Ubud is for Lovers

Bali is an interesting place for many reasons.  The island has a vibrant culture, delicious food, great music, and the list simply goes on and on.  I arrived in Bali on Monday morning, with my destination being Ubud; a town which lies about an hour away from Denpasar (where the airport is).  Last year, I went to Kuta, another area, for four days with my cousin.  However, Kuta and Ubud are nothing alike.  Kuta is Bali's party and tourist central; it has a beautiful, busy beach, and the nightlife is absolutely exceptional.  In going to Kuta, one will experience all of the typical touristy things that are expected of island/resort destinations. 
This is my first time in Ubud, and I mean really in Ubud.  Last year, we did visit GWK (a park dedicated to the Hindu god Krishna) and when I was little I experienced the joys and terror of the Holy Monkey Forest, but I never thought I would feel about it the way I do now.
Ubud is actually much cooler (both literally and figuratively) than Kuta, as it lies at a higher elevation above sea level.  It is also the heart of music and art in Bali; truly a cultural center for the island.  Tons of artsy and creative things go on here, like art expos and Balinese music and dance shows.  It gives off a completely different vibe than happy-go-lucky Kuta, and actually feels cooler and hipper.  This is where all of the visual artists and musicians are; the people who have a true sense of what their art is (and they take it very seriously). 
My main purpose for being here is to do some volunteering with a local NGO called the IDEP Foundation, a grassroots sustainable development organization that focuses on permaculture, creating a healthy and sustainable environment, and disaster management.  Since I have no earthly clue about anything to do with the environment, let alone permaculture, I'm helping out where I am the most useful - in translating documents from Bahasa Indonesia to English.  The best thing about this is that I can do it pretty much anywhere from my laptop.  It's nice, because whereas it is office work (which I normally despise), I'm doing it in a much more relaxed setting and I'm not stuck behind a desk in a stuffy building for hours.   
I'm looking forward to spending more time here and getting to know the people who work at IDEP.  They all seem really nice, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to do some work with an NGO like this.
Initially, I was staying with Petra, who started the organization.  She has a beautiful home; when I arrived there, I thought that I was walking into a Hindu garden of the gods.  However, her home is a bit full at the moment and she doesn't have an extra bedroom available, so IDEP hooked me up with a hotel room in town and a motorbike for transportation.  I feel like I hit the jackpot here - I'm so lucky!  Alhamdulillah :)

For more information about the IDEP Foundation, visit http://www.idepfoundation.org