A Word on Balinese Hinduism

The Balinese practice a blend of Hinduism and Buddhism unique to this island, which has elements of their original religion sprinkled in. Balinese Hinduism is one of the things that makes this place so magical. Rituals are a part of their everyday life and include three daily offerings, called Canang sari. The daily offerings consist of a little square plate, about 6 inches in diameter, woven of palm leaves. These are filled with flowers and other items such as snacks, with a stick of incense. Once the incense burned down, the offering was finished and often chickens or dogs would help themselves to the snacks. Be careful when walking along the sidewalk! These offerings are placed outside of businesses or homes, and not only is it disrespectful to step over them, but you can burn yourself on the incense.

The colors of the flowers have meaning and represent specific gods. The main three gods are Brahma (the creator), Wisnu (the preserver), and Siwa (the god of destruction and rebirth). Some people think they are manifestations of one god known as Sanghyang Widi Wasa. An in-depth description is beyond the scope of my blog (or my ability and knowledge), but you can check out this website for lots of info and resources http://www.murnis.com

Day 6, continued

The Journey from Sanur to Ubud

When we left you at the end of the last post, we were en route to our next destination, Ubud. We had visited Pura (that means temple) Tanah Lot and were in the minivan with Nyoman and Ketut.

The Orchid Garden

We stopped by a beautiful orchid garden. The price of admission included a guide who walked us through the entire grounds and told us about the different species of orchids. It was tranquil and fragrant, a worthwhile stop.

We drove through the capital city, Denpasar, and into the countryside, where we visited artisan shops to see how the crafts of Bali were made. We have been to these types of places all over the world, where artists and workers display their methods for tourists and then you are encouraged to buy their wares. Some consider them annoying tourist traps, but we enjoy seeing how the items are made and are happy to purchase small products. We saw jewelry being fired and hammered in Celuk. Then, in Batabulan, we observed the process of making Batik. The Balinese people wear beautiful, brightly colored fabrics for their rituals and when visiting temples. The fabrics are often colored using the method of Batik. The patterns can be hand-drawn or made with a copper stamp.

On the road, we were a little nervous to find a road block and several official looking police vehicles. Ketut pulled to a stop and was accosted by an angry-sounding policeman. It sounded like they were having an argument, making Vuong and me very nervous. We exchanged nervous glances and wondered if our adventure was about to escalate… Ketut turned to Nyoman and they chatted like little squirrels. Nyoman turned to us and said “coffee money! They want 29,000 Rupiah for coffee!” This was about $2.00, so we quickly obliged and were on our way. Apparently, many Balinese officials have side hustles which include shaking down tourists for “coffee money.” Hey, when in Rome, right?

Tegalalang Rice Terraces

We were awestruck by our first glimpse of the rice terraces. This charming village had a spectacular setting. A vast staircase in a million shades of green, punctuated by palm trees, lay to our right. We pulled over for a photo op and were accosted by adorable little girls selling little books of postcards. Of course, we bought one! Then the other girls squealed and urged us to “buy one! It’s different!”

Fruit and Coffee Plantation

It sprinkled rain as we made our way through the lush green fruit plantations. We were guided through fields of bananas, coffee, jackfruit, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mangosteen were our favorites. These hard-shelled fruits were hard to get into, but once we cracked them open, we were rewarded with the juicy, sweet fruit that looked like garlic. At the end of the walk, we met the Civet Cat, a creature who loves coffee every more than I do! We tried our second cups of this coffee, and still didn’t really see what all the fuss was about. We were also treated to a variety of spiced hot chocolate and tea.

Villa Semana

After a harrowing drive up a hilly road in pitch darkness and after getting lost several times, we arrived at our home for the next few days, http://www.villasemana.com . I cannot recommend this place strongly enough. It was a dream! Service was impeccable. Our villa, Melati (meaning jasmine flower) was unreal. We opened the door to reveal a lily pond inside, and to find that our villa was already inhabited- by fish, a frog, and a tiny green snake! There was an open air living room with a fruit bowl on the coffee table, which opened up to our private plunge pool with a view of rice paddies. To the left, a sliding door led to our bedroom. There was a king-size bed surrounded by gauzy mosquito netting. A hand-carved door led to a bathroom with an outdoor rain shower.

The grounds were manicured and had walking paths throughout. There were lily ponds, frangipani and palm trees, and little pagodas. The open-air restaurant overlooked the infinity pool, which in turn overlooked the river.

The hotel provided a shuttle into town. We had dinner at Bridges Bali https://www.bridgesbali.com. This was no Warung! Dinner was an elegant affair, and service was impeccable. Foie gras with pears and marinated bacon whetted our appetite, which was satisfied with our main courses of duck breast and duck leg. For dessert, we had a sampler of chocolate orange mousse and creme brûlée.

Day 7- Ubud: Babi Guling and a Balian

Breakfast with Jurg

We were awaken by rooster crows and headed down to the restaurant for breakfast. We had a croque madame and mie goreng, a balinese fried noodle dish. We met the owner of Villa Semana, a Swedish renaissance man named Jurg. He regaled us with tales of his life in special forces and the export business. He was telling us about some health problems he had dealt with and mentioned that he knew a Balian, a traditional Balinese healer or shaman. I was dealing with a bladder infection and had struggled with infertility, so I thought I would try him out. Jurg made us an appointment with this Balian, and we headed out for lunch prior to our meeting.

Babi Guling is a traditional Balinese roasted suckling pig and is absolutely delicious when prepared properly. We went to Ibu Oka which, at that time, was THE place to have Babi guling. The great Anthony Bourdain dined there. The original location was full, so we were taken to Ibu Oka 2. It was an open air restaurant by the river, and the pork was hot, crispy on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside. Divine with a Bintang. I have read that this restaurant is not what it used to be and is a lot more touristy now, but it was amazing when we were there.

A Fine Diagnostician

After lunch, we drove past rice paddies to the Balian’s temple complex. The action was occurring in one particular temple, a pagoda with a large stage and several people milling about. We watched as several tourists lay down in turn, as the Balian poked, prodded, chanted and ran his hands over their bodies. We heard him tell one overweight white lady that she need to exercise and lose weight.

Finally, it was my turn. I was polite and said little. I did not share any information with him. He had me sit cross-legged in front of him, and he touched my head and the top of my right ear. He then proclaims “it is your bladder!” He palpated my head, neck, throat, noticed my thyroid cyst (previously diagnosed by my mother-in-law), and told me I should get my thyroid checked. He said my hormones were off and I should get that checked… little did he know, I had been struggling with infertility!

He then had me lie down on a bamboo mat in shavasana, or corpse pose in yoga. He proceeded to poke between my toes with a giant chopstick. When he got to the spot between my left 3rd and 4th toes and it felt like he had a hot poker! I cried out for him to stop. Everyone looked at me with concerned faces. The Balian began to run his hands over my body, without touching me, and softly chanting. I felt very relaxed and at peace.

Then he got the giant chopstick again! NOOOOO! He poked the same places with the same intensity… when he reached the spot between my left third and fourth toes, I held my breath… nothing!! He then sat cross-legged and said, “my dear, you should take antibiotics.” Of course, I never travel without them and was already doing this! Now, I am a physician and a woman of science, but this guy’s diagnostic skills were on point! I was forced to open my mind and consider the possibilities! This is what travel does.

We enjoyed a fresh, light sushi dinner at Toro Sushi Cafe https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g297701-d3225790-Reviews-TORO_Sushi-Ubud_Gianyar_Regency_Bali.html

Day 8- Ubud

Balinese Cooking Class

Chef Alit took us to the market early the next morning to buy ingredients for our cooking class. The market was an assault on the senses, with vibrant, colorful fruits and vegetables next to dried and fresh fish. Little old ladies peeled, shucked, cut and sold their wares. We gathered our bounty and headed back to Villa Semana.

The Sous Chef had set up a prep area by the pool and had pre-cut and measured our ingredients. We prepared a meal of Ayam Betutu (whole chicken with Balinese spices), Tuna Sambal Matah (Balinese Tuna Salad), Sayar Urap (Vegetables with coconut, shrimp paste, and lemon), and Dadar Gulung (Balinese crepes with coconut and palm sugar). What a feast we had!

The Monkey Forest

(insert ominous music here)

It was a dark, rainy, day as we ventured into the mysterious pseudo-jungle. The Monkey Forest is sort of a city park, but Bali is so lush and green that it really felt like the jungle. Instead of jungle gyms and merry-go-rounds, there were old stone temples and scary statues of dragons and larger than life primates. We purchased tickets and were given a bunch of bananas… seconds after we entered, we were accosted by our first monkey. This long-tailed macaque discovered Vuong’s bananas and launched an attack! He grabbed onto Vuong’s Bintang singlet and climbed him like a tree! Soon, he was joined by two companions, one of whom took a seat on Vuong’s backpack to munch on his banana. Vuong seemed a bit freaked out, but mostly delighted!

Once these guys had finished with Vuong, they allowed us to pass. Appropriately initiated, we cautiously made our way down the trail. Between dark gray stone statues covered in moss and lichens, we soon passed over a bridge flanked by huge python carvings that led us to the main temple. We had not learned our lesson, so we bought another bundle of bananas. My turn! I was soon claimed by a large male monkey who took all my bananas for himself! He “protected” me from the others, baring his teeth and jumping at them, scaring me in the process. At one point, he was triple fisting it with three bananas- one in each hand and one in a foot! I exacted my payment in the form of some fun pix, and we were off for our $5 massages. We needed them after this trauma!

Fish Pedicures

OK maybe not the most hygienic procedure one could have, but we want to experience the fish pedicure. Our feet were placed in clean water filled with “doctor fish,” or Garra Rufa. These little guys nibbled all the dead skin off our feet. It tickled but our feet came out super soft.

Melting Wok Warung

Vuong had been eying this charming little restaurant, and it did not disappoint! Best meal yet! I had the special basil chicken with flat noodles and Vuong had the chicken curry rice. Both were amazing, but the star of the show was the creme caramel! It was creamy and velvety smooth with coconut milk drizzled over the top. Y’all have got to try this place when you visit Ubud! https://m.facebook.com/pages/Melting-Wok-Warung/263648223673522

Day 9 On the Road Again: Ubud to Candidasa

Nyoman and Ketut collected us the next morning and we had to say goodbye to the lovely Villa Semana. We stopped by the Mas Woodcarving center where we bought a carving of Rama and Sita who appeared to be emerging from driftwood, and two carved mahogany wood panels. We had Babi Guling and Crispy Duck in Padang Bai village, which were not great. The duck still had its beak and was more like duck jerky. Hey, they can’t all be winners!

Goa Lawah

The Bat Cave temple is one of the six holiest places in Bali and was one of my favorites. The temple was constructed of black lava stone and sits at the entrance to a huge cave full of bats that is thought to extent all the way to the Mother Temple. Legend has it that this cave is home to a giant dragon-like snake called “Basuki,” and I think we may have seen his head! This is a popular place for funeral rites and people are often seen making funerary offerings on the nearby beach.

Candidasa

Our next home was the sleepy town of Candidasa. We had booked Royal Bali Beach Club Candidasa through Vuong’s timeshare via exchange with RCI. The resort was under construction but was lovely. It was by the ocean, though there was no swimmable beach. The open air lobby had lily ponds, tropical plants, Balinese sculptures, and butterflies flittering about. Our room was open and airy, with a peekaboo ocean view. I will leave you here as we settle down for a nap.

Do you have questions about our journey so far? Please comment below and let me know what you think!

Check out more pix from our first trip to Bali here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.124255030278309&type=3