March 14, 2023
What a fun day. This morning started with some 7 am yoga at the hostel. It was a fairly easy flow and a solid way to start the morning. The hostel offers a free breakfast which isn’t the best but it’s nice to have as an option to start the day when you don’t want to constantly pay for food when traveling. After breakfast i ran to the store to pick up some new shorts since i knew I’d be messing up a pair pretty good doing the Atv ride.
The two girls i met yesterday and i went to the Atv place for an exciting little tour. When we showed up we were introduced to our guide and another person who had booked the tour. We got our helmets and boots and were ready to head out. I want to preface- we only paid $25 usd for this tour, so it was pretty affordable. That being said, it wasn’t without its problems. The atvs did break down a couple times but we were never too delayed and the staff fixed it or swapped us onto one of theirs quickly. The tour as a whole was so much fun.
We started by cruising through the nearby village before crossing over to go by the rice paddies. Super fun little views but not totally what i was expecting to start. However, soon we crossed over to the mud track which is where things really got exciting. We got to drive through huge mud puddles and swing around corners.
About halfway through we stopped for a break where we got to drinks some freshly cut young coconuts to take a breather which was definitely needed. We sat and watched other groups rip around the track. Once we finished our drinks we did one more lap around the mud track before heading to the second track they have. A big tunnel and hill were the main components of this track. We went through a full blown river at one be point and somehow none of us flipped our atvs even tho it felt that could definitely be what happened. After we worked our way back up the hill we drifted in circles around a mud swamp and i did my best to see if i could flip my cruiser. Alas i did not, but i had SO much fun.
I was substantially sun burnt and tired when i got back to the hostel so after i quick rinse off i ran to grab some food. I decided to treat myself to my weight in sushi and mango sticky rice. The amount of food i got here would’ve probably set me back a minimum of $50 in the states, but it was about $18 here. Which is definitely more expensive for Bali but i decided to treat myself.
Once i was filled excessively i was ready to food coma nap by the pool. I situated myself here and spent the afternoon reading and relaxing. We kept getting little sprinkles of rain on and off which was actually really relaxing in the hot sun and on my sunburn. Tonight the hostel is offering a free dinner which i will absolutely be taking advantage of after spending some money today. They also had a live band that was playing and somehow i ended up singing with them when they requested a female backup for shallows. Sometimes you just have to say yes to terrifying opportunities and decide if it goes horribly leave the hostel immediately. Luckily it wasn’t horrible so i don’t have to pack up and escape.
I’ve noticed a lot of groups of people are here at the hostel which does make it a little more challenging as a solo traveler, but I’m taking it as a moment to relax and breathe. I guess about 30% of the people from the hostel here are on a large group trip through Bali. Which means they have their little crew. But that’s part of solo travel! Finding moments alone and taking it for what they are. Using Ubud as a reset and tomorrow i have one last day to explore before i will hop in an early car to catch a 9:30 ferry to the Gili T island.
