Captain’s log: stardate 4123.1

For all of you Star Trek “Trekkies”, the voice of Captain James T. (Tiberius) Kirk has been swimming in my head as I make these rando blog updates.  He always started the show with some sort of ominous foreshadowing, but that’s not the case here in Bali.  We continue to explore and dive into cultural experiences, without spreading ourselves too thin or getting sucked into a bunch of tourist traps. Got to protect time for all of those inexpensive 2+ hour massages and lounging by the pool.

Attended a local shadow puppet show, referred to as “wayang”.  See pic below.  It’s basically a one-man show (but with a number of assistants handing him different characters) where he’s behind a torch-lit screen … and he grabs multiple puppets to tell a story of good and evil.  99% of the show is not in English.  But they do a nice job of teeing up the plot, and we were able to follow along for the most part.  It’s a small outdoor venue with about 15-20 people in attendance. 

Highlight of this post was the water blessing at Pura Mengening.  We woke up early, met our shuttle at 6:00 am, rendezvoused at Pura Mengening where we met 3 other travelers and our guides.  To enter Pura Mengening, you have to wear a sarong (covers your waist to your feet), sash around your waist, and udeng (religious headwear) and be escorted by a Balinese local.  The entire experience was educational, introspective, authentic and intimate.  We entered the temple, paused to give thanks to the temple and the gods for allowing us to participate and then dunked our heads in the pool of fountains.  Afterward, we were able to sit with a Shaman (along with an English translator) one-on-one.  I won’t go into details re: what she shared after reading my palm + energy assessment, but she had a number of positive points of feedback that I’ll carry with me.  Overall, a really special experience.

Other activities and highlights …

• Stopped to have some Luwak coffee.  Luwak’s are small cat + ferret animals that eat coffee beans, digest the skin, but poop out the bean.  See pic below of Leah with an Luwak. And then those beans are collected … I know, I know … sounds gross … and then roasted via the typical coffee bean process.  The result is a delicious coffee that doesn’t leave you jittery because the caffeine is removed.  Not for everyone, but worth trying.
• Visited one of the most noteworthy temples in Bali, called Pura Ulun Danu Bratan … you see this in most pics of Bali, and one of the photos I used when I created the blog.
• Breezed by the Twin Lakes.  Pretty cloudy and not ripe for picture taking.
• Visited a gorgeous garden temple called Taman Ayun that wasn’t crowded and allowed for a leisurely stroll.  Bonus: 3 young students had a school assignment to interview a tourist.  Guess who they picked? Yep, yours truly.
• Swung by the Tegenungan waterfall.  Kind of a dud experience. Too many people wanting to grab selfies.  We said hello, admired from a distance and scooted off.
• Had an early Babi Guling (think pulled pork with spices) dinner at a spot made famous by Anthony Bourdain.  Pretty good stuff, but the version made by our AirBNB hosts was much better in my opinion.
• Hiked the Campuhan Ridge Trail a number of times while in Ubud (more of a long walk versus a strenuous hike)
• Snuck in another 2.5 hour massage.  How can you not when it costs less than $40 per person?

We had a wonderful 2 week stay in Ubud.  Checked out on Thursday, and then made our way to Bingin Beach.  We said goodbye to the many creatures that hung out with us during our 2 week stay … frogs, geckos, bats, birds, chickens, roosters, spiders, one snake, ants, centipedes, and mosquitoes (they liked Leah more than me). Some of you may say “no way, not cool with critters”, but they really weren’t a nuisance.  Got to remind yourself that you’re basically glamping in a tropical jungle. Watching the geckos come out at night to stalk moths was part of our regular evening entertainment.

Drove to Bingin Beach on Thursday, and after walking down 130 steps (not joking … we counted), checked into this amazing AirBNB nestled within a cliff.  It’s like you are on the second floor above the waves rolling in. Big sliding glass wall to open while writing a blog. Beach bars to the left and to the right, but not crowded. Surfers directly in front along with a view of the Indian Ocean. To top it off, great sunsets each night.  I’ll stop there, and share more during a future post. Going to a seafood beach BBQ tonight that we’re excited about. 

Until then, and as Captain James T. Kirk would say … “You have the conn.” (for all of you non-trekkies, that’s when Captain Kirk stepped away from the command bridge of Starship Enterprise to go deal with some sort of Klingon shenanigans)

Brice (and Leah)