crazy beautiful

i am in ubud. holy crap, this place is gorgeous! with the exception of all the older new age hippy foreigners wandering around trying to find "enlightenment," this place is darn near paradise. fyi, this is where the people with money come when they visit bali. high-end restaurants and shops everywhere, and some of the prices are actually comparable to the u.s. still, mostly an outstanding deal for some of the freshest, most delicious food on earth. but it's so hot, i don't eat much.

this morning i went to the monkey forest and took LOTS of pictures. those critters are hilarious. they try to take everything from the tourists, e.g., cameras, food in shiny packages, sunglasses...one got away with a water today. they know the system: steal something, then get lured back with food. and the forest is crawling with monkeys. they hang out right next to you. the forest itself is ridiculous. it's a primary rainforest, and absolutely breathtaking. i was lucky to find a path where no other tourists were venturing...got some time alone in the quiet, got to sit around and just listen to the forest. the monkeys even left me alone.

i later stopped at a restaurant for some tea. i've been doing that a lot lately. they have really good ginger tea around here for like a buck! i sit and people watch, although everyone is starting to look the same - aussies and euros. i hear there is a couple from the u.s. staying at my "hotel," but i haven't come across them yet. still, it could be my first encounter with people from home. weird. i thought this place was crawling with u.s. folk. apparently not. i keep getting mistaken for german (my last name - my invoice at the first hotel was even printed out in german). oh, and the best part is whenever i go into a restaurant and ask for a table, they want to know where my "number 2" is, every time! i'm like, yeah, it's just me. then they're shocked and look like they feel sorry for me and want to make small talk because they think i'm weird or maybe lonely, something. they want to know if i am "married or have boyfriend," and "where is he?" when asked if you're married, you're supposed to say "not yet." that's what they all say around here. i flat out say, "no way jose" (which they don't quite understand), and "men are nothing but trouble." they understand the word trouble and most woman agree with me. still, to put them at ease, i usually end the tension by simply saying, "ok, so not yet." hmm.

i have definitely learned a few things about myself on this trip so far. for one, traveling solo for three weeks is too long...for me. i am CRAVING some good conversation right now, and i am not finding any with other tourists. really, the tourists here (again, aussies and euros) are SO not friendly. they don't even return a smile. i have also learned that i don't so much miss my apartment or bed or clean tap water (i think i've traveled enough to have already learned to appreciate such things), but it's the people i miss. ok, i am not going to get all sappy here, but seriously, i miss my friends and family, i miss the phone ringing, and i actually miss work because i have the coolest coworkers ever! but i am taking this trip for what it is: an experience in another culture.

ok, it's tea time. i think they've put the tea outside on my front porch now. i can go drink some yummy tea and stare at the rice field next door to me. hehe.