Ubud is a town in central Bali that is considered the arts and culture center of the island. Ubud has a population of about 8,000 people but it is difficult to distinguish the town itself from the villages that once surrounded it but are often now seen by visitors as integrated extensions of Ubud. The local Hindu inhabitants of Ubud and the surrounding towns, however, are very cognizant of the distinct villages and a keen rivalry exists amongst these towns. Mostly the rivalry is benign but once in a while takes the form of 'put-those-guys-in-their-place' bullyism. Tourists and travelers never see any of this so it isn't a factor in choosing a holiday destination.

Ubud is the largest town in Bali that exhibits traditional Hindu culture. It is colorful, exotic, religious and filled with traditional Balinese temples and architecture. It is a 'green' town, with a profusion of flowers, plants, palms, the occasional rice field (rice fields are best seen outside of Ubud as the ones once located in town have been eliminated in favor of buildings). Accompanying the flora are the fauna of the tropics: Green tree vipers, pythons, coconut snakes (widely believed by the Balinese to eat coconuts and therefore must be the only vegetarian snakes in existence), curly-tailed cats , wandering, suspicious dogs, sex and spirituality-seeking tourists and the odd lumbering monitor lizard, which can act as an auxiliary garbage collector.

Ubud's restaurants are among the best on the island and accommodation can be had for as little as $3.00 per night although expending a little more will gain you a great deal. Bicycles, motorbikes and cars can be rented but insurance is a concept that sounds excellent but the premium you pay for this insurance may never travel further toward the insurance company than the rental agent's pocket. Drive carefully. Better yet, hire someone to drive you. Don't drink the tap water. Do drink the beer.

Watch out for those coconut snakes . One tried to strangle my cat but instead the rescued cat ate the dead snake. It is not recommended that you eat them too.

~ Carrie