Sometimes we need a vacation from our vacation, and that’s what I was feeling on an extended stay in Ubud, in Bali. Lonely Planet seemed to suggest that Amed, on the coast, was just that sort of place. So I made arrangements with my lovely local driver, Nyoman, to take me over the mountain. Could we, I suggested, take our time and visit some coffee and spice farms along the way? Yes, certainly, and we did.
Amed is less a town than a locale, spread along the coastline without a real center. The terrain is volcanic and mostly steeply inclined to the water, with one main road wending it’s way more or less parallel to the water. I’d come to just hang out and feeling no need to stray, I spent the few days tucked into my hotel, cozy in my little bungalow in beautiful grounds, views on the sea and a good restaurant on the premises.
The gentleness of all things Balinese was illustrated to me as I was waiting on the restaurant terrace for Nyoman to arrive to take me back to my little house in Ubud. I felt a little tickle inside my shirt but thinking it was an insect that had then escaped, thought no more about it. Several minutes later I heard my name and rose to climb the stairs to leave. I felt the tickle again and a little lizard ran out from beneath my shirt, as surprised as I was, no doubt.
Fishermen for entertainment.
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Do they still leave the little boats outside each house in the morning with offerings in them ?
Sounds and looks like heaven, PM…my sort of place!