Ubud Palace
Bali had broken my heart once. An Indonesian-Javanese moslem name like me was discriminated. Hostels were unwelcome – often they said the room was full which was just a lie. It was the year of 2003. And it was only Ubud which has the exception. That is why this place is always in my heart.
Now Ubud has changed. It is more dense than before. Most balinese drivers try to avoid the monkey forest road. Shops closed, more shops open. While the famous ‘Ubud’s writers and Readers festival’ was recently held yearly, The Neka museum is becoming still as a graveyard.
Ubud still in my heart though. The surroundings kampung is still beautiful. The Campuhan valley as awesome as it was. The sound of the river down below is enchanting. And the coconut trees is breathtaking. At night, while other destination in Bali is still alive with its night life, Ubud’s night life seemed to stop, trying to be still and silent as it was years ago.
I am glad that some of Ubud’s life stay the same. It is like me. I think. As another year of my life goes by, an adventurous blood of mine is still the same. As the sound of the river deep down below tickling my ear, I encouraged myself to climbed down in the deep of the rain forest which covering the river – alone – and now without a boot nor a torch.
It was raining. Sleepy and still. The hotel’s umbrella becomes my stick. A 10.000 rupiah sandal that I have just bought almost slipped all the way down. Approaching the river, when the sound of the river is clearer, I suddenly heard another sound. I realised that in the river is not only me. A few men and women were trying to crack the river stones, making them into stone bricks.
I stopped there silently, watched them. Then slowly I watched up the line of the sky between the dense of the rain tropical trees. Just up there, upper than those trees, in one of the beautiful villa of Ubud, tourists were swimming in the cozy swimming pool, or having a slow cook lunch in one of the most expensive restaurant, viewing the beautiful dense of the trees and the valley. I was sure they never be able to see those stone breakers down below.
Beyond its beauty, Ubud is just like other places in the world, where the rich and the poor is just divided by a wall…
Carpe Diem
