More rain in Ubud

For most of the past five mornings in Ubud it has been a rain deluge like this .......... and most days it goes on for HOURS ...... It really is a wet, wet season this year...

The rain generally starts to ease up around 12.00 - 1.00pm when you can start to venture out. A couple of afternoons we've even had spectacular sunsets which are doubly precious after the grey, rainy days.

Our first sunny morning (on Thursday) was an absolute treat ........

We got in some pool time that day and did a long walk around town working out what had changed in the past year since our last visit.

We also enjoyed a fabulous 5 star lunch at one of our fave Ubud restaurants, as we've done every day this visit come rain, hail or shine.

This was our Nasi Campur at Cafe Wayan on Thursday ...... delicious!

There was no rain on Friday - all day! We even managed a good long rice paddy walk .........

.. .... and a refreshing drink at Cafe Pomegranate in the rice fields.

Our late lunch that day was at Three Monkeys - that spicy duck dish was a dream!

Part of the Three Monkeys restaurant backdrop ........ an iconic view in my mind after all these years.

Looking very happy with our dessert ........

Three Monkeys has a beautiful and distinctive aesthetic..........

.... matched by the magical sunset that night..........

Yesterday was the wettest day so far with very heavy falls of rain as well. We did a lot of reading and relaxing ALL DAY. When the rain eased for a little in the afternoon we managed to get out for a tasty meal at Tutmak and an hour or so of people, traffic watching along Jl Dewisita.

We set out for The Indus Restaurant today around midday once the morning rain deluge had eased and encountered this dramatic scene along the way.........

The weeks of heavy rain had caused a mud slide down near the river and the collapse of a huge rainforest tree onto Jalan Raya Ubud - the main road through Ubud. The road was blocked to traffic by the time we got there. We were all hoping there were no injuries when the tree fell.

Cars were blocked and walkers and scooters were diverted over this laneway beside Jl Raya Ubud - which caused all sorts of issues too as the laneway was very steep and not designed for this volume of traffic. As we were walking back along the stairs of the laneway two scooters collided, tipping over on to the stairs just a metre of so behind us. The riders were ok, just a bit grazed and shaken.... and we were a bit shaken too! and relieved to get out of the laneway too eventually. There is very little awareness of OH&S issues in Bali - it's every man/women looking after themselves!

We checked out the Ubud Artisan Fair at Taman Baca Ubud on Jl Raya Sanggingan as we got closer to The Indus. I saw Janet de Neefe shopping for textiles at the Ngurah Gallery stall and we bought some handmade ceramic mugs from Rai Pottery, one of the local artists represented at the fair.

I loved seeing the heliconias in full bloom in the front garden of The Indus.

Lunch at The Indus never disappoints ....... salmon in banana leaves for me and Balinese bar-b-que chicken for Rob.

And that red hibiscus spritzer was worth doubling up on .......

Its always a fabulous view at The Indus - and no rain falling at all by now ......

But cloud covering those elusive views of Mt Agung today.......

The crowds were out on a fine afternoon (at last) in Ubud - at the main town intersection of Monkey Forest Road and Jl Raya Ubud near the Ubud Royal Palace.