I'm Back, Back, Back Again... Bali, Indonesia!

Bali was back in my sights for the night, I had a meeting with 'Ubud' for some 'Balinese Legong Dancing'. I had negotiated with my Bali tour driver before returning from Gili Air, he had planned my excursion with ease, he himself was a Legong dancer! Ubud was busy, the show was great but before I knew it, I was in the skies heading for Mainland China! I squeezed every drop! 

My stress levels disappeared as soon as I was on the road from the port at Padang Bai, the whole jetty moment was feral and didn't warrant the mess that transpired. My former tour guide come driver had planned a self-guided afternoon in Ubud for me, he already had my hotel address and knew where to take me later on. The journey from Padang Bai to Ubud around 'Puri Saren Agung/Ubud Palace' was a moment! I can remember the rain coming down as my car drove through the lush green roads, it was amazing to see the small houses with their own shrines. It felt nice to be back in Bali, even thought the trip was practically over, I knew that my surprise excursion would be nice. I kick myself that I never took a photo of the 'Indomaret' that I stopped at. 'Semarapura' was the lush settings we drove through, taking over one hour from the port to central Ubud. Indonesia had been an amazing destination, but for me Ubud had been that honey-pot that I needed to see once. With cash in my pocket, I was ready for something to eat.

Ubud was like an assault on the senses, from the car I could only imagine the amount of tourists on foot would be a lot to deal with. I was dropped off on the street corner outside the Ubud Palace, I was told that the tickets could be purchased for the Legong Balinese dancing easily. I managed to get the tickets with ease, but the weather really tried to play games because the rain did pour! I found an alley way, it gave me a sense of peace and quiet that the main street definitely did not. 'Hibiscus Warung Ubud', became my chosen place for tea. I loved the calm vibe that Warung gave me because it was in an alley way. Being my last night in Indonesia, I ordered the chicken satay skewers with rice. Being Bali, I ordered a local beer because reality was slowly sinking in. My simple meal was served with a smile, I loved the serene views over the way, I loved the calm it gave me because Ubud was berserk. Life was good, it was something that I needed to conclude my Indonesian holiday, Ubud was busy though! Bring on the dancing Uu! 

Sure, I was quite gutted in the beginning that my initial Bali day tour didn't include the 'Legong Balinese dancing' but sometimes the universe works in strange ways and Bali delivered! I walked into the Ubud Palace to find another manicured grass area with gorgeous red palatial structures, oozing Bali regality! My ticket was good for later on that evening, it didn't take long before I needed to find the venue for the show. I wanted to get the level of performance that 'Raja Gemini' gave us on the 'Talent Show' on 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7/All Winners!' I knew from the moment after I saw that performance I needed to visit her native 'Bali' and soak that culture in! I managed to get a seat close to the front but those tourists were doing the most. The elaborate stage came alive gradually with the first performer entering the stage, I got the Raja fantasy but on another Legong level. I felt that my final request had been made during that dancing show. Those moves were purposeful, not missing a beat, it was classically cultural! Go!

Different arrangements were brought into the dance performance, I really got into the show! Routines because ritualistic inserts, it was giving full-frontal in places but it was all cultural. Ramayana, he better don't! He already did the thing, twirling with purpose, those sacred moves were painted without any bricks present, it was smooth! Both male and female presentations had been served on the stage, towards the end of the show the a group of men served body on the stage but it wasn't six-packs at the gym, it was Balinese wraps and real bodies on show. The feel of the Legong show gave body positivity, those final dancers were bold, it was refreshing they weren't giving 'Magic Mike' on the floor! Balinese culture had been served, the journey to reach that performance had been worth it, going from a dream after seeing Raja impress RuPaul to my own viewing in Bali felt correct. Leaving the show behind me allowed me to see the chaos of Ubud, I preferred Seminyak! My Bali airport hotel called me, I was completely exhausted!

Waking up before the birds, I slipped out of my Hilton hotel room that overlooked Bali's 'I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport'. I was able to get a taxi directly from reception, I had barely slept five hours before my China Southern flight called me to check-in! Guangzhou was my first destination but Ningbo allowed me to rest my head. I met the airport terminal with hardly any passengers floating around, the days flight operations had barely started. Bali had been easy to enter and it was even easier to exit from, I checked into my flight without any issues. I found breakfast how I had in Shanghai, 'Wolfgang Puck' showed me the way to enjoy an airport breakfast without hassle. The Full English Breakfast with that pint was sublime, I spent up my final Indonesian Rupiah without shame, it was time to get back to reality. My experience at the airport was fine, it was wild how small the terminal felt considering it processed the entirety of Bali's tourism buzz! I was ready to board that first flight back to the Chinese Mainland. Let's fly! 

I had to say that I made the most of my final experience in Bali, I didn't stop from the moment my Gili Air boat docked in Bali! Fresh from a gorgeous island retreat, I made that Legong performance happen. Getting back on my tourism grind was exhausting during that final day, I knew that keeping it moving was necessary. I made peace with Ubud by seeing the madness for myself, I was sure that the outer bungalows and home-stays gave the unique experience but the crowds didn't impress me much! As mentioned before, the flight back to China from Bali was easy, the modernity of Bali Denpasar Airport really helped those depressing pre-departure moments. I am not sure whether there's going to be a 'Third Strike' but my Bali experience as a whole was enough in that sense. Being 'Back Again' was nice but a photo anywhere in Indonesia will be secured at an 'Indomaret' because I missed out on my way to Ubud! Honestly, after 20 blogs, I am officially done with this destination and country as a whole. London awaited, it did! 

Bali Or Bust? Yes! 

Desperately Seeking Adventure