16000 km travel, so many timezones and here we are… just arrived in the God’s Island. Welcome to Bali!

This heavenly island belongs to an archipelago formed by a great number of little islands scattered around the ocean. And the nicest thing about this is that all these islands together form a huge smile!

Our base camp is located in the Legian zone, very near to the infinite Beach that gathers from Kuta, Legian and Cangu beaches to Medewi Beach and others.

All the island is a neverending flea market, so pay attention Merchanders because here our favourite activity is taken very seriously

To move along the island we hire a little minivan and in one and a half hours we arrive in the Ubud zone, our most desired destination. We first stop at an artisan workshop where they work especially with silver and precious stones. There you can find as many rings, necklaces and bracelets as you can imagine,  any style and from real bargains to really expensive jewels. We spend there about an hour, visit the place, take some photos and carry on. Too touristy for us-we think and we keep on looking for the authentic flea spirit!

On the way to our chosen flea market we can’t avoid visiting a painters community which is settled inside a big temple. The place is fascinating, quiet and very well organized. At the entrance, one of the artists joins us and shows us around the whole exhibition  explaining us all kinds of details about the works (some are even his paintings!). We buy some paintings, from Barong to ink country  landscapes, all very different but great quality and amazing color treatments.

Finally, we arrive in the Ubud centre, 30km northwest of Denpasar, considered the cultural centre of the island.

Here we find the principal Bali’s flea market: big, mazy, confusing, multicolored and incredibly alive!

They basically sell traditional craftwork, fabrics, silver items, local musical instruments, Borong masks, incense and asian-style decorated tissues. If you want to buy, you may want to negotiate slowly and positively as the prices are originally doubled or even tripled, so the best advice is to think in advance how much you want to pay.

We’ve been lost for nearly two hours in this web of passageways full of treasures. Result? Tens of bags and almost no batteries in the cameras. So happy!

I think how easy it would be to tear up my return ticket and stay here in the island, just as Rob Machado in The Drifter, but afterwards I remember all the incredible places willing to be discovered by us Merchanders and I find the strength for jumping on my suitcase to close it and going back to the airport.

And you, have u ever thought of leaving it all and start over in a Merchanders travel?

♬ Now playing: Carolina drama ♬