Ubud,the cultural center of Bali

Still don't quite know how to pronounce this town, if it's oobud or oobood but no one really seems to care that much.  So I guess I'm in the clear.

When I arrived here I had no touts trying to get me to go with their taxi so I hoofed it through town.  I decided to go "upscale" and spend more than 30$ night.  First place I tried was booked.  Next place was good.  Puri Saren.  Nice little room in the center of town, with a/c and trickling hot water.  A big breakfast, toast, an omelette, a big plate of fruit and banana pancakes.  And always tea.  Too much for me.

First day I didn't do much of anything, went browsing around the local market and saw an evening dance performance at my hotel. 

I'd planned to see the monkey forest my second day but the cremation ceremony also took place here.  Bizarre ritual.  After digging up the honored dead, they clean  and dress the bones, place them in a tower.  In front of the tower is what looks like a bull, constructed out of styrofoam.  Both are on platforms of bamboo.  Eventually, after food and music, the platforms are lifted by a horde of guys (I helped) and carried about a kilometer to another temple.  Then the bull is cut open, the bones are transferred to it and it's set ablaze.  These are its charred remains.

.After dinner and a massage I explored the grounds of my hotel.  A bunch of people were sitting around in back but their dogs barked at me.  The next morning I asked the guy at the front desk about it and he told me that's the royal family.  Turns out my hotel, a homestay, is the palace.  That's why when people ask where I'm staying and I tell them they're so impressed!

I saved my fruit from breakfast and went to the monkey forest. The monkeys encircled me waiting for handouts. They liked it except for one big guy who doesn't like pineapple. What a lot of monkeys. Some of the ones I'd fed followed me around for awhile. A little one jumped on my shoulder. When I tried scratching him on the head he started nibbling on my shoulder. I jumped and he jumped off. There seems to be a lot of purification ceremonies here. A bunch of the localswere building something. I stopped and talked with one, who must be pretty well-to-do by Indonesian standards. His command of English was spectacular, he does a great deal of travelling (doesn't like NY - says no w/o money there, there's no joy) and owns a local restaurant or two. He told me about the purification ceremony they were preparing for, which takes place once every ten years. I spent a few hours in the park, had a bunch more monkeys climb on me. Unfortunately, no one was around to use my camera to take pictures of me then.

Afterwards, I book a trip to Ganung Batur to see the sunrise.  I'll write a bit more later.  Now I'm going to the Neka Art Museum, which I've heard a lot of people praising.