I took an extra day at the end of a business trip and decided to enjoy Bali. I had come a week before and stayed most of the time in Kuta for business. With that frenzied obligation over, I decided to stay away from the crowd to have "me" time alone.

I stayed at one of the fairly well-known hotels located on Monkey Forest Road. I set a plan to enjoy the quiet ambience of Ubud by reading, jogging and some other calm activities.

It was drizzling Sunday morning when I woke up at 6 a.m. ready to jog. I went up towards the market, Pasar Ubud, then left and down to the bridge and then turned around to come back to the monkey forest.

On my second round of my jogging circuit, I went the opposite way down towards the monkey forest. It was 7.10 a.m. when I reached the hilly , shaded part. I will still jogging strong. At the top of the monkey forest hill, a guy came up on his motorbike and asked for a street by name.

Speaking with a Balinese accent, he started asking me where I came from, and then asked me something else, testing me about directions. Of course, I didn't know and I told him to ask a local. Then he left and I continued the beautiful final 15 minutes of my jog.

As I set off down the hill, it was quiet and cold, until I heard a motorcycle coming from behind me at some distance.

I turned my head and it was the same guy heading straight for me. I wasn't worried until he pulled up right beside me and stopped the bike.

He jumped off and grabbed my vagina (excuse my language) really hard for almost a minute. I kept trying to kick him but couldn't manage.

Then I tried to punch him hard, which didn't work either.

I tried to think hard what else I could do to stop him from the worst, so I screamed! Loudly, in the middle of the little Monkey Forest Road hill with no one there, not even monkeys! That worked. He ran off quickly and left me alone! Thank god!

This incident was my only experience like this and I never thought something like that could happen in Ubud, a place for retreat, a place to be yourself, a place for peace.

To all women out there, be wary!

TINNEKE AGUSTINA

Jakarta

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