Japanese restaurant

In the beginning of last week we went to Ryoshi, a japanese restaurant with Ayu and Bagus. Great food and nice place even if Ayu an Bagus had some family drama :)

A lot to choose from.

Nice place and atmosphere

And good food :)

Very clear night at the hotel's pool

View from the hotel's top floor.

Local wedding

Some weeks ago we went to a local wedding of one Ketut's employee.

a part of the ceremony, wedding couple on left.

Me, a little sister of another employee of the restaurant and Ketut

Balinese buffet

Bagus and the gang

Lembu

Yesterday while walking around Ubud I saw these decorative cows next to one temple. Now I sit in the Gayatri restaurant and after asking what they are for the waitresses and Ketut's sister tells me about them. Because of the language barrier Im not sure if I got all the details correct but it is something like this: 

"Lembu" means cows in Malay. These ritual cows are a part of the mass cremation which will happen in the end of July.  All the people who have died before this and been once burned already will be caved back up and be placed in these cows for the second, more ceremonial cremation where they burn these cows and the ashes inside (Sometimes they also place bodies inside these if there hasn't yet been the first cremation). This happends maybe every 4-5 years and it is a really big ceremony. There are different animals for different occasions and Im not sure how they are related to the caste and regions but sometimes they make for example lions too.

Operation Gayatri House

Here are some pictures about the Gayatri House we are making. We are still finishing the details of the building before starting to put the interiors together. These first pictures are when I arrived here and the windows ect wasnt yet installed but slowly slowly it is happening! Today we started to build the kichen and everyday I have made plans and sketches about the interiors. So when the rooms are cleaned and ready the interiors will happend :)

Mainenterance is soon ready to have the mosaic on it :)

stones to do the bathroom floors and the mosaic for the main enterance.

Today started to built the kitchen.

Under the bridge

Beautiful place in Ubud. The scenario reminds me of Jurassic park with the wild nature and heavy structured bridges ect. Next to the river there is also a nice temple and a new couple taking there wedding pictures.

Kuta beach

Last thursday we went to Kuta to celebrate my birthday. We took the shuttle bus from Ubud and arrived there around eight o'clock in the evening. After checking in to our hotel and having dinner we headed to check the clubs like Sky Garden, Ekon, Engine Room and Bounty. With Ayu, Jassu and Kata we danced a lot and over all it was a perfect birthday! On friday morning we went to the beach. We spent the day swimming, sunbathing, shopping and eating. In the evening there were the Sweet seventeen party in our hotel I wrote about before. On saturday we went to the beach again and then took the shuttle bus back to Ubud. Kuta was nice change for Ubud and it felt really good to visit some place new.

The waves brings coral pieces and shells to the shore. I have never actually seen coral like this before and even if it has lost all the colours and everthing I still find them interesting :) Even took few good looking ones and brought them back to Ubud.

I really enjoy just looking the different people passing by.

And of course in Kuta there are many surfer beginners. Everywhere you look you see someone carrying his or her surfing board around and when you enter the beach there are many locals offering surfing classes. It was nice to watch how they first teach on ground and then slowly going to water to try the waves.

With Ayu we have tried to get some good looking tan like these dudes.

For her it is going pretty well but me, after 3 weeks im still white like a snowman. After hours and hours of lying there I only managed to burn my feet. I'm sure I miss the tan gene :)

Sweet seventeen party

When we arrived to our hotel in Kuta there were huge "Nadya sweet seventeen party" sign in front of us. First we were sure it must be some Australian girl having her fancy party in Bali and we already saw one group that match this image but on the next day we found out that the party was for the daughter of the place's owner. As a hotel guest we were also invited to join the party and even thou at daytime the decorations seemed pretty corny, at night it looked very nice.

View to the pool.

Lanterns floating on the pool.

Buffet at the garden were full of sateys and other good dishes.

Fire show.

Last guests still chatting by the pool.