Beautiful Bali but for how much longer?

The Twin Lakes

A Hindu temple

Lake Braton

We arrived in Ubud after a stunning drive over the mountains visiting the Twin lakes and the temples at Lake Bratan. I couldn't recognise a single feature of Ubud as it was full of shops, hotels and restaurants. I remember it being full of temples and a fruit and vegetable market but it had changed beyond recognition somehow retaining its charm and cultural and spiritual ambience. We stayed in a lovely homestay with it's own family temple and wandering around the streets you can understand why people fall under Ubud's spell. We went to the watch the Balinese dancing which has now been reduced to a manageable hour and a half rather than the epic three hours, Andrew and I sat through! We walked through the padi fields, visited temples including the vast Goa Gajah Temple that is only partially excavated, ate in exquisite tastefully decorated restaurants  and bought more ikat sarongs which are hand woven in Bali (which Lisa and I love) It was charming and full of  French and Canadian Quebecois tourists and women searching for "something". The film/book  Eat Pray Love, was set in Ubud but since I haven't seen it I've no idea what impact it has had except that there are many spas, botox clinics, yoga centres and spiritual places to find "oneself" in.

Our Homestay's temple

Goa Gajah Cave

Offerings for the Gods

The market

Another Temple!

The Balinese Dancers

We got a mini-bus to the airport from Ubud and that is when I realised how much Bali has changed. I was so relieved that we had come in by ferry from the north. It is completely built up with hotels, shops, malls, businesses selling anything and everything. Fortunately we only drove through it but I could not have stayed one night there. Please Bali, don't lose your charm.