Artisans and Monkeys and Flowers, oh my (2/18/20)
We woke up around 5:30 to go catch our last sunrise in Nusa Dua... Obviously I made this decision - Chad was thrilled. We walked down to the beach looked out at the Indian Ocean for our last time before we headed to a city much more in-land. We then turned towards the entrance of our hotel to walk around the outside of Nusa Dua. Nusa Dua is basically a Florida community with all fancy shmancy hotels, so the area connecting them is beautiful. The entrance to a golf course in a neighboring section of Nusa Dua has these amazing gates. So amazing that people come all the way to Nusa Dua just to take a photo in the gates. So naturally, I needed to make Chad take a photo of me in the gates before we left. We took the 10-15 minute walk, arrived at the gate and I began positioning Chad (or attempting to at least). After much critiquing (how did he manage to take a slanted photo!?!), I was done torturing him (although I did not get the shot I envisioned... Where is my dad when I need him??) and we headed back towards the hotel.
We went straight to our last breakfast at the Laguna. Knowing it was our last, I stuffed my face. The true definition of gluttony. Knowing I needed to be in a bikini later. So many waffles (and yogurt and granola and watermelon juice and cucumber juice...this list really keeps going). I'm so smart.
After breakfast, we went back to our room to pack up for our 10am pick up. I was SO sad to leave this beautiful hotel. It was a truly luxurious and blissful experience. However, I was excited for what else was in store in Bali!
As always, when we arrived in the lobby, our guide, Adi was sitting there waiting for us. After packing up the car, we were officially on our way to Ubud!
On our drive, Adi started sharing some facts about Bali including
-Bali is 140 x 80 km
-Java is the big island of Indonesia
-Most of Indonesia is Muslim, but Bali is overwhelmingly Hindu
-Denpasar is the capital of Bali
-There are different regions of Bali
---Granyar Region is the art region (where we will be touring today)
---Klungking region includes the 3 small islands of Penida Island (where we went yesterday), Lembongan Island and Ceningan Island
---Banali region is the mountainous region including Mount Batur (where we will be hiking tomorrow)
-The water to the north of Bali is the Indonesian sea. North has volcanic sand (Black Sand)
-The water to the south of Bali (which we swam in many times) is the Indian ocean (white sand)
-Rice is the main plant of Bali and people here eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner
---Farmers can plant rice max 3 times, but usually plant only 2 times
---They rotate other crops so they don't over harvest - in the rotation they can plant corn, spices , coca vanilla, exotic fruit
- The name "Bali" means ceremony and offering - comes from Sanskrit
Adi also began to tell us about how Balinese name their children. Balinese people have 3 names. The first is their caste name, the second is their "born" name (or birth order name) and the "last" name (personal name). Balinese do not have family names as last names like we do. Rather, these are their caste names (or first names). Both boys and girls receive birth order name from a small group of names for what number child they are in the family. These names may vary due to caste, regional customs and variations in the Balinese language between the north and the south of the island. Balinese people use the birth order name to refer to one another.
Finally (then we're getting back to our experience, I promise!) Adi began to tell us about the big Hindu Ceremony that is happening tomorrow. The ceremony is called Galungan Day. Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremonies. The spirits of deceased relatives who have died and been cremated return to visit their former homes and the current inhabitants have a responsibility to be hospitable through prayers and offerings. The most obvious sign of the celebrations are "Penjor." Penjor are bamboo poles with offerings suspended at the end. These are installed by the side of the road and make the roads in Bali so beautiful and festive right now.
The date of Galngan is calculated according to the 210-day Balinese calendar. This is celebrated twice a year as the Hindi calendar is 420 days. New year is called Nyepi. This is a day of silence. People are not allowed to leave their houses, speak or use fire. You may only leave if someone is sick or a baby is born. If tourists are here during Nyepi, they can roam about their hotel, but cannot leave. There is no television or internet running on this day and the airport is closed for 24 hours. Can someone tell me how I missed the religion where their day of reflection is silence instead of fasting?! I missed the boat on that one!
Okay - back to our Bali trip...
All of these facts were shared as we began our tour of Artisan Villages on our way to Ubud. In each village, families teach skills to the subsequent generation, creating little artisan villages. There is no school to teach these skills, rather, the families teach their children and their children's children.
The first stop on our trip was Tonpati Village to a shop called "Legong." Here, they create Batik fabrics. Batik is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth. They were AMAZING! First, artists sketch a design. Then they trace over the design in wax with a spouted tool called a tjanting, or by printing the resist with a copper stamp called a cap. The applied wax resists dyes and therefore allows the artisan to colour selectively by soaking the cloth in one color, removing the wax with boiling water, and repeating if they are using multiple colors. It was incredible to see the artists hand drawing the cloth! We also watched one artist create a woven fabric with this giant hand-made wooden machine! So cool!
As always, when we arrived in the lobby, our guide, Adi was sitting there waiting for us. After packing up the car, we were officially on our way to Ubud!
On our drive, Adi started sharing some facts about Bali including
-Bali is 140 x 80 km
-Java is the big island of Indonesia
-Most of Indonesia is Muslim, but Bali is overwhelmingly Hindu
-Denpasar is the capital of Bali
-There are different regions of Bali
---Granyar Region is the art region (where we will be touring today)
---Klungking region includes the 3 small islands of Penida Island (where we went yesterday), Lembongan Island and Ceningan Island
---Banali region is the mountainous region including Mount Batur (where we will be hiking tomorrow)
-The water to the north of Bali is the Indonesian sea. North has volcanic sand (Black Sand)
-The water to the south of Bali (which we swam in many times) is the Indian ocean (white sand)
-Rice is the main plant of Bali and people here eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner
---Farmers can plant rice max 3 times, but usually plant only 2 times
---They rotate other crops so they don't over harvest - in the rotation they can plant corn, spices , coca vanilla, exotic fruit
- The name "Bali" means ceremony and offering - comes from Sanskrit
Adi also began to tell us about how Balinese name their children. Balinese people have 3 names. The first is their caste name, the second is their "born" name (or birth order name) and the "last" name (personal name). Balinese do not have family names as last names like we do. Rather, these are their caste names (or first names). Both boys and girls receive birth order name from a small group of names for what number child they are in the family. These names may vary due to caste, regional customs and variations in the Balinese language between the north and the south of the island. Balinese people use the birth order name to refer to one another.
Finally (then we're getting back to our experience, I promise!) Adi began to tell us about the big Hindu Ceremony that is happening tomorrow. The ceremony is called Galungan Day. Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremonies. The spirits of deceased relatives who have died and been cremated return to visit their former homes and the current inhabitants have a responsibility to be hospitable through prayers and offerings. The most obvious sign of the celebrations are "Penjor." Penjor are bamboo poles with offerings suspended at the end. These are installed by the side of the road and make the roads in Bali so beautiful and festive right now.
The date of Galngan is calculated according to the 210-day Balinese calendar. This is celebrated twice a year as the Hindi calendar is 420 days. New year is called Nyepi. This is a day of silence. People are not allowed to leave their houses, speak or use fire. You may only leave if someone is sick or a baby is born. If tourists are here during Nyepi, they can roam about their hotel, but cannot leave. There is no television or internet running on this day and the airport is closed for 24 hours. Can someone tell me how I missed the religion where their day of reflection is silence instead of fasting?! I missed the boat on that one!
Okay - back to our Bali trip...
All of these facts were shared as we began our tour of Artisan Villages on our way to Ubud. In each village, families teach skills to the subsequent generation, creating little artisan villages. There is no school to teach these skills, rather, the families teach their children and their children's children.
The first stop on our trip was Tonpati Village to a shop called "Legong." Here, they create Batik fabrics. Batik is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth. They were AMAZING! First, artists sketch a design. Then they trace over the design in wax with a spouted tool called a tjanting, or by printing the resist with a copper stamp called a cap. The applied wax resists dyes and therefore allows the artisan to colour selectively by soaking the cloth in one color, removing the wax with boiling water, and repeating if they are using multiple colors. It was incredible to see the artists hand drawing the cloth! We also watched one artist create a woven fabric with this giant hand-made wooden machine! So cool!
The second stop was Celuk village. To a shop called Dewi's. Here, they make gold and silver. Adi asked us if we wanted to stop here and Chad was so excited about watching it! We watched artisans carve silver and gold into intricate jewlery. When we entered the shop, I decided to buy a plan silver (but 95% silver which was 15 dollars!) band. However, being that my hands are tiny, they did not have one small enough. So, the woman brought the ring outside to a man who cut the ring open, cut off the excess, sodded it back together with silver sodder, quenched it to dry and smoothed out the edges. I would have paid just to watch the experience, I was even happier with my purchase! I'm obsessed!
Our third stop was in the village of Mas to a shop named "Yana." Here, they made wood carvings. We watched as men carved sculptures at various stages. From a tree bark, to intricate details. We learned about different types of local wood including Hibiscus wood (different from the flower), Crocodile wood (named for the crocodile like bark, and colored white on the inside) as well as imported wood such as ebony. I bought a little statue of "love" made from Crocodile tree. I can't wait to put it on my book shelf!
After this stop, we were finished with our artisan tour and headed towards the Monkey forest! Mandala Suci Wenara Wana (The name for Ubud Monkey Forest - Wenara means "Monkey" in Sanskrit), is a sanctuary and natural habitat of the Balinese long-tailed Monkey -Macaca fascicularis (Locals call them Macaca). About 1049 monkeys live in this sanctuary. They are divided into 6 groups, namely in front of main temple group, forest conservation group, central point group, eastern group, Michelin group, and cemeteries group. The monkeys are also divided by age: 63 adult male, 34 Sub-adult male, 219 Adult female, 29 Sub-adult female, 167 juveniles 1, 118 juveniles 2, 63 Infant old and 56 infant. The Monkey Forest Ubud has 186 species of plants and trees and is 12.5 hectares large (really really big). The monkeys are not aggressive by nature, but can become aggressive if you don't follow rules including:
-Don't bring any food or drink into the forest (Monkeys were literally opening up bags, grabbing things from pockets and biting bags - why don't people listen)
-Don't look them in the eye
-Don't show them teeth as they take it as a sign of aggression
Luckily, I warned Chad about these rules, and he surprisingly followed them! No monkey fights today! It was truly beautiful to walk around and see all of the monkeys - especially the babies! I don't know why but baby anything is just so much cuter! Also, the grounds were beautiful. I was very thankful for Adi as he took pictures for us and guided us around, explaining sculptures and carvings as we walked. I don't know how people do this without a guide!
-Don't bring any food or drink into the forest (Monkeys were literally opening up bags, grabbing things from pockets and biting bags - why don't people listen)
-Don't look them in the eye
-Don't show them teeth as they take it as a sign of aggression
Luckily, I warned Chad about these rules, and he surprisingly followed them! No monkey fights today! It was truly beautiful to walk around and see all of the monkeys - especially the babies! I don't know why but baby anything is just so much cuter! Also, the grounds were beautiful. I was very thankful for Adi as he took pictures for us and guided us around, explaining sculptures and carvings as we walked. I don't know how people do this without a guide!
After the Monkey Forest, we got back in the car and went to Lotus (Sariswata) Temple. This is a local temple named for the many lotus flowers that surround it. It was beautiful! We stood in front to take some pictures and then had lunch at the Lotus Cafe- looking right at the temple. Talk about a view!
We had a set menu, set up by our travel agent with 2 choices for each meal. Me and Chad each got one of the soup choices (Chicken soup and Mushroom Cream soup), we both got fish, rice and sprout salad for our main dish, and got ice cream and fruit (papaya, pineapple, banana, grape) for dessert! We also received coffee and a bottle of water. The food was great, and so was the view (and I guess the company was okay too).
We had a set menu, set up by our travel agent with 2 choices for each meal. Me and Chad each got one of the soup choices (Chicken soup and Mushroom Cream soup), we both got fish, rice and sprout salad for our main dish, and got ice cream and fruit (papaya, pineapple, banana, grape) for dessert! We also received coffee and a bottle of water. The food was great, and so was the view (and I guess the company was okay too).
After lunch, we went to Ubud Palace. The Ubud King and his family still lives in the palace - although they are no longer in power. We looked at the beautiful instruments, gates and doors in the accessible part of the palace. Luckily, Adi was there to capture some photos (most of them are on my camera - so you'll have to wait and see!)
Adi then gave us an hour to shop in the Ubud Art Market. That time limit was lucky for Chad because I could have kept going! I went in knowing that I wanted Rattan bags, and Chad wanted a Bintang tank top (the local beer). We both accomplished our goal! I am THRILLED with my rattan bag, and the price of it ($10 for a beautiful, quality bag = happy Dani). We bought presents for our siblings (and nephew) and then Chad sadly told me it was time to leave. I think I may have left with every bag they had! They're back in style and so pretty and so cheap and ughh, I have to come back to Bali and buy more!
After the art market, Adi drove us to our new hotel, the Sankara resort. We were immediately greeted and given welcome drinks. These drinks had a lemon cutting the glass in half with mango juice on one side and watermelon juice on the other - depicting yin and yang. It truly looked like it, and it was DELICIOUS! We were then given a "honeymoon cake." When I saw that on the itinerary, I had no idea what it meant. But - they brought us a beautiful cake with "Happy Honeymoon" written on it! So sweet! Chad made me have a bite - I am just not a cake fan. But it was such a beautiful gesture!
As we were eating our cake, we heard little kids. They were performing a tradition of going door to door playing music and dancing for the upcoming holiday. So obviously I made Chad pause his eating and go look - it was SO cute.
As we were eating our cake, we heard little kids. They were performing a tradition of going door to door playing music and dancing for the upcoming holiday. So obviously I made Chad pause his eating and go look - it was SO cute.
We then headed to our "Deluxe Pool Villa" room. And HOLY MOLY - this room. We walked in through our private pool and tanning area. On our bed was a beautiful flower arrangement. We then went into our bathroom where the bathtub was FILLED, and I mean FILLED with a gorgeous, intricate flower design. It was stunning! However, we didn't have time to sit in the bath full of flowers yet, because we had a "Romantic, Candlelit Dinner" scheduled for 7:30 and it was about 5:30. So I had to get ready.
As I began to get ready, Chad jumped in our private pool. He is VERY happy with this amenity. A woman from the hotel called around 7:00 and asked if it was okay if she came to set up. When she arrived, she asked us to wait inside as she set up. When she was ready, we saw a beautiful table set with candles and a heart made of flowers, candles all along our patio, flowers on our floor that created a "C," a heart, and a "D," as well as a beautiful floral swan floating in our pool. We were then given a 5 course meal (literally who are we?!). We had our choice of drink, so I got a virgin mojito and Chad got some blue and red drink that he was in love with. The meal began with a bread accompanied by butter, pesto and tahini. We were then given salad and chicken dumpling. We were then given an intermezzo - coconut sorbet. For dinner, me and Chad each got one of the two options, a grilled seafood mixture (including calamari and prawn among others) and fried chicken (a famous dish here), both with rice. For dessert, we were given fried banana with maple syrup. Chad made me have a bite, and I am happy he did as this is a popular dish here.
The entire dinner was UNBELIEVABLE. It was beautiful and surreal and we do not feel worthy. After dinner we finally hopped in our bath full of flowers (in bathing suits because obviously I needed photos). It was luxurious and beautiful and unreal. Finally, we headed into bed - way later than we should have as we had a 1:30 am wake up call. Yepp - 1:30 am. But you'll have to wait to see tomorrow's post to see why ;)
The entire dinner was UNBELIEVABLE. It was beautiful and surreal and we do not feel worthy. After dinner we finally hopped in our bath full of flowers (in bathing suits because obviously I needed photos). It was luxurious and beautiful and unreal. Finally, we headed into bed - way later than we should have as we had a 1:30 am wake up call. Yepp - 1:30 am. But you'll have to wait to see tomorrow's post to see why ;)
Yin and Yang - Exercise and relax (2/19/20)
After our long and beautiful candle light dinner, I fell asleep at around 11:45, so I was mildly unprepared for my 1:30 alarm. Luckily, my excitement took over and I hopped out of bed to get ready for our 2:30 meeting time.
We left our room for out hotel lobby where the receptionist handed us a breakfast box with waters... and asked Chad where his jacket was... I literally picked out all of his clothes with/for him last night. It's a mystery how he forgot it. Whatever, easy fix, he ran back to get it and we set off to our excursion for the day - hiking Mount Batur.
In the car, our guide, Gusde, taught us more about Mount Matur. Mount Batur is an active volcano located at the center of two calderas that are right next to each other. It is north-west of Mount Agung (the direction becmes important later ;) Mt. Agung is not currently open for hiking as it has had (actually recent) eruptions - compared to the (not so) "recent" eruptions of Mt. Batur.
Back to Mt. Batur - the south east side of the larger 10×13 km caldera contains a caldera lake (not important to the story, but cool that there's a giant crater lake!). It has had 3 "recent" eruptions, in 1803, 1917 and 1963. He also told us where we start, how we will rise to the summit and how we will come down as well as logistics including the need for gloves during the "steep part" of the hike as the rocks are sharp (and we have to touch them as we navigate) and flashlights to see before sunrise.
He showed us the place that most people start, but said that it is paved and drove us until there was no more pavement. I'm in pretty good shape, but I was very thankful to have been saved that bit of the hike. We arrived at the base of the hike around 3:45 am. We put on our gloves (they ended up being a LIFE SAVER) and set out to climb the steep rocks up the volcano. Gusde led, I walked behind him, and Chad followed behind me. Each of us with a flashlight in hand, I tried to follow Gusde's steps as to not fall. We walked a very narrow path, a step in the wrong direction could send you sliding down the volcano, leave you with a twisted ankle, and other really fun results (Spoiler alert: no injuries or falls AT ALL throughout the entire hike). Some areas were volcanic sand - which ended up being much harder to walk on since you could slide more easily - and some were volcanic rock that changed between small steps (6 inches) to jumps as big as my body. Luckily I like to climb, and it was so fun!
At around 4:30 am, Gusde said, follow me, and proceeded to walk DOWN. Dude - I spent an hour climbing up rocks that were my height, why are you taking me back down when the goal is to go up. He brought us down to one of the craters and you could see the steam coming up! He told us that it is a natural sauna, totally safe and non-toxic. He proceeded to put his face in the steam and said "two minutes makes your two years younger." I told him I'd be foregoing the rest of the hike to stand here. (It did feel really nice). Alas, I did not stay there and we hiked back to the path.
We stopped at many points along the journey. Not for breaks, but to appreciate the world around us. It was pitch black. The moon was smiling at us (literally shaped like a smile), stars were bright and you just looked out onto the crater lake (giant lake created by a crater - creative name, I know), and lights in the homes nearby. It was one of those views that photos cannot capture, but you just look out and appreciate where you are. (Don't worry - I still took lots of pictures in the dark - but they were of me/Chad, not the view)
We left our room for out hotel lobby where the receptionist handed us a breakfast box with waters... and asked Chad where his jacket was... I literally picked out all of his clothes with/for him last night. It's a mystery how he forgot it. Whatever, easy fix, he ran back to get it and we set off to our excursion for the day - hiking Mount Batur.
In the car, our guide, Gusde, taught us more about Mount Matur. Mount Batur is an active volcano located at the center of two calderas that are right next to each other. It is north-west of Mount Agung (the direction becmes important later ;) Mt. Agung is not currently open for hiking as it has had (actually recent) eruptions - compared to the (not so) "recent" eruptions of Mt. Batur.
Back to Mt. Batur - the south east side of the larger 10×13 km caldera contains a caldera lake (not important to the story, but cool that there's a giant crater lake!). It has had 3 "recent" eruptions, in 1803, 1917 and 1963. He also told us where we start, how we will rise to the summit and how we will come down as well as logistics including the need for gloves during the "steep part" of the hike as the rocks are sharp (and we have to touch them as we navigate) and flashlights to see before sunrise.
He showed us the place that most people start, but said that it is paved and drove us until there was no more pavement. I'm in pretty good shape, but I was very thankful to have been saved that bit of the hike. We arrived at the base of the hike around 3:45 am. We put on our gloves (they ended up being a LIFE SAVER) and set out to climb the steep rocks up the volcano. Gusde led, I walked behind him, and Chad followed behind me. Each of us with a flashlight in hand, I tried to follow Gusde's steps as to not fall. We walked a very narrow path, a step in the wrong direction could send you sliding down the volcano, leave you with a twisted ankle, and other really fun results (Spoiler alert: no injuries or falls AT ALL throughout the entire hike). Some areas were volcanic sand - which ended up being much harder to walk on since you could slide more easily - and some were volcanic rock that changed between small steps (6 inches) to jumps as big as my body. Luckily I like to climb, and it was so fun!
At around 4:30 am, Gusde said, follow me, and proceeded to walk DOWN. Dude - I spent an hour climbing up rocks that were my height, why are you taking me back down when the goal is to go up. He brought us down to one of the craters and you could see the steam coming up! He told us that it is a natural sauna, totally safe and non-toxic. He proceeded to put his face in the steam and said "two minutes makes your two years younger." I told him I'd be foregoing the rest of the hike to stand here. (It did feel really nice). Alas, I did not stay there and we hiked back to the path.
We stopped at many points along the journey. Not for breaks, but to appreciate the world around us. It was pitch black. The moon was smiling at us (literally shaped like a smile), stars were bright and you just looked out onto the crater lake (giant lake created by a crater - creative name, I know), and lights in the homes nearby. It was one of those views that photos cannot capture, but you just look out and appreciate where you are. (Don't worry - I still took lots of pictures in the dark - but they were of me/Chad, not the view)
We reached the summit around 5:15. It was FREEZING! Luckily, we dressed appropriately. We (and by we, I mean I) picked at the breakfast box Gusde brought for us including a croissant and granola bar. He also made us instant coffee - truly needed after not having caffeine in the morning and getting less than 2 hours of sleep.
Chad and I lounged at the summit and patiently (but while very very cold) waited for sunrise. We knew sunrise was around 6:15 am, but around 6 ish, you could see some light from behind Mt. Agung (see, I told you the direction is important!) and a smaller mountain Mt. Abang right behind it. So I immediately began taking photos. This continued for about an hour, until the sun was completely up. The view was absolutely unreal. We felt like we were on top of the universe, or that it was a giant green screen about to be taken away at any moment. Aside from the sunrise behind Mt. Angur, we could see the top of Mount Rinjani - alllll the way on Lombok (on one of the small Islands near Penida, where we were a couple of days ago!) Amazing that we could see all the way to that island from up there! Aside from the beautiful sunrise, as we began to see the mountain we were standing on, it was ALL GREEN. We stood on top of a giant crater where it was just trees and grass for miles. Truly stunning. After many many many photos, we began to walk back down.
Chad and I lounged at the summit and patiently (but while very very cold) waited for sunrise. We knew sunrise was around 6:15 am, but around 6 ish, you could see some light from behind Mt. Agung (see, I told you the direction is important!) and a smaller mountain Mt. Abang right behind it. So I immediately began taking photos. This continued for about an hour, until the sun was completely up. The view was absolutely unreal. We felt like we were on top of the universe, or that it was a giant green screen about to be taken away at any moment. Aside from the sunrise behind Mt. Angur, we could see the top of Mount Rinjani - alllll the way on Lombok (on one of the small Islands near Penida, where we were a couple of days ago!) Amazing that we could see all the way to that island from up there! Aside from the beautiful sunrise, as we began to see the mountain we were standing on, it was ALL GREEN. We stood on top of a giant crater where it was just trees and grass for miles. Truly stunning. After many many many photos, we began to walk back down.
The walk down was much easier. It was mostly volcanic sand/dirt and the path was much more flat. It took about 2 hours to walk down - that is including many picture stops though.
On our walk, Gusde pointed out a tree that is very rare and unique to the area as it grows from the volcanic soil. We also watched as the people who couldn't walk down took motorcycles. To me - the motorcycles looked SO MUCH scarier than just walking! But to each their own!
Once we arrived at the bottom of the volcano, our driver was waiting with a cooler with cold water and coca-cola in a glass bottle. The coke just looked so good, so me and Chad each had one! It has to have been at least 15 years since my last coke! I don't think I'll be having another one soon - but it was fun for the moment. Gusde took one last photo of me and Chad, looking at the top of the volcano that we climbed, as well as peaking out of the sun roof of his car.
On our walk, Gusde pointed out a tree that is very rare and unique to the area as it grows from the volcanic soil. We also watched as the people who couldn't walk down took motorcycles. To me - the motorcycles looked SO MUCH scarier than just walking! But to each their own!
Once we arrived at the bottom of the volcano, our driver was waiting with a cooler with cold water and coca-cola in a glass bottle. The coke just looked so good, so me and Chad each had one! It has to have been at least 15 years since my last coke! I don't think I'll be having another one soon - but it was fun for the moment. Gusde took one last photo of me and Chad, looking at the top of the volcano that we climbed, as well as peaking out of the sun roof of his car.
He then brought us to the parking area, where Adi and Riki (our normal guide and driver) were waiting for us. They brought us to a natural spring on the other side of Mt. Agung. We arrived at the spring at 8:30, swam for about an hour in 2 different springs, then laid in the sun to rest for about an hour before going to get a cappucino (it was SO needed). (Really pretty picture of us in the spring - but it's on my camera - so you'll see it later) Then, we rinsed off and prepared for lunch. We each had rice, tempeh (which they call peanut beancake), and coconut chicken! There was also this adorable little photo stop where we had lunch with a big giant heart - at least Chad isn't surprised anymore when I make him do this! On our way out it began to drizzle (timing has been PERFECT)
We then met Adi and Riki at around 12:00. They told us that we would be going to the highest drive-able location in the area to take a picture. It was still lightly raining, but when Adi asked if we wanted to take a photo anyway, I said OF COURSE. You couldn't see much of the view, but it is a wonderful memory. (The photo is on a camera though - sorryyy)
He then drove us to Cantik coffee and tea plantation. Aka HEAVEN. It is a plantation where they grow coffee beans (Arabica - made from a small leafed plant, Robusta - made from a larger leaf plant) among other spices including coco, vanilla, ginseng, lemongrass, ginger, mangosteen, panadus, rosella and coconut. Spices were mixed with coffee or used to make tea. A woman led us through the plantation, showing us different plants and explaining how they make the coffee.
They grow male and female coffee beans differently and keep them separate throughout the entire process. Male coffee is stronger and more bitter, female coffee was better overall (because - duh). We also learned about Luwak coffee. Luwak coffee is made when Asian palm civets (little rat/monkey like animals) pick the best coffee beans straight from the trees and eat them. They do not digest the coffee beans, but as they eat them, the enzymes make the coffee smooth and improve the coffee bean. They are then pooped out as a whole coffee bean (not opened) and collected.
The beans are then boiled in water, then shelled, then roasted, then grounded. (See adorable photo of me grounding Luwak coffee - hehe)
We saw every step of the process including the tree that the coffee beans go, the animals (although they were sleeping because they are nocturnal), and the making process. All coffee on this plantation is made by hand. They said they do not make much coffee because they care about "quality over how much they make." - We're not in America anymore! All of the animals to make the coffee (they are also called Civet), are wild. They only keep one in a cage for visitors, but keep it for 1 week, and set it back free and rotate which one they keep. While the monkey is in a cage, it does not make coffee (so as to not over work it and keep the process pure)
After learning all about the process, we went to a (very beautiful) seating area and had a tasting! (Sorry for more information than you ever could have wanted about coffee and tea- but I was truly in heaven - and after a day of being up at the crack of dawn, the caffeine was even more welcomed than usual.)
We received a tasting of 15 different coffee and teas. All of the teas are made from spices as they do not grow actual tea on this plantation due to the climate. Here is what we had (and our opinion of them)
1. Bali Coffee - (said to lower hypertension and reduce headaches). The Bali coffee was great, but tasted similar to regular coffee.
2. Bali Cocoa (if consumed without sugar (LOL) can improve heart health. It is goo for circulation and improves your skin). This was basically hot chocolate and it was incredible!!! So rich without being too sweet, and so fresh! Truly amazing!
3. Ginseng Coffee (mixed with ginseng roots to help increase energy). We LOVED this one! It was so different and delicious! It had a sweetness that wasn't overwhelming but was very welcomed!
4. Lemongrass tea (helps lose weight and helps with indigestion). We LOVEDDDD this tea! It was so refreshing! (my descriptions are going to be similar from here on out as we loved most of them - sorry not sorry!)
5. Coconut Coffeee (said to taste like Baileys when mixed with coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is believed to be an anti-diabetic drug!) This was delicious, obviously
6. Ginger tea (helps stomach and throat issues and helps cure colds) As much as I thought I would love this - it was wayyyy to strong for me! Sad, but kind of happy I didn't love everything!
7. Vanilla Coffee (combination of Bali coffee, vanilla and coconut sugar) I mean, this was delicious
8. Rosella Tea (rich in antioxidants, minerals and fiber, it is believed to reduce "bad cholesterol" and improve the health of your skin) It was a bright pink color, just like the Rosella flower and was sweet and delicious! Taste more fruity than floral!
9. Bali Coffee and Cocoa (this coffee is mixed with cocoa that is sweetened with coconut sugar. It is good for balancing blood pressure). Did anyone question that I was obsessed with this? No? Moving on...
10. Mangosteen Tea (Made form the skin of the Mangosteen fruit. It has antioxidants and is "Anti-cancer" - who knows what that means). It was also a pink/purple color and was fruity and delicious!!
11. Ginger Coffee (Coffee mixed with Ginger Root. It is good for strengthening the stomach intestines and to prevent blood clots and strokes) Similar to the tea, this was too strong for me - shocking, I know.
12. Tumeric Tea (Can help wound healing, stomach pain, increase endurance. It is high in antioxidants) It was delicious!
13. Lemon Tea (Said to relax the body and mind) - I don't know that this tea relaxed me, especially after tasting more caffeine in one sitting than the entire trip combined, but it was delicious
14. Panadus Tea (Panadan leaves are traditionally used to give food and drink a green aroma and color. It is used to relieve rheumatism, reduce insomnia and reduce high blood pressure). This was the tea that was SHOCKING when brought to us, as it is a bright green color! But it was surprisingly mild and delicious! They mix it with soy milk to make it creamy
15. Cinnamon tea (Controls blood sugar, anti-infection, improve brain function, prevents cancer cell growth - or so they say). I love cinnamon and loveddd this tea.
You thought I was done didn't you....
If you notice, we had not yet tried Luwak coffee. That is because the coffee/tea tasting was FREE (they really do it differently here), and the Luwak coffee is pretty expensive as it is much harder to make. So, one cup is 50,000 rupiah (aka the whopping price of $3.00) So we were obviously going to try! The woman suggested trying the Bali coffee first, then the Luwak coffee. HOLY MOLY there is actually a hugeeee difference in taste! It is so much more smooth and delicious. I was shocked!
We bought some coffee and headed back into the car, en route to our hotel! I was so tired in the car. It was about 2:30 now, we had been up since 1:30am on 2 hours of sleep. But somehowww, when we got back to the room, I was wide awake. Chad 100% passed out though.
He then drove us to Cantik coffee and tea plantation. Aka HEAVEN. It is a plantation where they grow coffee beans (Arabica - made from a small leafed plant, Robusta - made from a larger leaf plant) among other spices including coco, vanilla, ginseng, lemongrass, ginger, mangosteen, panadus, rosella and coconut. Spices were mixed with coffee or used to make tea. A woman led us through the plantation, showing us different plants and explaining how they make the coffee.
They grow male and female coffee beans differently and keep them separate throughout the entire process. Male coffee is stronger and more bitter, female coffee was better overall (because - duh). We also learned about Luwak coffee. Luwak coffee is made when Asian palm civets (little rat/monkey like animals) pick the best coffee beans straight from the trees and eat them. They do not digest the coffee beans, but as they eat them, the enzymes make the coffee smooth and improve the coffee bean. They are then pooped out as a whole coffee bean (not opened) and collected.
The beans are then boiled in water, then shelled, then roasted, then grounded. (See adorable photo of me grounding Luwak coffee - hehe)
We saw every step of the process including the tree that the coffee beans go, the animals (although they were sleeping because they are nocturnal), and the making process. All coffee on this plantation is made by hand. They said they do not make much coffee because they care about "quality over how much they make." - We're not in America anymore! All of the animals to make the coffee (they are also called Civet), are wild. They only keep one in a cage for visitors, but keep it for 1 week, and set it back free and rotate which one they keep. While the monkey is in a cage, it does not make coffee (so as to not over work it and keep the process pure)
After learning all about the process, we went to a (very beautiful) seating area and had a tasting! (Sorry for more information than you ever could have wanted about coffee and tea- but I was truly in heaven - and after a day of being up at the crack of dawn, the caffeine was even more welcomed than usual.)
We received a tasting of 15 different coffee and teas. All of the teas are made from spices as they do not grow actual tea on this plantation due to the climate. Here is what we had (and our opinion of them)
1. Bali Coffee - (said to lower hypertension and reduce headaches). The Bali coffee was great, but tasted similar to regular coffee.
2. Bali Cocoa (if consumed without sugar (LOL) can improve heart health. It is goo for circulation and improves your skin). This was basically hot chocolate and it was incredible!!! So rich without being too sweet, and so fresh! Truly amazing!
3. Ginseng Coffee (mixed with ginseng roots to help increase energy). We LOVED this one! It was so different and delicious! It had a sweetness that wasn't overwhelming but was very welcomed!
4. Lemongrass tea (helps lose weight and helps with indigestion). We LOVEDDDD this tea! It was so refreshing! (my descriptions are going to be similar from here on out as we loved most of them - sorry not sorry!)
5. Coconut Coffeee (said to taste like Baileys when mixed with coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is believed to be an anti-diabetic drug!) This was delicious, obviously
6. Ginger tea (helps stomach and throat issues and helps cure colds) As much as I thought I would love this - it was wayyyy to strong for me! Sad, but kind of happy I didn't love everything!
7. Vanilla Coffee (combination of Bali coffee, vanilla and coconut sugar) I mean, this was delicious
8. Rosella Tea (rich in antioxidants, minerals and fiber, it is believed to reduce "bad cholesterol" and improve the health of your skin) It was a bright pink color, just like the Rosella flower and was sweet and delicious! Taste more fruity than floral!
9. Bali Coffee and Cocoa (this coffee is mixed with cocoa that is sweetened with coconut sugar. It is good for balancing blood pressure). Did anyone question that I was obsessed with this? No? Moving on...
10. Mangosteen Tea (Made form the skin of the Mangosteen fruit. It has antioxidants and is "Anti-cancer" - who knows what that means). It was also a pink/purple color and was fruity and delicious!!
11. Ginger Coffee (Coffee mixed with Ginger Root. It is good for strengthening the stomach intestines and to prevent blood clots and strokes) Similar to the tea, this was too strong for me - shocking, I know.
12. Tumeric Tea (Can help wound healing, stomach pain, increase endurance. It is high in antioxidants) It was delicious!
13. Lemon Tea (Said to relax the body and mind) - I don't know that this tea relaxed me, especially after tasting more caffeine in one sitting than the entire trip combined, but it was delicious
14. Panadus Tea (Panadan leaves are traditionally used to give food and drink a green aroma and color. It is used to relieve rheumatism, reduce insomnia and reduce high blood pressure). This was the tea that was SHOCKING when brought to us, as it is a bright green color! But it was surprisingly mild and delicious! They mix it with soy milk to make it creamy
15. Cinnamon tea (Controls blood sugar, anti-infection, improve brain function, prevents cancer cell growth - or so they say). I love cinnamon and loveddd this tea.
You thought I was done didn't you....
If you notice, we had not yet tried Luwak coffee. That is because the coffee/tea tasting was FREE (they really do it differently here), and the Luwak coffee is pretty expensive as it is much harder to make. So, one cup is 50,000 rupiah (aka the whopping price of $3.00) So we were obviously going to try! The woman suggested trying the Bali coffee first, then the Luwak coffee. HOLY MOLY there is actually a hugeeee difference in taste! It is so much more smooth and delicious. I was shocked!
We bought some coffee and headed back into the car, en route to our hotel! I was so tired in the car. It was about 2:30 now, we had been up since 1:30am on 2 hours of sleep. But somehowww, when we got back to the room, I was wide awake. Chad 100% passed out though.
I let him sleep until 4:15, because then it was time to go to the spa for our complimentary couples Balinese massage. We were given sandals and were led to a beautiful room that appeared to be half outdoors/half indoors with two massage beds, chairs and a beautiful running stream behind us.
We were asked to change into sarongs (and I obviously asked them to take a photo before we began - thanks dad for making me this way). They began by washing and massaging our feet in a chair. We then moved over to the massage tables and had the most relaxing couples massage! I am never able to relax within massages, but I felt relaxed and loved it!
Chad looked like he was in a trance when we finished! As we walked out, they gave us a pot of lemongrass tea to enjoy before we left. And we definitely enjoyed!
We were asked to change into sarongs (and I obviously asked them to take a photo before we began - thanks dad for making me this way). They began by washing and massaging our feet in a chair. We then moved over to the massage tables and had the most relaxing couples massage! I am never able to relax within massages, but I felt relaxed and loved it!
Chad looked like he was in a trance when we finished! As we walked out, they gave us a pot of lemongrass tea to enjoy before we left. And we definitely enjoyed!
We then went back to the room and had a little snack from the breakfast box that the hotel gave us that morning (that we never ate). We had some bread and butter and tried snake skin fruit for the first time! It is a local fruit that is encased in a snake-skin like skin that you peel off (kind of like an orange). Inside the fruit tasted like a mix between an apple and pineapple! So yummy!
We then went for a swim in our private pool. We had so much fun swimming around our own little room. We then ordered room service. Chad got fried duck (a delicacy here) and I got a vegetable taco (not a delicacy here). We ate on our private terrace and had a beautiful evening.
We then went to sleep nice and early and attempted to make up the night of sleep we did not get before! See you tomorrow <3
We then went for a swim in our private pool. We had so much fun swimming around our own little room. We then ordered room service. Chad got fried duck (a delicacy here) and I got a vegetable taco (not a delicacy here). We ate on our private terrace and had a beautiful evening.
We then went to sleep nice and early and attempted to make up the night of sleep we did not get before! See you tomorrow <3
Heart of Bali (2/20/20)
After an early night to bed, I woke up at 5 am. I spent about an hour or two finishing up my post from yesterday, I got ready for the day ahead!
We left the room around 8am for our breakfast (included in our honeymoon package) at the restaurant in the resort. It was a menu and not a buffet, which forced me to be less glutenous (thank goodness). I had a fruit plate, over easy eggs, and some toast - along with lots of coffee. Chad had similar but a mango juice instead of a fruit plate. Why have I never had mango juice before?! It's unsurprisingly amazing!
We left the room around 8am for our breakfast (included in our honeymoon package) at the restaurant in the resort. It was a menu and not a buffet, which forced me to be less glutenous (thank goodness). I had a fruit plate, over easy eggs, and some toast - along with lots of coffee. Chad had similar but a mango juice instead of a fruit plate. Why have I never had mango juice before?! It's unsurprisingly amazing!
We went downstairs at 8:55, and Adi was waiting for us in the lobby - he's the best, I'm obsessed. As per usual, on our ride to the first stop, Adi taught us more about Bali and Hindu region/culture. Here's some of the information he shared:
-Hindu and Buddhism are vey similar:
===The gods look similar
===they both use the swastika as a religious symbol (it was used as only a religious and peaceful symbol before Hitler ruined it) but it is pointed in different directions - in Hindu the arms face clockwise
===Swastika in Hindu is the symbol of rotation
-He told us about hand placement and what each means. In Hinduism, hands placed together while flat (looks like praying hands) placed in different locations/directions mean different things
===hands together placed on chest means "welcome" - and it is used for person to person interactions as the hands are on the same level as other people
===hands together placed on head is for praying - facing up towards god
===hands near chest facing down is for spirits
-He told us about some of the many kingdoms in Bali
===Gelgel Kingdom is the largest and controlled all of the kings in Bali. it is near the Klungkun region.
===Ubud is a small kingdoms
===King's don't actually have power anymore, if they want to be able to do something they need to go into politics.
Back to our trip -
We arrived at our first stop: Goa Gajah - or "Elephant Cave." Goa means "cave" and Gajah means (you guessed it) elephant. The temple was name this due to the elephant head carved into stone. The elephant head is believed to be a carving of Hindu God Ganesh. There are many statues of Ganesh as it provides protections (It is also the God of education). Ganesh is the son of Shiva.
Upon entering the area of Goa Gajah, we saw a sign stating where we were along with statues on either side. Adi explained that the male statue is always on the right side, as men control the women, and Balinese drive on the right side - it is seen as the side of control. Therefore, female statues are on the left (if there is both a male and female - if there are two males/females/deities, it does not matter what side). Luckily, Chad quickly let Adi know that in our culture, the women are in charge. ;)
-Hindu and Buddhism are vey similar:
===The gods look similar
===they both use the swastika as a religious symbol (it was used as only a religious and peaceful symbol before Hitler ruined it) but it is pointed in different directions - in Hindu the arms face clockwise
===Swastika in Hindu is the symbol of rotation
-He told us about hand placement and what each means. In Hinduism, hands placed together while flat (looks like praying hands) placed in different locations/directions mean different things
===hands together placed on chest means "welcome" - and it is used for person to person interactions as the hands are on the same level as other people
===hands together placed on head is for praying - facing up towards god
===hands near chest facing down is for spirits
-He told us about some of the many kingdoms in Bali
===Gelgel Kingdom is the largest and controlled all of the kings in Bali. it is near the Klungkun region.
===Ubud is a small kingdoms
===King's don't actually have power anymore, if they want to be able to do something they need to go into politics.
Back to our trip -
We arrived at our first stop: Goa Gajah - or "Elephant Cave." Goa means "cave" and Gajah means (you guessed it) elephant. The temple was name this due to the elephant head carved into stone. The elephant head is believed to be a carving of Hindu God Ganesh. There are many statues of Ganesh as it provides protections (It is also the God of education). Ganesh is the son of Shiva.
Upon entering the area of Goa Gajah, we saw a sign stating where we were along with statues on either side. Adi explained that the male statue is always on the right side, as men control the women, and Balinese drive on the right side - it is seen as the side of control. Therefore, female statues are on the left (if there is both a male and female - if there are two males/females/deities, it does not matter what side). Luckily, Chad quickly let Adi know that in our culture, the women are in charge. ;)
Inside the cave which adorns the elephant head, is a place for meditation. The inside of the cave is shaped like a capital "T" you walk down a pathway and can either go right or left. On the left are 3 statues representing the Trimurti (the triple diety of supreme divinity in Hinduism).
-Brahma: the creator, god of fire, red color, south direction
-Vishnu: the preserver, god of water, black color, north direction
-Shiva: the destroyer, the god of wind, white color, the central direction
It was 3 head like structures covered in colored sarongs corresponding to their color (Black, white and red)
On the right was a statue of Ganesh. In the center was a Buddhist statue (since there are both Buddhist and Hindu temples in the area.
-Brahma: the creator, god of fire, red color, south direction
-Vishnu: the preserver, god of water, black color, north direction
-Shiva: the destroyer, the god of wind, white color, the central direction
It was 3 head like structures covered in colored sarongs corresponding to their color (Black, white and red)
On the right was a statue of Ganesh. In the center was a Buddhist statue (since there are both Buddhist and Hindu temples in the area.
Outside of the cave, is an area with holy water (not spring water) for purification. We stood near it to take a photo but could not go in as we are not Hindu.
As we walked around the area, we saw beautiful lilly ponds, a small waterfall, Hindu and Budhist temples and beautiful flowers, fruits and trees. We saw some trees with sarongs around them (usually black and white checkered as it represents the good and the bad, ying and yang) and were reminded that sarongs are placed around statues and trees that are deemed to be holy by the holy priests of Hindu.
As we walked around the area, we saw beautiful lilly ponds, a small waterfall, Hindu and Budhist temples and beautiful flowers, fruits and trees. We saw some trees with sarongs around them (usually black and white checkered as it represents the good and the bad, ying and yang) and were reminded that sarongs are placed around statues and trees that are deemed to be holy by the holy priests of Hindu.
We left Goa Gajah and headed towards Tirta Empul Temple. Tirta means holy water and Empul means spring water. Therefore - this is the "water temple." Adi let us know that this temple belonged to the God of Rain. Similar to the previous temples we visited, the temple has 3 parts: head, body and legs. However, as opposed to Uluwatu, we were able to enter all parts of this temple! The outer yard is the garden portion of the temple, and the inner yard is the pool (for purification) and the temple section.
As we approached the ticketing gate, we saw many many many many people exiting the temple holding offerings on their head. Truly, I can't manage to walk without falling when holding nothing. These women were walking with entire plates of fruit balanced on their head like it was nothing. I need to teach me (although I think my habits are pretty set at this point).
I was shocked at the amount of locals walking around the temple. There is no "set time" of prayer so people were in all locations of the temple at different stages of the prayer. There were many people here due to the important religious time between the holiday a couple of days ago and the new year. Each woman was dressed in a beautiful lace shirt an intricately decorated sarong and a colored belt. It was stunning!
As we walked through the temple, we walked by many intricately designed gates, statues and decorations. The art and architecture here is so intricate and beautiful. Adi pointed out a sign with both Malay writing and Balinese writing. Malay is the national language of Indonesia and it utilizes the germanic alphabet (our alphabet). Balinese is only used on the island of Bali, it is taught throughout the schools of Bali, and the writing is beautiful! It looks like script arabic, but is very curvy.
We continued to the water temple portion. Usually, this portion is frequented by a couple of Hindu visitors or locals; however, due to the prayer time, it was FILLED with locals praying. It was so beautiful to watch. Each person stepped up, splashed the water in their mouths to drink it 3 times, then placed the water over their head. Adi explained that Hindu people believe if you drink the holy water it cleanses your entire body.
We continued towards the temple, where we got to see an actual ceremony! There were at least 100 people sitting all gesturing in unison with the prayer. We saw the High priest of Hindu dressed in black and gold and wearing a beautiful crown, as well as the temple priest who wore white and led the prayers. I felt so lucky to be able to witness this! It was beautiful!
An already beautiful temple was made even more special by being able to witness ceremonies that are so central to life here in Bali. Incredible!
Above the temple on a hill, is the home of the first president of Indonesia. Although this home is not open to the public (only for government), we were able to see the exterior from the temple!
As we approached the ticketing gate, we saw many many many many people exiting the temple holding offerings on their head. Truly, I can't manage to walk without falling when holding nothing. These women were walking with entire plates of fruit balanced on their head like it was nothing. I need to teach me (although I think my habits are pretty set at this point).
I was shocked at the amount of locals walking around the temple. There is no "set time" of prayer so people were in all locations of the temple at different stages of the prayer. There were many people here due to the important religious time between the holiday a couple of days ago and the new year. Each woman was dressed in a beautiful lace shirt an intricately decorated sarong and a colored belt. It was stunning!
As we walked through the temple, we walked by many intricately designed gates, statues and decorations. The art and architecture here is so intricate and beautiful. Adi pointed out a sign with both Malay writing and Balinese writing. Malay is the national language of Indonesia and it utilizes the germanic alphabet (our alphabet). Balinese is only used on the island of Bali, it is taught throughout the schools of Bali, and the writing is beautiful! It looks like script arabic, but is very curvy.
We continued to the water temple portion. Usually, this portion is frequented by a couple of Hindu visitors or locals; however, due to the prayer time, it was FILLED with locals praying. It was so beautiful to watch. Each person stepped up, splashed the water in their mouths to drink it 3 times, then placed the water over their head. Adi explained that Hindu people believe if you drink the holy water it cleanses your entire body.
We continued towards the temple, where we got to see an actual ceremony! There were at least 100 people sitting all gesturing in unison with the prayer. We saw the High priest of Hindu dressed in black and gold and wearing a beautiful crown, as well as the temple priest who wore white and led the prayers. I felt so lucky to be able to witness this! It was beautiful!
An already beautiful temple was made even more special by being able to witness ceremonies that are so central to life here in Bali. Incredible!
Above the temple on a hill, is the home of the first president of Indonesia. Although this home is not open to the public (only for government), we were able to see the exterior from the temple!
We left Tirta Empul for Tegalalang Rice terrace. I had seen photos of it, but when you see it in person, HOLY MOLY. It is acres upon acres of rice fields, designed to optimize irrigation. We walked around and Adi pointed out areas of land that are being prepared to be in use, are already in use or are not used at all anymore due to lack of irrigation. It was BEAUTIFUL.
Then ...
I spotted a swing. This had been on my to do list for Bali and I was planning on asking Adi to take us to one the following day. But I mean.. it was right here. So I went on! I had a harness placed on me, sat on this little wooden seat, and was pulled back and released to swing throughout the rice terrace.
I am NEVER an adventurous person, but this was not scary at all, and was truly beautiful. I am SO happy that I did it!
I spotted a swing. This had been on my to do list for Bali and I was planning on asking Adi to take us to one the following day. But I mean.. it was right here. So I went on! I had a harness placed on me, sat on this little wooden seat, and was pulled back and released to swing throughout the rice terrace.
I am NEVER an adventurous person, but this was not scary at all, and was truly beautiful. I am SO happy that I did it!
We left the rice terrace and moved on to Mason Elephant Park. Okay - so this is the part of the trip that caused me the most anxiety. Legitimately, more than any other thing. More than bugs, more than food, I was sooooo torn about going to this place. I have read a lot about animal cruelty especially in parks like this. I went back and forth on whether this place was kind and good to the animals. After much research, I decided that I would go through with this portion of the itinerary, and I'm happy I did.
Upon entering, there are many articles and signs about the park, the care and treatment of the elephants as well as how they arrived in Bali. All of the elephants were saved from a camp in Sumatra in which they were being poached and killed. Here, they are trained through patience and kindness, not through cruel measures. There is a staff member dedicated to the safety and health of each elephant, and they form a special bond. - Don't get me wrong, I was still freaking out and asked 10000000000 questions (to the point where Chad yelled at me to chill - I, in fact, did not chill).
We started off with an elephant ride (we are 7% of the weight of what an elephant can carry, whereas we are 17% of what horses can carry). Also, the seats that are used are cushioned and designed to evenly distribute the weight.The person helping us on our ride began working with elephants because his dad worked with elephants his whole life. He said this is the best job because he just gets to play with elephants all day! We rode through the "jungle" aka a path within a bunch of trees and greenery. Throughout this portion of the ride, the elephant kept stopping and trying (and succeeding) to find/eat food. I feel ya dude. The elephant then walked through a little lake. He was so sweet.
After our ride, we went to feed the elephants. We were given a stack of coconut bark. They were SO cuteeeeee. Finally, we went for our "Jumbo wash" aka wash the elephant. Which in Dani world was more play/take pictures of the elephants than actually wash it. Chad took his washing job seriously (definition of our relationship). The animal stayed in place because there was a stack of food in front of her (again - I feel ya girl). She was so sweet. This was definitely the highlight of the experience at the elephant park because we were able to really play with the elephant. I have seen an elephant in the wild before, but to touch them and play with them was beautiful.
I know I said finally - butttt, as we were leaving, the man who worked at the park told us that we could follow a path to see a newborn elephant! And by newborn I mean he was born on February 17th - the elephant was 3 DAYS OLD. Obviously we had to go see him! (It was a baby boy). He was in an enclosed area with his mom. For being 3 days old, this baby was biggg. He ran around the area, eating and playing with the workers. Elephants are pregnant for 2 years - which makes sense seeing how large this baby was!
Okay now - moving on - we went to lunch at the park. We stuck with very bland foods (just to be safe ;) ) but the food was fine!
Upon entering, there are many articles and signs about the park, the care and treatment of the elephants as well as how they arrived in Bali. All of the elephants were saved from a camp in Sumatra in which they were being poached and killed. Here, they are trained through patience and kindness, not through cruel measures. There is a staff member dedicated to the safety and health of each elephant, and they form a special bond. - Don't get me wrong, I was still freaking out and asked 10000000000 questions (to the point where Chad yelled at me to chill - I, in fact, did not chill).
We started off with an elephant ride (we are 7% of the weight of what an elephant can carry, whereas we are 17% of what horses can carry). Also, the seats that are used are cushioned and designed to evenly distribute the weight.The person helping us on our ride began working with elephants because his dad worked with elephants his whole life. He said this is the best job because he just gets to play with elephants all day! We rode through the "jungle" aka a path within a bunch of trees and greenery. Throughout this portion of the ride, the elephant kept stopping and trying (and succeeding) to find/eat food. I feel ya dude. The elephant then walked through a little lake. He was so sweet.
After our ride, we went to feed the elephants. We were given a stack of coconut bark. They were SO cuteeeeee. Finally, we went for our "Jumbo wash" aka wash the elephant. Which in Dani world was more play/take pictures of the elephants than actually wash it. Chad took his washing job seriously (definition of our relationship). The animal stayed in place because there was a stack of food in front of her (again - I feel ya girl). She was so sweet. This was definitely the highlight of the experience at the elephant park because we were able to really play with the elephant. I have seen an elephant in the wild before, but to touch them and play with them was beautiful.
I know I said finally - butttt, as we were leaving, the man who worked at the park told us that we could follow a path to see a newborn elephant! And by newborn I mean he was born on February 17th - the elephant was 3 DAYS OLD. Obviously we had to go see him! (It was a baby boy). He was in an enclosed area with his mom. For being 3 days old, this baby was biggg. He ran around the area, eating and playing with the workers. Elephants are pregnant for 2 years - which makes sense seeing how large this baby was!
Okay now - moving on - we went to lunch at the park. We stuck with very bland foods (just to be safe ;) ) but the food was fine!
On our way back to the hotel, Adi asked us if we wanted to be dropped of in Downtown Ubud (the city center) rather than go back to the hotel - there was a shuttle back and forth to the hotel so we'd be able to get back. We said absolutely! We walked around, Chad wouldn't let me go back in the market -- rude. It was nice to be able to walk around and feel like we were getting to know the city. I needed a caffeine boost, and because it is hard to know which shops to trust (with what water is okay), we went into Starbucks. I know - basic, and bad traveler of me. BUT, I did read about a drink that was ONLY served in Indonesia - so I rationalized. The drink was a matcha latte with black sesame and taro foam. The taro foam is purple (and made with skim milk, so I was okay with it!). It was veryyyy sweet, but delicious.
After walking around for about 1.5 hours, we went to the shuttle location and headed back to the hotel.
That night, as yet ANOTHER honeymoon benefit (they really spoil us here), we had a complimentary 3 course dinner in our villa. We had a mango prawn salad, a tuna tartar, 2 local dishes (chicken with peanut sauce + fried rice/fried chicken) along with a local dessert of grilled banana with coconut sorbet. It was delicious!
After an action packed day, we headed to sleep!
After walking around for about 1.5 hours, we went to the shuttle location and headed back to the hotel.
That night, as yet ANOTHER honeymoon benefit (they really spoil us here), we had a complimentary 3 course dinner in our villa. We had a mango prawn salad, a tuna tartar, 2 local dishes (chicken with peanut sauce + fried rice/fried chicken) along with a local dessert of grilled banana with coconut sorbet. It was delicious!
After an action packed day, we headed to sleep!
Final Day in Bali (2/21/20)
We had a pretty relaxing day for our last day in Bali (SO SADDDDD). We awoke to a "floating breakfast" which was our breakfast placed beautifully on a raft with many flowers on the edges. It was so beautiful, and delicious!
We then relaxed in our private pool for a while and relaxed around the hotel! It was a perfect day outside.
We then relaxed in our private pool for a while and relaxed around the hotel! It was a perfect day outside.
In the afternoon, we walked through downtown Ubud. We now understand where we were and were able to walk around freely. We walked through the market one last time and walked towards the Campuhan Ridge Walk. This was a walking path through the greenery in Ubud. The contrast was incredible. You walk through this bustling city where it takes a solid 5 minutes to find a break from cars in order to cross the street, then one turn and you're on this beautiful scenic walk with only trees in sight. We continued our walk through rice fields that were well grown at that point. The day before, it had mostly been preparing to grow so it was cool to see long rice leaves!
We walked back through downtown and took the hotel shuttle back. We began to pack up all of our stuff, had room service for dinner and sadly went to sleep for our last night in Bali. (Truly so sad I can't)
Some overall thoughts on our time in Bali. Bali is stunning. Everywhere you look is culture, religion, and views for days. But more than the views, the people are unlike anything I have ever encountered. Everyone is truly kind. Each person we met went above and beyond to make sure our time was perfect. Even the people who were not working we're just genuinely nice. Coming from New York, this was shocking. Each time we met someone they were nicer than the last! We had the most incredible 9 days in Bali. I can look back on my time here and say that it was truly a dream. Nothing felt real. I am truly so beyond sad to be leaving, but looking forward to continuing our honeymoon in one more destination... Singapore, here we come!
We walked back through downtown and took the hotel shuttle back. We began to pack up all of our stuff, had room service for dinner and sadly went to sleep for our last night in Bali. (Truly so sad I can't)
Some overall thoughts on our time in Bali. Bali is stunning. Everywhere you look is culture, religion, and views for days. But more than the views, the people are unlike anything I have ever encountered. Everyone is truly kind. Each person we met went above and beyond to make sure our time was perfect. Even the people who were not working we're just genuinely nice. Coming from New York, this was shocking. Each time we met someone they were nicer than the last! We had the most incredible 9 days in Bali. I can look back on my time here and say that it was truly a dream. Nothing felt real. I am truly so beyond sad to be leaving, but looking forward to continuing our honeymoon in one more destination... Singapore, here we come!