Let’s start with the people. The people are the kindest and most down to earth people I have ever met. Always willing to help out or give the kids a high five as we walked past, they are family people. The Balinese are obsessed with kids. They made every moment as a parent on the island so much easier. It wasn’t uncommon for someone to randomly pick up Hugh in a restaurant and play with him. The kids would get private tours or extra little things at every stop along the way. It was such a dream as a parent to know that our kids were never an imposition or a nuisance. They were always welcomed with literal open arms.
There were a few people from Ubud specifically who will never leave me. There was the old lady on Raya Ubud who ran her little shop filled with art, souvenirs and fresh fruit. Every. Single. Time. We walked past with the kids she would offer up the largest smile and start to shower them (especially Hugh) with so much love and fruit! “Hey boy! Hey boy! Take bananas! Take rambutan! So cute boy! You have good Mommy!” I loved her. She made me feel and home and wanted to give us so much more than I knew she could afford to give. A truly beautiful soul.
Then there was Nyoman. One of the caretakers at our property. Young and handsome and so willing to go above and beyond to make the kids happy, which in turn made me happy. If he was upstairs as we returned from a trip out, he would scoop up Hugh and carry him down the stairs as he made him explode into giggles with tickling and sound effects. Henry fell in love with his willingness to teach him everything about the island he loves so much. Nyoman would run around the boys in the grass and let them help with the daily offerings. He would smile broadly if he caught me doing yoga on the patio or take a deep inhale to smell any food that I may been cooking when he came in to replace our water. He was like family to us for the month.
The best thing I can do, to even begin to have you understand the beauty of Bali is to put you there. Close your eyes, and imagine this. You are sitting in the sun on our villa porch. The marble tiles that cover the porch are hot from the morning sun and the heat of the midday is creating tiny beads of sweat to form all over your body. There are tiny sparrow like birds playing in the spillway of the pool trying to cool off and find a little bit of hydration. There is the soft trickle of water as it moves through the pools and runs over the spillway. Every once in a while you can hear the engine of a scooter on the main road or a soft hammering from the construction on the new resort down the street. The trees are constantly moving creating a rustling noise and you aren’t sure if it is just the wind or a bird or maybe even a monkey (be careful, they like to walk along the back wall). The humidity in the air carries the mixed scent of sweet local fruit, grass, and sometimes the subtle hint of exhaust. It’s perfect.
I can’t really say much more, but what I can say is this: Go to Bali. It is unlike any other place I have ever been and will ever go again. We will be undoubtedly be back. We will eat the food and hug the people. We will dodge the scooters in the streets and grab fruit juices on hot days. We will nap by the pool and never want to leave. Seriously. Go to Bali.
Steph
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