MOZAIC AND MONKEY FOREST

 

We began our first day in Ubud with a stroll down to the Sacred Monkey Forest. I recalled all our past visits to this place as being a bit lawless, with someone selling bananas to tourists to feed the monkeys and in turn the Monkeys had developed a very aggressive focus on getting things from humans. I also remembered the walk as being a dirt path straight through the jungle and monkeys played in the trees above. I was shocked by the change in the entire place when we arrived this time. The old dirt path entrance was closed off and all traffic diverted to a new entrance with a ticket booth and parking lot and no more selling bananas. New rules were in place where only staff fed monkeys and in turn the monkeys were much less acclimated to taking things from people -- a relief to the boys. The walk was through a completely different area than we'd been in before, with a carved cave and many beautiful paved paths with temple buildings and statues. It was very crowded but the kids loved seeing the monkeys up close and it was worth the entrance fee.  

After the walk, we had lunch at the restaurant near the entrance and then Mum, Joel and C headed back to the hotel and A and I went for a shop along Monkey Forest Road. 

I'd heard that Ubud had been inundated with development and that locals had been really pushed to the edges of town and that is certainly what I felt returning so familiar streets and seeing high street shops like Quicksilver and higher end boutiques owned by Europeans replacing the little shops that I used to visit for silks and woven bags. I found a few linen items -- at near-Europe prices. Then we found an alley with really small vendors selling the usual stuff but not very well made. The things you see in outdoor stalls at every single temple. I haggled for bits and pieces but left without the things I was really hoping to discover again. Ah well. 

This is the evening we booked our tasting menu at Mosaic. A return to what had always been THE restaurant I have compared every other to since our first visit. This was to be my 4th time and I hoped it lived up to my memory. 

It was even better. I know, it sounds crazy, I've done French Laundry and other Michelin star restaurants in a few countries at this point but I'm here to tell you Mozaic is just better. We did their 8 course menu with the kids over a spectacular 3 hours of the most genuine and gracious service. The kids loved it, their bartender even made them little drink pairings for each course and came out to explain each one. This was truly a very high point in the trip for each of us. It was lovely to know that at least this little corner of Ubud was preserved.