits and vaginas. I'm so immature, right.
The penjors are in front of every house.
Kiddos :)
Having breakfast overlooking an active volcano; Mount Batur.
.PNG)
