For the past seven days I’ve been living and creating with a group of talented artists at a camp organised by lovely photographer Nirrimi. She rented a villa in the heart of Ubud, Indonesia and invited creatives from all over the world to stay. I’ve met some of the kindest people in the world and I feel like i’ve made lifelong friends. I’ve been photographing non-stop with both my fuji and my canon, so here is the first installment of many many pictures to come.
the beginning of my journey, waiting at the perth international airport to board my flight to indonesia. my tummy was full of butterflies and my heart full of hope.
as soon as my feet touched the tarmac i was engulfed in the sticky, warm indonesian air. the two men i had been seated next to on the plane had told me i would not be needing my jumper and they were most definitely right. after passing through immigration and customs i was now two hours late… and finally i found my name in the sea of cards that the drivers were holding. i couldn’t stop apologising for making him wait, but he was kind and told me not to worry. we drove for an hour through the streets. i was mesmerised by the different culture and also saddened by the obvious poverty.
finally we arrived at the villa where i was greeted by the kind camp bliss girls. this is my beautiful bed. my room is a tiny fortress with a mosquito net to keep all the bugs from biting (and trust me… there are millions of bugs!)
days blur into one in this beautiful oasis. so instead of documenting my days in a chronological order i’ll be blogging snippets of my adventures. time doesn’t exist in ubud, the days are peaceful and the opportunities are endless. i wake one morning to photograph the sunrise from my window.
we explore the town and take an acrobatic yoga class where i lift a man two times my size!
everyone here either drives a scooter or a van (there seem to be very few cars). children as young as ten can be seen driving (but i’m told you only get your license at seventeen). most with no helmets and often families of three or four all on the one scooter! it’s amazing.
gorgeous heidi admiring the view from our front doorstep
most of the camp bliss members hire scooters to ride around as it is the easiest form of transport. i’m a little uncoordinated so i’m usually heidi’s passenger.
girl scooter gang.
we rode to the rice fields, such an incredible view. it’s amazing how they use the land to feed the people.
aaron and jess taking it all in.
heidi bought one of these beautiful crochet blankets and i’m dying to get one too!
beautiful offerings to the gods. they give something each day and the air is filled with incense.
stopping for a bite to eat at juice ja, the food in ubud is so delicious and so so cheap. most of the time i am buying a big healthy lunch or dinner for under $5.
some of the camp bliss gang.
we drove to the markets and i bought some of the best pants (so comfy and practical). i’m starting to get the hang of bartering but at first i was so nervous.
breakfast each morning at the camp bliss villa
dom’s beautiful daughter lilly who has stolen my heart.
lydia watching from our front doorstep.
sticky, warm, foggy mornings.
dom and lilly looking out over the rice fields from our upstairs common room, my favourite place to watch the rain.
heidi writing notes in her journal
beautiful balinese people harvesting the rice field in our front garden. i joined them to take some pictures.
heidi and lily watching from the front steps.
nirrimi rescued a stray pup from the side of the road just before he was almost hit by a car. he was muddy and tired, with tics in his fur. he slept for two days and a few of the girls took him to the vet to check that he is healthy (and he is). we named him bahli and we are looking for a new home for him. here is sleepy bahli and gorgeous amanda
rainy days watching from the window and dancing in puddles.
I can’t believe how many pictures i’ve taken already! These span over two or three days and I have so many more to share. The culture is so rich here and the people are so kind and caring. I say hello to every person I pass, and anyone is willing to help the moment you need it. My heart swells with love for this beautiful country.
