Lucky you Pausanias - my first time in Ubud was as a backpacker in 1980! That time we stayed in a losmen which probably cost something $2 a night! My enduring memory from that time was the mangy dogs who barked all night - the dogs are still there. I don't think there was an Art Gallery but there were a few shops and cafes close to the Palace. We visited various painters at their studios and did actually buy a painting for $75 which we still have. Then the dance and puppet shows were all in the villages with mostly Balinese attending and a few tourists.

We've back a few times over the years - the last time was just over a year ago.