UBUD FOR THE
UNINITIATED
If Bali
makes you indulge in sin, its little cousin offers ways to heal the soul
Society, my profession,
my family… everyone is always trying to teach me to be the perfect woman. Hair
in place, always in heels, perfectly coiffed and manicured, flat belly, clear
skin and skinny thighs.
Yet I have always been
quite the opposite – swimming in oceans, jumping in puddles, running around
barefoot, dancing in the rain and eating everything in sight.
My family would sometimes
say in exasperation when I had been out all day in the sun, looking like a
little street kid, “You’re such a rakharpatti (this may be a made up negative
word for wanderer). Whose daughter are you?”
I would get smacked for
swimming out too deep in the ocean. My family was always concerned about my
well-being, trying to protect me and groom me into being what society considers
‘a classy woman’.
When people asked me what
my ambition was, I never thought of Bollywood or acting. I thought I was going
to see the world, swim in it, dive into different cultures. I was going to
taste life and all it had to offer. I was going to have adventures. That was my
dream. And everything else, modelling, acting, hosting shows, etc., was the
means to get to it.
I started modelling and
then got picked by MTV to go to Singapore, from where I hosted shows that aired
all over Asia.
My “rakharpatti” spirit
was stronger than ever.
I wanted to discover the
world. Here I was, earning a good salary as a teenager and living away from
home. The world was my oyster and I was going to discover it.
So one weekend, I quietly
packed a bag and jumped on a flight to Bali without telling anyone. I was about
19 years old.
The highlight of my trip
was Ubud, which opened the gate to hundreds of solo miraculous adventures for
me. I remember coming back from the trip feeling empowered. It was my coming of
age story. Travelling solo made me who I am today.
I learned that I was
responsible for myself. It made me believe in me. It taught me while it’s nice
to rely on someone, it’s also nice to know that that someone is me.
Whenever life’s little
problems arise, I remind myself of all my solo adventures starting in Ubud,
Bali. And I am able to smile and face whatever situation arises, big or small.
So Ubud, Bali, is very
special to me. That’s why, when I decided to start documenting my travels for
social media and get into the world of travel blogging, I decided to go back to
Ubud. That small mystical, spiritual village in Bali that the world now knew
from Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. Ubud had been all those three things to
me before I even read the book. Ubud means ‘medicine’ in Bahasa, and its air
has magical healing powers. Even though it has become much more crowded and
commercial since I visited as a teenager, Ubud once again did some magic and
changed my life, opening up a whole new world for me, reminding me who I was
and always wanted to be.
I hear royal families
from across Indonesia sent their sickly members to Ubud to be cured. This
tradition continues even today, with people from all over the world arriving in
hope of healing.
I leave Ubud refreshed,
healed and with a twinkle in my eye, just like I did when I visited as a
teenager. brunchletters@hindustantimes.com Follow @HTBrunch on Twitter
For Balinese cuisine in
Ubud, visit Nasi Ayam Kedewatan and try the hot seller sate lilit (Source:
Lonely Planet) Visit Gianyar night market to sample the the best Balinese
street food (Source: Conde Naste Traveller) Relax and rejuvenate at Karsa Spa,
one of the best in Ubud (Source: Trip Advisor)
MUST-DOS!
1
Meander through the Tegallalang Rice Terraces.
2
Visit an outdoor spa. Get some intuitive body work, which combines deep tissue
massage, reflexology, and acupressure.
3
Spend time in the temples. Everywhere you look, there is a Balinese Hindu
temple, and women are making offerings of rice and brightly-coloured flowers.
4
EAT! Besides the delicious local food, Ubud has become the raw food capital of
the world, with more vegetarian, vegan and raw food restaurants per square
kilometre than New York or Los Angeles.
5
Have breakfast in your hotel pool.
6
Sign up for yoga and master your downward dog. 7 Visit a healer – or Balian.
Medicinal herbs and ancient teachings are used to treat patients who come to
them for their physical and emotional well-being.
8
Take a retreat. Ubud is the world capital of spiritual retreats, if you want to
heal the wounds of love. Or simply get a detox.
9
Re-invent yourself.
By Shenaz Treasury The
writer is a former VJ whose love for travel and photography has taken her all
around the world.
HTBR18JUN17
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