Here  is another wonderful inspirational thought and considering the hectic lifestyle many of us live today, it is worth a read and a long hard thought….

“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.

“The box is gone,” he said.

“What box?  ” Mom asked.

“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk.  I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside.  All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most,’” Jack said.

It was gone.  Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box.  He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

“Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said.  “I better get some sleep.  I have an early flight home, Mom.”

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died.  Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox.  “Signature required on a package.  No one at home.  Please stop by the main post office within the next three days,” the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package.  The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago.  The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention.

“Mr.  Harold Belser” it read.

Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package.  There inside was the gold box and an envelope.  Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.

“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett.  It’s the thing I valued most in my life.”  A small key was taped to the letter.  His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box.  There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.  Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover.

Inside he found these words engraved: “Jack, Thanks for your time!  Harold Belser.”

“The thing he valued most…was…my time.”

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. 

“Why?” Janet, his assistant asked.

“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.

“Oh, by the way, Janet…thanks for your time!”

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.”

- Unknown -

It’s not like Phuket, Thailand and Patong beach where you drink and party non stop to 3 in the morning and more…..though Phuket also has it’s great sides and also has some wonderful people, but more of that in a different article.

Bali is different……….very different, but that does not mean that you cannot experience great night life as well…on the contrary…you can!  big time, so you never have to miss out on that part of entertainment.

Let me just mention a couple of really cool places around the Seminyak and Kerobokan area “The Living Room” and “Hu’u”.

Both these places are not ordinary pubs..they are a sensation one has to experience. Located in Kerobokan just behind “The Living Room”,  Hu’u is a modern-minimalist styled restaurant which provides a great relaxing atmosphere for a cocktail or even a great place for dinner….in the words of the Hu’u website ….Hu’u is best described as a state on consciousness that brings together the quiet elegance imbibed by the mysticism of Bali with a cosmopolitan feel shared by the fusion of our international clientele. Every taxi driver knows it and if you are in the area…go experience it!

“The Living Room” is another great place to enjoy an incredible atmosphere.  ..in the words of the website…”The Living Room keeps the whole concept of ‘living room inspiration’ that makes people feel like their second home and it’s always a surprise. So relax, eat, smile and repeat …! Carry on… to unwind the dazzling Lounge or simply sip on cocktails at the bar”. On your next trip don’t forget to go to both these places… the ambiance is incredible and cannot be compared to other places in the world….best thing to suggest, if you have not been there yet, have a look at their gallery here. Whether it’s for a great dining experience, some fantastic cocktails or a simple beer…GO THERE!

So what does all this have to do with Ubud?…when you compare nightlife to the wee hours in the morning Ubud cannot compare…in my experience! There are some great bars in Ubud as well, but the style and scale of these clubs is slightly different.

Ubud is where your painters and carvers are at home…Ubud is a great cultural center and the club scene,  while available is smaller. The lights go out around midnight..maybe 1 a.m. So, while you don’t have all these clubs, Ubud offers some very exclusive dining places and it is a great place to relax.

One of the good things is that the traffic is a lot less than both in the Seminyak and Kuta areas where traffic can really ruin your day. Ubud is relaxing…it has great cafe’s a string of nice clubs like “The Laughing Buddha” on Monkey Forest Road or the “Jazz Cafe”…just to mention a couple. Compared to the other two Seminyak clubs mentioned above, the beer here is nearly half price, the ambiance is also great at a smaller scale and they also offer some great food. Very nice staff and a very relaxing place to enjoy a good evening. Every second day they have a live band playing …….and these bands are good, mainly around blues and jazzy type music, though when I was there a couple of weeks ago, they had a great violinist from Hungary performing together with some local talents…fantastic!!…even the traffic on the street stopped to listen… Furthermore, around the football field in Ubud, there are quite a few clubs, all with live music and good food and drinks…

Around the football field I can think of a few great places to have meal, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner…everyday eating places…not exclusive night life type restaurants.One of my favorites’ here is Tutmak…right by the football field. They have one of the best Nasi Campur dish i have eaten and their fruit juices and coffee are not bad at all….Tutmak has been around a long time and has, over time, created a good reputation, nice open ambiance and friendly staff. The prices are a bit higher, though the food is really good and worth the experience. 

So here is my suggestion …..plan a trip to Bali…..plan a trip to Ubud and don’t forget Seminyak and Kerobokan as well and enjoy a fabulous holiday….go on..run along now…the ducks are waiting..