February 26, 2018

Having recovered from our very early morning the day after I last wrote.....here we go with another little recap.

Tirta Empul was definitely worth getting up that early for on Feb 19th!  We arrived well before sunrise which allowed time to put our stuff into lockers and for Jati to be able to give all the offerings and prayers that would precede our entry into the holy water.  The first offering was inside the temple and that one was just Jati.  Next all four of us (Barb, Tami, Jati, and I) sat on a platform adjacent to the pools.  This is where Jati made the major offering we’d brought with us and where each of the three of us held our respective smaller offerings and had a few moments of silence to think about things that are important to us.  The offerings had all been ordered two days prior and we’d given Jati the equivalent of $15 CAD to be able to purchase all that would go into them.  The largest box included everything from a whole BBQ chicken to mangosteen and bananas.  It had popcorn and cookies and flowers and incense.  The box it was in was about 14 inches square.  The smaller offerings that each of us held and that were made to the underworld and in the temple prior to entering consisted of a 6 inch tray (woven from special leaves) that was filled with a variety of fresh flowers, some dried grasses, a cookie, and a piece of incense.  After we finished making our small offerings we took a flower from our tray and placed it behind our ear before leaving the tray on the platform we were vacating.  The large box of offerings was left on the offering table during our time in the holy springs and once we were finished and ready to go Jati retrieved our box of offerings as it would now double as our breakfast.  It had served its purpose as an offering and in the process had been blessed so now we’d have the added bonus of feasting on food that had been blessed by the gods during this special ceremony.  There are three pools at Tirta Empul which was constructed in 960 AD.  The first has 13 spouts (11 of which we would bath under), the second pool has two spouts (we used both), and the third pool has six (we are pretty sure we used just one of these but in truth by this time it was getting to be a bit of a blur and Barb was freezing so she’d stopped counting in pool number two :-) ).  The reason that not all spouts are used is that some of them are intended for funeral processes or serious illness etc.  To bathe under the spout you stand waist deep in the water in front of it and cup your hands (right hand on top) to catch some water to watch your face three times then rinse your mouth three times and then drink three times before finally washing the top of your head three times.  The washing of the top of your head can either be done by cupping water over your head or actually dunking your head under the running spout of water.  All of the water is coming from underground natural holy springs that have been used in this way since the beginning of time as far as the local belief goes.  The water is blessed by the gods and a way for the people to connect and be cleansed.  As visitors it is a real honour to be able to fully engage in this ancient and special practice and in all truth there is a tangible sense of calm that accompanies the practice.  Each of us found ourselves in quiet contemplation after this water blessing and each of us echoed our appreciation of the opportunity.  For me, one of the things I will always remember is the magic of having done this pre-dawn and given the fact that it takes quite a long time (30 minutes at least) to make your way through the pools the dawn grew brighter with the passing of each of the spouts.  Each time I looked up from being doused by the water the light was literally getting brighter....there was symbolism in this that was not lost on me.  The change rooms are pretty rustic so perhaps it was a good thing that the electricity wasn’t working so we had to change in the dark.  The concrete and rocks both in and out of the pools is slippery with algae that thrives in this moist climate so whether in the pools, beside the pools, or in the change room “hati hati” (careful) is the order of the day!  As well, I should also mention that the pools are all home to a large number of fish that range in size from minnows to those old guys who are at least a foot long.  The fish get up close during the purification ceremony but none of them actually touch you.  Breakfast (the box that had been blessed) was actually delicious...partly because we were all feeling pretty famished and partly because it was just plain old tasty.  The BBQ chicken was a little hard to take as it had head and feet still attached but once broken apart it appeared a lot more familiar to us from the west.  I’m still in awe of the fact that Jati saved the “best” for last and when he popped a foot into his mouth I developed a whole new level of respect for him.  (Oh ya....he took the claws off before eating it!)

After breakfast we were off in the direction of the luwak coffee plantation as it was time for a little jolt of java.  And...it would be Tami’s first time so we definitely had to make a stop in for some of the world’s MOST expensive coffee.....”catpooccino”. This stop at the coffee plantation would turn out to be a new experience for me too as for the first time ever I learned that the ripe coffee bean (it is red) actually tastes a bit like a sweet cherry!  Never before in all the visits I’ve made to places where coffee is grown and harvested has anyone ever told me/shown me this!  Thanks Jati - you’re an excellent guide!

By the time our coffee “break” was finished and we’d learned everything we could about every plant that grows there (from vanilla to turmeric and pepper to cloves) we were feeling hungry again and since we have to drive right by a restaurant called d’Alas in Tegallalang (by the rice terraces) we thought...what the heck....lets stop....so we did....and as we knew it would be it was delicious.  We were able to get our favourite table that is set apart from any others and overlooking rice fields far below.  There is Balinese music playing softly and the breeze that blows through here is lovely and cool.  The only thing that might have made it a little better would have been if there had been a row of hammocks for each of us to have a little lay down.  It had been an early morning and we were staring to feel it.

The next day (the 20th) was a pretty quiet morning because it was this day that we were scheduled to visit the English school, Prima Santi, in Batubulong about 30 minutes outside of Ubud.  This is the same school that we’d visited twice last year and it would be a full 18 months since we met the kids for the first time.  They’d grown soooo much and their English was so improved.  They were still just as enthusiastic and appreciative as ever and each of us enjoyed our respective classes (they split us up between three classrooms so as many kids as possible would be able to benefit from having a native English speaker answer whatever questions they may have.  I had the oldest group (these were the kids I’d first worked with a year and a half ago). They were 14-15 years old.  I remembered most of them and found it interesting that almost all of them still had the same career goals that they did last year.  Their interests range from policing to nursing and business.  There were a couple of nurses, three doctors, one psychologist, one artist, one for the army and three accountants.....yes they all have clear (and somewhat lofty) goals.  I have little doubt that each of them will achieve their dreams!  This English school is in addition to their regular studies so they attend in the evenings from 6:30-8 pm.  For a student to be able to attend this school they must pay $100 USD/year in tuition.  So for any of you who are reading this and who would like to sponsor a child to attend...please connect with me and I’ll be happy to make that possible for you.  This year Barb, Tami and I took a few basic primer books for their library as well as new notebooks and pens for the 50 kids we worked with that night.  We also had a few boxes of pencil crayons that were used as prizes to encourage the kids in a younger class to keep going with their studies.  We were all able to spend some time with this younger group prior to our classes arriving and at the end of our time with them each of them said good bye and thanked us by touching their forehead to the back of our hand.  Once again, this act brought tears to my eyes....it is such a humble gesture and given with such authenticity.....it’s impossible not to be moved.

Prior to our arrival at the English school we’d stopped along the road to get a few photos of the elusive crocodile tree!  There was a perfect specimen standing right along the roadside so it was too good an opportunity to pass up!  As well, we freaked out a woman who was simply walking home carrying her large jug of water on her head as I’ve been wanting to get a photo of this for more than a year!  I have one now and in fact it’s a video that is evidence of just how much weight these women can carry on their heads!  We also stopped along the way for dinner at a really interesting little restaurant that is focused on recreating a traditional experience for it’s guests.  They’ve only been open for a couple of months and already have constructed a typical family compound as well as adjacent rice fields that are farmed in the old style with cows and all by hand.  The demand for production and efficiency has cost them some of their traditional knowledge and the land some of it’s natural resources so their is a rising interest in wanting to return to the old ways.  Unfortunately the government is insisting that they use machines and technology to ensure high levels of production from the land.  Hopefully their grass roots movement will be able to shift the direction.  Our dinner was as good as the view and a local fellow who stopped by for a chat (he’s been a guide in Bali for 30+ years) made for some interesting conversation.  He’s involved with this restaurant/interpretive centre and the changes he’s seen during his time as a guide (not all good) keep him motivated to continue on this track.

The 21st was a day of rest for all of us so nothing really new to report until the 22nd when we went to visit my friends Kathy and Farley from Kelowna as they’d just arrived in Ubud for the first time.  They were staying at the Lebah Villa and it is located along the rice field walk (it is one of the ones we pass every time we take the bikes to Sari Organik for lunch). They have a beautiful location and view of the Campuan Ridge walk from their patio and infinity pool and we had a fun evening of Balinese wine, Bintang, and stories.  It needed to be an early night for us though as Tami and Barb would be leaving at 4 am to get to the Water Temple in time for sunrise.  I’d opted out of this trip as I’m still fighting a bad head cold (since Feb 8th) and all I want to do is sleep!  

Feb 23rd. The girls had a great day on the road and got some amazing shots of the temple on the lake at sunrise.  There is one in particular that Tami got where the temple actually looks like it’s been painted with gold and that is nothing more than the morning light!  I remember one time I was there last year....we’d been shooting for sunrise that time too and although we didn’t quite make it to see the sunrise....we were the only people on the property and it is truly an amazing place to visit!  While Barb and Tami were off with Jati on their road trip they also took in the waterfall and a view of the twin lakes.  Speaking of ‘view’ they also had lunch at the same spot we did last year....up there at the top of the world....at a place called “The View”.  This time though they were totally encased in cloud so their view from “the view” was non existent!  I took advantage of my lazy day to enjoy a leisurely shower, go for a reflexology treatment and get caught up on a little reading before meeting Rhiannon for a long leisurely lunch.  In fact, it was so long that we were still sitting there (at Maha) when Barb and Tami returned from their big adventure! 

The next couple of days were really just about getting reflexology treatments, playing SkipBo and eating.  Tami and Barb have been kicking my butt but I’m pretty sure I’m just biding my time till I start playing to win.  LOL. On the evening of the 24th we’d arranged with several people to meet at Il Giardino (Italian) for drinks and dinner.  There were 9 of us (Julie, Julie, Moira, Farley, Kathy, Sandeh, Tami, Barb, and I) and as always dinner in this magical little garden oasis was another treat.  The next night we supped at Ubud Terrace Warung (virtually across the street and one of our favourite places to eat).  From our table we had an amazing view of the sunset and it was the best one we’ve seen to date.  Lots of colour and taking up the whole of the sky that we could see.

Feb 26th is a special day for me as it is my grandson, Kingston’s birthday.  He turned 9 today.  In celebration (and also because I’m hoping it will help me beat this crazy cold) Tami, Rhiannon, and I were off for a session of salt healing.  All you have to do is breathe in salt “dust” and hold it in your lungs for 7 seconds in a quiet darkened room in comfy chairs where the temperature is set at a wonderfully cool 20 degrees for 45 minutes.  Yep....I can totally do this!  :-). Afterward Barb met us and we headed into ARMA for a wander through the gardens ending at their Thai restaurant for another excellent dinner in a magical setting.  I’ve written in this blog about ARMA before but it cannot be said often enough that this beautiful garden and museum is worth a visit whenever you’re in Ubud.  Agung Rai, the founder/benefactor, seems to be ever present as well as I’ve seen him every single time I’ve visited regardless of the time of day!  This day was no exception.  There he was sitting on a bench in the gardens chatting with a guest and inviting all who passed to take their time and enjoy the ambiance.

This morning (the 27th) we headed out bright and early (well bright and early for me) as we were out the door by 8 am with a plan to go for breakfast at Maha.  Barb had a hankering for their French toast and I’m always up for their corn fritter breakfast plate.  Tami succumbed to the corn fritters this morning too so today we had breakfast with the bunnies.  But....we were so early that even Maha wasn’t open when we first arrived!   Things really are slower and quiet here in the mornings (except at the market!). So while we were waiting for Maha to get their grills fired up we set out for a little walk to pick up my laundry at Mae Mae’s, back to the room to drop it off, and then back to Maha where they were now ready to receive us.  Their large latte with an extra shot is the best in town for my taste and given it’s proximity to our place here....we’ve become frequent visitors there.....so much so that even the rabbits seem to be hopping closer and closer to our table in the back yard.  This morning we even had a visit from a little bird that might have been some kind of a humming bird.  It was so tiny and had a long beak but didn’t sit long enough anywhere for us to be able to get a photo.  After breakfast it was back to the room for me as I had a work meeting scheduled online and Barb and Tami had planned a trip to the Delta store where there are seemingly endless options for Bali style snacks and treats.  I wonder what they’ll bring home today?  :-). Yum yum!  Tonight the three of us have plans to go to BetelNut (a restaurant/club) up on Jalan Raya as they’re going to be showing a movie called “I’m Not Your Negro”.  It’s supposed to be very good and quite thought provoking.  Ubud is great for offering up that type of thought provoking activity and we’re happy to seize the opportunities as they arise.    Tomorrow morning we’re booked into a cooking class so have to be ready for the day out front at 8 a.m. so it will be another early morning again tomorrow.  More on that the next time but for now will sign off.  Bali continues to be good to us and we’re enjoying every day of it to the fullest.

Barb, Tami, and Lorrie

February 18, 2018

OMG!  Time flies?  Is that a legitimate excuse for not having written anything in this blog for so long?  Perhaps not.....an apology it must be....so sorry for my tardiness friends and readers.  I fear you’ve become tired of checking in only to discover nothing new.  On the upside, I’ve been keeping some brief notes so will expand on those today and you’ll end up with a veritable book to keep you reading late into the night tonight. A lot can happen in 10 days and so here goes.....

Feb 7th our friend Tami arrived.  Barb and I accompanied Jati for the drive to the airport in Denpasar (about 1 1/2 hours away). It was during the trip down that Barb spied something that even Jati had never seen!  There right along side of us were two workers on their motorbikes.  Each of them had creatively perched their wheelbarrow atop the bike so they could sit inside the bucket of it.  The wheel stuck out behind them and the handles were above their heads.  It was an ingenious way to transport their equipment!  One of them also had a full size shovel strapped to the side of his bike down by his foot.  The two men were sporting safety conscious gear for the bike ride (ie: helmets) but for the construction site they were either coming from or en route to...their footwear was varied and neither would have passed any work safe regulations I’ve ever heard of.  One was in motorcycle boots and the other was wearing the Bali national footwear of flip flops.  Seriously, that is the national footwear here and it is all pretty much anyone wears regardless of the work they’re doing.  It is so uncommon to see anything other than flip flops on a construction site that in truth, I cannot think of a single time I’ve seen anyone not in flip flops on a job site in all the months I’ve been here.  But enough about our drive to the airport.....back to Tami.....She’d just completed a 3 week tour of Vietnam and Cambodia and was ready for a little R and R Bali style and we were ready to show her just how to do that.  We’d been practicing that fine art for the 3 weeks she’d been trekking so we felt ready to share some of our experience with her.  We started off with a very important stop between the airport and Ubud.  It was for ice cream in Sanur.  For those of you who are ice cream connoisseurs you’ll appreciate knowing that it is some of the best gelato any of us has ever had!  And....they have 48 flavours to choose from.  Yes, well worth the little detour and short stop.  From Sanur to Ubud the drive was uneventful except for getting to see the maze of vehicles that is usual during that busy time of day through the eyes of a newbie again.  It is always a great reminder to have a first-timer visit as the insanity of the traffic actually almost becomes “normal” as we become desensitized to it over time.  Once we had Tami safely ensconced in her beautiful room at Rumah Jepun there was just enough time to get freshened up for dinner.  We were all feeling pretty tired and so it was a quick and quiet dinner at Pissarri which has become our go to place for Cap Cay (pronounced chap chai).  Cap Cay is a traditional Balinese dish that consists of a rich beef broth and a myriad of veggies simmered till they are just tender crisp mounded up in the middle of the bowl.  There’s a little chicken added for those who want it and a side of rice makes it a perfect meal.  Not only is it easy on the tummy after a long day of travel but it is divinely delicious as well.  Oh ya...and the price of it (including chicken and rice and a bottle of water) is under $5 CAD!  Pissarri is also a favourite of ours as it is virtually next door to our accommodation and the restaurant looks out over rice fields right here in the middle of town.  What’s not to love?!

The next morning, Feb 8th, Tami and Barb walked while I worked.  I’ve been keeping up with clients during my time here in Bali and thanks to Skype, FaceTime and Google Hangouts it’s all been going smoothly.  Oh ya...and the fact that Rumah Kita (our accommodation) has a good wifi connection is a pretty critical part of that too!  Barb was able to give Tami a comprehensive foot tour of the area around here and by the time they returned I’d finished with my last meeting of the morning.  By that time all of us were ready for a coffee break (as you can see...life isn’t too difficult here!) and so we wandered across the street and down a few shops to a little place called Maha where bunny rabbits hop freely in the back yard and where the lattes are delicious!  It was over coffee that we determined it was time to introduce Tami to one more of the special treats we enjoy here in Bali....a massage at Verona.  I made appointments for the three of us and by the time we walked up to Verona from Maha they were ready for us.  Tami and I opted for the four-hand massage with body scrub and bath, while Barb chose the Lalur special with scrub, bath, and a pedicure too.  By the time we strolled out of Verona a couple hours later all three of us were feeling some kind of wonderful and our day was not yet over.  Julie (Tami’s host) had planned a little soirée and the three of us were invited so it was a quick change into clean clothes and a wander down the little gang (alley) that leads from our place to Tami’s/Julie’s.  Julie’s party was great and we got to meet some new people as well as say hello to old friends again.  The last time I’d seen Christina (from Estonia) she was just pregnant and this time she had her 5 month old son Simon in tow.  Julie (from Belgium) was also just back to her place here in Ubud and it was great to catch up with her too.  Kaye (from Australia was a new friend for all of us and as it turned out....would become a great friend with the three of us.  By the time Julie’s party was nearing an end the three of us were done in and so off to our respective beds we trundled having been sated with wine and cheese and other nibblies as a finish to our magical massages from the afternoon. 

On Feb 9th Tami joined us here on our patio for a leisurely breakfast and as soon as that was done we were off to the Pyramids of Chi for Sound Healing with Tracy.  We were joined by our new friend Kaye from the night before and this would turn out to be the first of many activities we would do together as you’ll see when you read on.  Our sound healing in the pyramid was fantastic!  One of my favourites to date in fact.  It’s not that they’re all that different from one another but for me there are differences in the way I feel when I emerge from the hour long session.  Sometimes they use different instruments, sometimes they’re louder, sometimes they include chanting or singing, sometimes nature gets in on the act with thunder and rain, and well....you get the picture.  After our session in the pyramid the four of us enjoyed a delicious lunch that was topped off by a piece of passion fruit cheesecake for dessert.  Yep....life here isn’t hard to take at all!  By the time we wandered out of the restaurant at the pyramids, Agung, our driver, was waiting to take us home where we sat around on our patio reliving the afternoons activities while enjoying a drink (or two).  Day turned to night and we decided it was time to go out for another bite of something delicious.  This time we decided on the Ubud Terrace Warung as it too is almost across the street from us and once again the price is very very right.  My favourite meal there is coconut chicken (served with rice and spinach).  Believe it or not, the price for that meal is $3.50!  When I’m there I also like to splurge and order an avocado juice as well.  Now I know that might not sound all that delicious to those of you who haven’t yet had one but rest assured...it is!  They blend up the avocado with just enough ice and water to make it liquid and add a little sugar syrup to taste.  To make it even better they drizzle the inside of the glass with chocolate syrup and voila....there you have a beautiful/healthy/delicious avocado juice.  

OMG!  I have to take a break from this massive missive and interject a current event.  Barb just came out of the room with a couple of items of laundry that need to be hand washed.  We have a sunny day and so it is the perfect time to put out the clothes dryer on the lawn so they can drip onto the grass.  The part that you really need to know is the comment she made as she was hanging up the clothes.....”Now that’s the first time I’ve done laundry in my pearls” she said.  “I think I could get used to this!”  Yep....island life.....

Now back to the catch-up blog.....Feb 10th was a morning of work for me and once again Barb and Tami went for a long walk so I could have privacy for my meetings.  Afterward we’d planned to all meet at Cendana poolside for lunch.  It was a gorgeous day!  Sunshine and blue skies.  Unfortunately, the chairs around the back pool at Cendana were all full so we had to use the front pool.  This was my first time at the front pool and it will be the last for me!  Usually we sit at the back pool where the restaurant staff are happy to have us use the pool while we have our meal...but this guy out front (front desk worker) he was a man with a mission and he wasn’t going to leave us alone!  Fortunately before too much time passed one of the groups from the back pool left and we were able to move to the back where we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in the peace and quiet of that rice field view swimming around the pool while the little birds joined us at the pools edge for a mini bird bath.  It was perfect....as Cendana usually is.  After a full afternoon at the pool we were off to the Peliatan Palace for a Balinese cultural performance.  This would be my first time to the Peliatan location and I loved it!  There are not a lot of people in attendance at this location and it is set outdoors with a stunning backdrop of stairs leading up to the door into the palace.  The troupe that performs at this location is called Gunung Sari and their orchestra has been performing periodically at locations such as Paris, London, Europe, Australia, Mexico, and the USA since it was founded in 1926.  The dancers too are world class and they literally took my breath away during their performance a couple of times.  The show included a Welcome Dance, the Dance of a Young Soldier, the Kenyan Terompong (a male dancing as a female while playing a unique traditional instrument), the Legong (the dance of the girls), the dance of the Courtship of the Bees, and the Barong (a holy animal that lives in the forest and that is the symbol of all things good).  All in all, it was a great night that was made even better by the fact that we were introduced to a sweet treat called Molen prior to the performance.  Molen are a kind of pastry that is wrapped around any number of flavours (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, cheese, black rice, jackfruit, etc) and then deep fried till crispy and delicious.  It is our new favourite thing!   Jati joined the four of us and a great night was had by all.

Feb 11th dawned to be another beautiful day.  The heavy rains seem to be behind us now.  It appears to have shifted into more of what I remember from last year where we have sunny skies in the morning and then possible rain storms in the afternoon/evening but those rains are only about 15-20 minutes in duration.....much more palatable!  Today the plan was for Motor bikes through rice fields and beyond.  Barb hopped on the back of Jati’s bike, Tami onto Made’s, and I called my friend Wayan and asked him to bring a friend for Kaye and I.  The four of us set out from in front of Warsa Bungalow at about 11:00 and the adventure began.  The rice fields as always were gorgeous.  Our first stop was Sari Organic for lunch with our four drivers in tow.  From there it was further into the rice fields (which became an actual ‘off-road’ adventure!). Once we were through the fields and back onto the roads we headed in the direction of the I Made Ada Museum, School, and Gallery where ultimately a couple of purchases were made. Interestingly, of the eight of us, I was the only one who’d ever been to this iconic location.  I say iconic as I Made Ada is considered to be one of the few remaining master carvers and with his specialty being the Garuda Bird (Indonesia’s national emblem) he is held in even higher regard.  His works are very often what is gifted to visiting royalty and VIP’s.  A visit to his gallery is made extra special by the fact that the entrance is large enough to drive a full size vehicle right inside.  As well, the entrance is formed out of concrete in the form of a giant Garuda with wings fully spread and being ridden by Vishnu. It is a massive work of art and yet loses none of the detail that Made Ada is renowned for.  As is typical for us, luck was on our side and the rains fell while we were inside the gallery stopping just in time for our exit.  From the gallery we continued our journey through the village of Petulu so Tami would have a chance to see the thousands of white herons who call this tiny village home every night.  Believe it or not....they fly here from all over the island to roost and as this is also the end of the nesting season there are even more of them in residence as they’re still too young to fly out to the rice fields for the day.  Even though it had already been a wonderfully full day it wasn’t over yet as we’d made plans to meet Jati and Rhiannon for dinner at Who’s Who.  Once again....that restaurant didn’t disappoint.....all of our meals were fantastic!  It’s not as inexpensive as many of the other places we frequent here (ie: $3-$5/meal) but heh....every once in a while a little splurge is a good thing.  Even at the higher prices it was still very affordable...I think my entire meal of curry, rice, fantastic dessert of creme caramel, and delicious home made iced tea was just a little more than $12CAD.  We arrived home in time to pack for Gili as we had to set the alarm for 5:15 to be up in time to catch the shuttle to Pedang Bai where we’d catch our Fast Boat.  But.....as we were gathering up our small bags for the trip it occurred to all of us that it would be great if Kaye could come along so.....into the wee hours of the morning the changes were made, additional ticket purchased, rooms re-booked to accommodate four, and the adventure was underway.  Wahoo!

The morning of February 12th came much earlier than I’d have liked.  Likely due in part to our last minute adjustments the night before.Early morning/short night!  It was bad enough that we’d kept ourselves up with our changes but we’d also had to drag Jati out of bed to come back on his bike to pick up the cash for Kay’s ticket to Gili ($560,000 IDR for the return trip including shuttle to and from Pedang Bai-an amazing price!  A special promotion to encourage business post Mt. Agung issues.). Once Jati had money in hand he was able to make a late night call to his contact in Pedang Bai and e-transfer him the money for Kaye’s ticket.  I emailed the hotel and all of us crossed our fingers in the hope that they’d be able to accommodate our change in number.  The Patagonia Van picked us up in front of Warsa Bungalow just after 7.  We were starting to wonder if they’d be coming or not as we were there for them shortly before 6:30 a.m.  They were running on Bali time.  The drive to Padang Bai was not much fun as van left me a little car sick and knowing there was a boat ride still to come didn’t leave me in great spirits but a vendor selling fresh fruit at waiting platform in Pedang Bai brightened my day.  The rest of my group has gone over to a nearby restaurant for coffee and I’m staying here with the bags.  I’ll head over in that direction just prior to our departure to borrow their bathroom as I remember the toilet on the boats is not really meant to be used!  LOL. People continue to arrive here at the office (we’re traveling on the Patagonia FastBoat today).  The waiting area is quite a distance from the water as it is just too crowded near the water so they keep us all up here away from the crowds.  Just had a vendor trying to sell me sunglasses.....I guess he couldn’t see the ones on the top of my head!  I wouldn’t have minded except that he was smoking and after my recent van ride (car sick) the cigarette smoke was even less welcome than usual.  When we began our day waiting out on Monkey Forest (6:30 am) things were very very quiet....eerily so in fact.  But...within minutes the hustle and bustle began and by the time we left at 7:05 traffic was back up to typical and it could have been mid day.  As we passed the market area across from the palace (the market that is used in the movie Eat, Pray, Love) things were even busier.  Cars and bikes were parked in every inch of space available and vendors were busy making deals with their products and produce.

Tickets to Gili were less expensive this year than last.  This is likely due to a promotional special that was prompted by less business caused by volcano interruption.  Lucky us!  This year we each paid 560,000 IDR ($56 CAD) and that included the shuttle from our accommodation to the boat.  Last year we paid about $75/person and that did not include the transportation which we paid about $60 return for.  Patagonia is also a new company and supposedly their boat is the biggest and the fastest of them all as well.  I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed that it is as the little one we went on last year required that we climb down a hanging ladder from the front of the boat to the beach....a challenge to say the least!  This boat is advertised as having a substantial ramp....yes....my fingers are crossed.  

Padang Bai is a bustling little village.  The number of tourists heading out of here to neighbouring islands on one of the many many boats coupled with the industry that calls it home results in a wide variety of sights and sounds.  I’ve only ever been here for departure and return trips by boat and each time it is the same.....a chaotic little place that somehow all seems to function and make sense.  

When the time came for us to head down to the boat we followed one of the Patagonia staff and he helped to keep the vendors at bay but still they clamoured all around us in the hope that we’d buy just one little item from their basket of wares.  Arriving on the boat was a welcome relief as the interior was huge (4 seats on each side of the middle aisle) and air conditioning ....glorious air conditioning....that worked like only a new unit can.  I could feel the smile returning to my face!  :-). Our crossing took just a few minutes over the usual 1.5 hours and was uneventful....and.....the boat pulled right up to the dock and we were able to step off the boat onto a set of stairs which were easy to traverse.  Wahoo!  Things are looking up!  :-).

It felt like coming home....the familiarity of the little docking area on Gili Air hadn’t changed a bit.  We decided to make our way directly to the hotel (Scallywag’s Smugglers) to confirm that they’d in fact received my late night missive about the room booking changes.  We were met in the Smugglers reception with huge smiles and an open bar so in no time we each had a delicious cider in hand while the staff got the paperwork done for our rooms.  Yes....they’d received the email and were able to accommodate us as though there had never been any changes at all.  Our rooms were as comfortable as they were last year but we didn’t linger there long as there was much to see and do and an iced coffee was calling to us.

The next four days were spent exploring the island and enjoying the beach from the comfort of our reserved lounge chairs.  The views were amazing with the exception of two women (one in particular) who were wearing bottoms only and not using any discretion at all.  While this may be common in many locations around the world it seemed really inappropriate in this nation where this practice is definitely not the norm.  When I asked one of the servers I remember from last year if that was typical here....he replied, “no, but we just pretend we are like the horses wearing blinders around the island and keep our eyes straight ahead.”  What a great attitude!  My feeling about it is that as a guest in another culture it is incumbent on me to show respect and follow as best I can the norms of that location.  I’m sure I’m not always 100% successful but I set my intention and do my best.

Another familiar face from last year that I was happy to see again was Lenny, a beach vendor who comes over from Lombok every day to work.  She’s been doing this since she was 5 years old and at her mothers side.  What a beautiful soul she is.  She has some really pretty stuff too and so we did our best to lighten her load.  :-)

There is no motorized transport of any kind on Gili....only horse and cart, electric scooters, and bicycles.  I took the opportunity to use my complimentary bike to explore all of the changes that had happened on the island since I was last there just a year ago.  It was amazing that so much had been done in such a short space of time!  The main road up the centre of the island through the village had been totally replaced and paved for a full 2 km.  Many of the structures on the beach side of the road that rings the island have been closed and rebuilt on the land side.  Portions of the ring road have been redone in cobblestone style brick that meanders its way through the new shops and restaurants.  Yes....a lot can happen in a year!  It is still lovely and not overly busy but I can see the writing on the wall.....I’m glad I was here last year to see it before even these few changes took effect.

All four of us had a great time on the island.  The only downer was that I managed to pick up a cold bug a few days before our trip here and so have been grateful for an air conditioned comfortable room to hole up in when I was feeling at my worst.  In fact, I’ve still got this cold hanging on and I’m actually on my way to see a Balinese healer/massage therapist at Kaye’s home while she and Tami are at the Pyramids for another sound healing.  Barb has plans to see the same healer right after my appointment so we’re very grateful for the use of Kaye’s place while she is out for the afternoon.  My fingers are crossed that she will be able to move me closer to healthy a little more quickly than I seem able to do on my own.

I’m almost caught up on this blog and so will definitely be able to get it posted by the end of today as it is far too long overdue.....but for now...I’ll step away from the keyboard long enough to hit that massage table.  :-)

I’m back from my healing massage (2 hours/$20 CAD) and I feel good now but boy oh boy she found some tender spots and went deep on them!  I’ve never had Rolfing but I’m guessing that might have been some of what I had today based on the little I know about it.  I’m certain that I have no facia left stuck on anything!  It’s all good though and I’d recommend Agung for anyone wanting healing therapeutic massage.  Barb is with her now.....I’ll be interested to hear how it is for her.  :-)

I need to back track just a little and mention our return trip from Gili.  That boat ride was not nearly as smooth as the one going over!  In fact we rocked and we rolled the entire way.  It was even rough enough for the staff to give out seasick pills right at the outset of our journey.  Unfortunately that seasick pill was not enough for a few people so we had an “interesting” journey home.

We’ve really been laying pretty low since arriving back in Ubud....recovering from our mini vacation I guess!  LOL. Not sure how far we’ll stray tonight either after these amazing massages and sound healing.  In fact, I am pretty sure that Tami and Kaye will have had an early dinner at the Pyramids after their sound healing so it is unlikely they’ll want to go anywhere.  I’m seriously thinking a nice bowl of cap cay just around the corner might be in order tonight.

We have a super early morning tomorrow as we’re leaving for Tirta Empul at 4 a.m.  That will put us there ahead of all the tourists and give us an opportunity to experience the spirit of that special place the way it was meant to be.  It is a holy spring and Jati has made arrangements for special offerings that he will make on our behalf prior to our entering the springs.  We will have to don sarongs and climb right into the pools (there are three pools in all).  Oh ya....and there are some BIG fish in those pools with you!  Once in the pools you visit each of the spouts of water that is forever flowing.  At each spout you rinse your mouth and wash your face and head, make a prayer, and move to the next.  I can’t remember how many spouts there are in all but there are a lot.  I think there are 13 in the first pool (but you only go to 11 of them normally) and I think each of the other two pools have about 5 or 6 in them.  It will be a special morning for all of us.  Afterward we plan to stop in at one of the coffee plantations so Tami can be introduced to Lewak coffee and if you have never heard of that before I encourage you to google it!  :-)

So for now I will sign off and say.....until next time.  Hopefully I won’t leave it so long that it has to be another book!

Lorrie, Barb, and Tami

February 6, 2018

I know it’s only been a day since the last missive but I had to write again this morning because Barb did something yesterday that made me say.....”that is going into the blog”!

We’ve been here for almost three weeks and last night for the first time I discovered that Barb is using tap water to rinse her toothbrush!  That may not sound like a big deal to those of you who do that every day in Canada but for me.....someone who’s travelled to less water friendly places a lot......I was horrified!  Honestly, Barb is still laughing at the look on my face.  LOL.  But I’m the one who will be laughing if/when she finds herself spending a lot of time in a small room with a toilet!  Although, she tells me that she’s been doing that ever since we arrived and that she did it for a month last year too so maybe she’s the one in the know or perhaps she has an iron gut and is invincible to the bacteria.  Regardless.....I am still in shock and slightly in awe.  Getting to rinse my toothbrush under the tap when I return home is always something I marvel at so I’m pretty envious of Barb’s bold move right about now.

I think I already mentioned that last night we had plans to go for Indian food with Jati and his girlfriend Rhiannon.  Well....we did and although we had a good time....the food was terrible!  I can’t believe I actually just said that but it was!  Everywhere we’ve been to this point in time has been at worst....still pretty good.....but that last night was awful!  It was such a disappointment and also a bit of an embarrassment as Barb and I had recommended it based on recommendation from others.  And to make matters worse...it was Jati’s first time ever trying Indian food and Rhiannon was really wanting him to like it as it is her favourite.  End result...we will never go there again!

The rain hit us hard again last night and kept up all through the night but this morning the sun is trying to peek through the cloud cover.  Neither of us is holding our breath for that though...I think we’ve arrived at a place of erring on the side of realism.  This is the end of the peak of the rainy season and this year has been a very very wet rainy season.  

Well....we were right in not getting our hopes up!  The skies just opened again and here we are still in the middle of our breakfast.  Sigh....might be another Ray Donovan kind of day.....and Barb just put her wrap on as she’s cold.  But...in Bali....the climate can change in a heartbeat...hopefully it will brighten up this afternoon and we’ll find ourselves at poolside or.....if we’re forced to stay indoors perhaps we’ll just have to suffer through another massage.  :-)

Till next time,

Lorrie and Barb

February 5, 2018

Since the last time I wrote we’ve enjoyed our first full day of sunshine!  Wahoo!  Could this be the beginning of the end of the rainy season?  I know it really won’t be over until we leave in March but....perhaps it will get to a place where the rain just comes for 20-30 minutes at a time followed by sunny skies instead of what seems like an endless downpour with intermittent drizzle!

We were wishing we’d saved our pool day for this sunny day but honestly neither of us believed it would stay sunny and then Mother Nature tricked us!  So instead of poolside we checked out nearby spas for the next time we’re ready for a massage.  We located a little alley just across from us that is home to three different spas all in a row and by the end of the day and a lot of walking....I ended up in a chair at one of those spas with Made (pronounced Maday) giving me a reflexology massage and seeing if she could work out whatever it was that I did to my knee while walking yesterday.  I think perhaps she read it right when she said....”maybe it is tired?”  Yes, Made....my knees are definitely “tired”! :-). That little alley with three spas is super close to us and interesting as they have some different treatments available.  One offers some kind of Ayervedic treatment where they drip warm oils onto your forehead (isn’t that what was called Chinese torture?) and another of them does something with soy wax from a candle!  I’m not sure about that one...it almost sounds like something that could be a little kinky!  Hot wax from a candle???  We’ll see how brave I feel!  One of them also offers a chocolate massage (but they don’t have the rice field view or the copper tub so am not sure it can compete with Sedona Spa) and one of them offers a sound/massage combo that I’m pretty sure I’ll try at some point.  What’s not to love about this place?!

Last night for dinner we went back to have Indian across from the palace as the little Indian warung we wanted to try wasn’t open.  Good thing we both really like Indian as tonight we’re going for dinner with Jati and Rhiannon and they want to try Indian so.....we have our fingers crossed that the little warung is open this time!

We spent about 5 hours this morning sitting across the street at Maha.  We started there with breakfast (decided it was time to give ourselves something different for breakfast) and then continued with a visit over coffee with Jati and Rhiannon out in the back yard until I the downpour drove us inside.  

After Maha Barb headed down to CoCo’s to pick up some supplies for our room (Bali peanuts, instant coffee-like stuff, cheese and crackers) while I came back here to catch up on this blog.  I’m still typing and Barb has just returned with bags in hand.  Her comment as she came through the door (or should I say expletive) was “fucking monkeys” as they had attacked her with her two bags of food from the grocery store en route home.  She managed to fight them off the first time by yelling and literally pulling back on her bag and the second time a man with a chair came to her rescue.  Yes.....they are evil effing little bastards!  I guess we should have known they were out in full force today as while we were walking home from Maha we saw them overhead everywhere.  They were on rooftops, on telephone and power wires, in the trees, on the tops of alley walls, hanging from branches and clinging to awnings on the front of shops.  Perhaps today is some special monkey outing day and they’ve all left the forest!  I wonder what the people who paid to go into the forest today are seeing???  Any monkeys left in there?  LOL. Actually I’m sure there are as there are about 10 million of the little bastards!

Better sign off for now and get cleaned up before heading out for our second night of Indian food.  Although having sat under the “helicopter” (overhead fan) for the past hour I’m feeling much fresher than I was when I arrived home from Maha!

Till next time,

Lorrie and Barb

February 2, 2018

Who’d have thought that having scent and sound healing outdoors would have made it all that much the better?!  The magic of having the frogs keep time with the musicians was really unique and brought a whole new level of musicality to the event.  There were a couple people working the performance and their job was to spritz scents around the outdoor space so in addition to natures misty aroma we also traveled from rose gardens to citrus groves and spice fields.  The musicians played everything from guitar to crystal bowls to bunches of seeds to drums for rhythm.  There was a didgeridoo and a primitive airy whistle in some of the pieces too.  All in all....it was a great night.  For the last half of the performance we were all invited to make ourselves comfortable on the cushions on the floor (ie: lay down), close our eyes, and let ourselves be taken away on a journey with the sounds and scents of the night.  Yep....another typical Ubudian experience.  :-)

The scent and sound performance was held at ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art) which is a massive piece of property right on the edge of the city.  It is an impressive place that was born in the dreams of it’s founder who continues to show up in person every day to work in the gardens and greet guests.  ARMA is also home to some high end accommodation, two excellent restaurants, and a couple more relaxing coffee shops.  It boasts several buildings that are home to works of art from ancient to modern and is home to space for current artists to work and for local children to come each day after school to learn the traditional dances of Bali for free.  The Scent and Sound performance was in one of the large outdoor buildings (ie: just a roof) in the water gardens.  There is another large outdoor stage that is used for cultural performances each night as well.  It is the same part of the property that was home to the Bali Spirit Festival final night last year when we went to see Xavier Rudd in concert.  That outdoor stage is also where the Kecak cultural show takes place each full moon.  The Kecak is just one of the cultural performances that take place here at a number of venues here in Ubud.  There is a different one to choose from each night.  Which reminds me.....we haven’t seen one yet this trip so are almost due to fit one of those in soon too.

After we left ARMA and the Scent and Sound we (Julie, Barb, and I) were off and in search of a place to get a nightcap.  Eventually we found the perfect spot....Gin 1717 a very new venue (like about 2 weeks old only!) that is also home to a gin lab.  Yes....a gin lab.  :-). Not that they make gin there but they infuse it with an amazing variety of flavours.  The drink I ordered was called a breakfast martini and it was delicious!  In fact, it was so delicious that I’m certain I will be making it once I get home.....a great excuse to have friends over for brunch.  :-). To make it you dip the rim of the martini glass into a loose sweet marmalade and then you fill the glass with a concoction of gin, lime juice and palm sugar.  If you want to know the ratios....you’ll have to come over for brunch.  LOL. :-). Once we’d enjoyed our drinks and the cool breeze that was drifting in over the half walls with an occasional splash of rain that was being blown in with it we made our way into the gin lab where we further imbibed in a wonderfully diverse tasting of flavours.  Each of us was given a spoon to taste from.  That spoon was large enough to get much more than a ‘wet your lips only’ sip!  We made our way through a spicy blend of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom (which tasted like Christmas) and then moved on to coconut (which was not as good as we thought it would be).  From there we were into coffee, vanilla, and then chocolate, and then....well....in truth....I think it was about that point that they all began to blur together (perhaps as a result of several “tastes” further complicated by the fact that I had to “taste” both Barb and Julie’s share of the coconut gin as neither of them could get it down!).  In the end, the consensus was that our absolute favourite was a brand new blend the gin maker had just come up with.  It was coffee and orange with a bit of palm sugar.  He still didn’t have a name for it and so we worked on coming up with something for him.  In the end...he was rather taken with either orange bean or mandarin bean as options.  I wonder if we’ll get a cut of the profits if they decide to use either of our names.  LOL. Highly unlikely!  By the time we left Gin 1717 the rain was falling once again and so we called for Jati to pick us up and met him at CoCo’s for a ride home.

The next day was to be the full moon ceremony and sound healing at the Pyramids of Chi.  We arrived there for the 5:30 pm start and were met with welcome drinks once we’d paid our $30/person.  As the sun set and the moon rose over the pyramids the entire place took on an ethereal kind of glow....the colour of the pyramids seemed to change to some kind of amber hue as they were bathed in the light from that time of day.  Honestly, the colour there that night was like none of us had ever seen before....it really was beautiful and magical.  By the time we were scheduled to head into the Pyramid of the Moon for the fire ceremony that was to precede the sound healing the rain had started to fall again and so we dodged the drops (it was not yet a downpour) and made our way into the smaller of the two pyramids where we were asked to make a large circle.  There were 70 of us - a record for the number of people ever to be inside either of the pyramids at one time!  It was crowded!  We strategically placed ourselves as near to the door as possible in an attempt to catch whatever breath of air might make its way inside as we knew it wouldn’t be long before the heat from that many bodies would make the place pretty darn toasty!  The fire ceremony was based on North American/Central American native traditional practices and so prayers to each of the four directions were made and an offering of cornmeal into the fire concluded the almost hour long portion of the night.  None of the three of us (Julie, Barb and I) really enjoyed the fire ceremony as we all felt it was a bit out of place given that we were in Bali and that there was no one present who represented any of the peoples who’s traditions we were following.  In spite of that it was an interesting experience and once it was over we all moved into the Pyramid of the Sun where all 70 of us took a mat on the floor and relaxed into an hour of blissful sound healing as the downpour continued outside with flashes of lightening coming in through the crack in the door that had been left open for a little fresh air.  I had managed to secure a bed right next to the door and was grateful for it as I really enjoyed being able to see the lightening and rainstorm that, for me, complemented the sound healing.  An hour later we emerged from the pyramid to just a light drizzle of rain and made our way across the lagoon that surrounds the pyramids to the main restaurant where we were met with a delicious buffet dinner of Thai style curry, rice, a little bread and veg, and a couple of decadent options for dessert.  It was a perfect end to our full moon extravaganza!  We had taken a new taxi to the pyramids and then made arrangements for that driver to pick us up afterward as there are no taxis to be had anywhere around the pyramids.  Unfortunately our driver was called away to an emergency but fortunately he took the time to call the Pyramids to get a message to us to that effect so we could make other arrangements.  In the end, the staff at the pyramids took it upon themselves to make alternate arrangements for us and so in no time we had another driver there at the ready to take us home.  Gotta love Bali and the people who call it home!

Once home we all felt pretty charged up even though it was already 10 pm so we decided another night cap was in order.  This time we went to a tiny little place in an alley right beside ours.  The place is called Bali Taco and it is so inviting with pink lights strung over the entire length of the alley.  It is so tiny that everyone pretty much sits with everyone else and as luck would have it....their were a couple of people who’d agreed to take out their instruments in place of the band that hadn’t shown up as planned.  The impromptu entertainment are in fact a band and a very good one at that!  Their music was fun and upbeat and their singer was excellent so....as you can imagine....we all had a great time....and the Bintang beers we were enjoying didn’t hurt the mood either.  :-)

The next day we decided it was time for a rest.  As much as we don’t seem to be busy...we are and heh....we’re here to practice intentional self-care so....a lay low kind of day it would be.  We haven’t seen any TV at all since our arrival and if we were going to stay in for a day we thought it might be time to find something to watch online. (it was raining all day again by the way so the idea of staying inside was reinforced by that fact). In the end,  we decided on the series, Ray Donovan and once we found a site that worked (for the most part) we were off to the races.  In fact after that first day we only had three hours left to watch in season one!  Yes....it was a pyjama kind of day.  In fact, we only snuck out long enough to refuel our bodies and to give my iPad a chance to recharge.  We made our way back to Bali Taco (the place we’d gone for drinks the night before) and this time we decided on Frozen Dragons to drink and enchiladas for dinner.  Yummy!  The Frozen Dragon is a blender drink of dragon fruit, lime juice, palm sugar, and Arak (local rum).  It is a rich purple colour and goes down really easy!  :-). Afterward it was back to the room for a couple more episodes of Ray Donovan and then to clean up my iPad because there are so many porn pop ups that come with watching it for free online that I feel like I need some kind of a condom for my iPad!  

Yesterday we’d thought about hitting a pool and a spa but instead decided to walk down to Goddess on the Go to pick up a couple of dresses Barb was getting hemmed.  It was hot and so along the way we stopped at a little bakery for iced coffee and a treat since I was literally melting.  I actually think I might be melting when it is hot here....the sweat runs off me like I’ve just come out of a shower.  Sometimes even the beggars on the street ask me if I’d like them to get me a water!  Well, I may be exaggerating about that a little but honestly, I don’t see any other people sweating that much.  I will just go with the belief that it’s healthy to sweat and embrace it as I carry my ever present sweat rag around with me to continually wipe off the worst of it.  Eventually we reached the Goddess and since we were there and while they were getting Barb’s dresses from the back I decided to order a couple of tops too.  They’re the same design as one I got there last year and loved so heh....why not?!  :-). They will be ready next week and they’ll deliver them to me so how could I say no to that?  LOL!  From Goddess we continued on to the Salt Room where we enjoyed an hour of quiet relaxation in cool temperatures with salt misting into the room and going to work on us from the inside out.  I love the salt room and will make it a point to go there again a few times before heading home in March.  The cost is $22/person/hour and relaxing in the cool temperature alone is worth it.  The added bonus of breathing salt mist deeply into your lungs for the full hour is like the icing on the cake.  :-)

Our walking wasn’t yet over for this day though and so from the Salt Room we started back in the general direction of our home.  Along the way we decided dinner at a little Italian place we’d enjoyed last year was in order.  It didn’t disappoint and we enjoyed the views we had sitting on the edge of yet another rice field.  We even topped off our dinner tonight with a chocolate lava cake and ice cream for dessert!

This morning was sunny and warm so we decided  today would be pool and massage.  Initially we’d planned on Kampung as the pool is free if you have a massage but sadly we arrived there to learn that they don’t have massages there any longer.  This really threw a monkey wrench into our plans and so we went in search of another pool/spa combo.  We ended up at a place just a couple properties further up the street and the pool was beautiful and we had it all to ourselves.  We made appointments for massages (and yes, the pool was free because we were having a massage). It was all going so well....we ordered a light lunch to have at poolside and it was just as our meal arrived that the first drops began to fall.  Within moments those drops had turned to downpour.  Getting wet wasn’t really an issue as I was already plenty wet from having been in for a swim but our stuff getting wet wasn’t anything we wanted to have happen (phones etc).  As well, our lunch wasn’t meant to be rained on and so up went the umbrellas and in the end we each sat under our umbrellas guarding our “stuff” and our lunch plates as we munched away on our food.  Since the rain wasn’t letting up at all we decided to change our massage appointments to “now” and were glad we did as the rain only got harder for the entire time we were there.  By the time we were walking home (a couple hours later) we were wading through puddles up to our ankles!  During the rainy season the ground is so saturated and the water table so high that the water really has no where left to go.  Afterward it was back to the room to finish off season one of Ray Donovan.

Till next time,

Lorrie and Barb