Days 9 & 10: Back to Ubud, Lazy Pools, and Unexpected Christmas Songs
Well…live blog my ass ;)
The Long Road Back
Day 9 began with a familiar journey. The distance from Amed back to Ubud is only 87 km, but depending on the driver, it can take anywhere between two and four hours. Luckily, we had Joni again—our reliable driver and guide—who got us back to Budhi Ayu Villas in just about two hours.
We arrived around 3:30 pm, unpacked, and without hesitation jumped straight into the pool. After the sticky humidity on the coast, a cool swim in Ubud felt like heaven. Swimming has become my little personal project on this trip, and I can feel myself getting calmer and more controlled in the water with every practice.
Planning Ahead – The Airport Challenge
The evening was all about logistics. Our flight back to Germany leaves early Friday morning, and with a 7:10 am departure to Singapore, the timing is tricky. The airport is about 1.5 hours from Ubud, and we’d need to arrive at least two hours before departure. That means a very short night—or a smarter solution.
So we decided to check out Thursday afternoon and spend one night in Kuta. That way, Joni can drive us there, we’ll avoid a sleepless night, and I can settle up with him before we leave. Sometimes a little planning saves a lot of stress.
Dinner at Sage (Again)
For dinner, we couldn’t resist going back to Sage, one of our favorite spots. I had their Kitchari Burger—a meat substitute patty glazed with teriyaki sauce, topped with caramelized onions and grilled pineapple. This time, I finally got the fries I’d been craving, even if they came at an extra cost. Totally worth it.
The walk back in the dark was… interesting. Traffic in Ubud doesn’t exactly account for pedestrians, and walking along narrow roads at night is always an adventure. Thankfully, I had packed a headlamp from my last trip—not so much to see, but to be seen. Back at the hotel, we wound down with a couple more episodes of Tehran on Apple TV before calling it a night.
On the way to my room, though, I was greated by a rather large spider (7–8 cm across!). Missing a leg or two but still terrifying enough. Denise was disgusted, I was mostly afraid, but in the end… well, let’s just say the spider didn’t make it. Sometimes, survival mode takes over.
Breakfast Experiments and Balinese Playlists
Day 10 started with something new for breakfast: a bagel with avocado, poached egg, ham, and a sweet-spicy sauce. Delicious, but messy—it fell apart in my hands like yesterday’s burger.
What isn’t new, however, is the music playlist at the hotel. Traditional Balinese music is charming… the first few times. But by now, I’m convinced they have only three or four tracks that repeat endlessly whenever guests sit down to eat. It’s starting to get under my skin.
A Merry Christmas in September
Denise surprised me by saying she actually slept without earplugs—a first for her here. Rested and recharged, we went for a walk to Pepito supermarket. That’s where I got the biggest “shock” of the day: Christmas songs in early September, blasting through the speakers while we shopped. Outside 30°C heat and 95% humidity. Nothing like humming “Jingle Bells” while buying chips, cornflakes, and a half of a yellow watermelon (yes—yellow flesh inside, not red!). So I spontaneously whished a tourist couple a merry Christmas…a fun joke and we had a laugh together.
Afternoon Heat and a Shopping Trip
The humidity after last night’s rain was brutal. By the time we got back from the supermarket, my shirt was drenched, and the only cure was—of course—another dip in the pool. More swim practice, more progress.
Later, I felt restless and wanted to explore a bit. Denise was wiped out from the morning walk (understandable after dodging 200 scooters, inhaling exhaust fumes, and enduring the noise of Ubud’s street) but was eventually ready to go out again. So we set off to the shopping center with a Gojek driver.
I was looking for a leather-bound notebook with the option to add more paper, but no luck. I did, however, find a handmade T-shirt I liked. In Amed, I’d picked up a wristband already, and now I had something new to add to the collection.
We eventually stumbled into a street lined with restaurants and bars. Dinner ended up being another burger—delicious, but slightly overshadowed by a nearby Korean guest blasting YouTube videos on speaker and talking way too loudly. I don’t mind conversation, but please, lower the volume. And I couldn´t stop myself asking him to stop watching videos on speaker.
And with that, Day 10 came to a close. Quieter days, simple routines, small adventures. Our time in Bali is winding down, but there’s still just enough left to savor before heading home.