There are two markets in Ubud, Bali. The first is your typical tourist trap, brimming with straw hats, Hawaiian shirts, and hand carved kitsch. The second, is a proper market. The Market. It’s the nucleus for the vast array of smells that fill each Balinese street, temple, and kitchen; musky sandalwood incense, sweet blooms of Frangipani, and a spectrum of spices as colourful as Vishnu himself. Somehow, despite their difference in clientele, both of these markets manage to share the same location. To make this arrangement work, The Market starts before sunrise, and only gives way to the souvenir vendors after nine o’clock, well after it’s been bought out.
I managed to rise with the sun to explore and take pictures of The Market yesterday. The entire experience is a treat for the senses, if not a little overwhelming. Though my images won’t do it justice, I hope they can at least ignite your desire to experience it first hand (or if you’ve been, take you back!).
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