We enjoyed a stop at a coffee, tea, and spice plantation, sampling ginger and lemongrass teas. Bali may be famous for its "lewak" coffee, but if you heard the story of what makes it "special," you may not find it very appetizing. As souvenirs for our coffee-drinking friends, we opted for a different kind of premium coffee bean.
Shrines are ubiquitous in
the fields, and everything is done by hand, including the rice threshing.
Some crops are prepared for export, especially dried fruit, but most is
consumed locally or is subsistence
farming. Families get by with their own rice, vegetables, fruits, some
chickens, and a duck or two. Tourism and
deforestation are eating away at the arable land.
We quickly
realized that the quality of the groceries which Wayan was buying for our meals
was far superior to what the ordinary Balinese would have. Her family can only afford to eat meat once a
week. How excessive we Americans must
seem. We were not ones to waste rice
before, but now every kernel seems more precious.
If I had to pick
one memorable aspect of Bali, I'd have to say it is its spectacular natural
beauty. Little wonder that in the
version of Hinduism practiced by the majority of Balinese, gods inhabit the
physical world, making cliffs, mountains, and trees significant. Out of the countless temples, we
strategically selected two where the land met sea in dramatic fashion: Pura
Tanah Lot and Pura Luhur Uluwatu. On a
sacred part of Kuta Beach, we chanced upon a ceremony in which loved ones were
sending ashes of their family member into the surf. Palm leaves and bark were crafted into small
baskets and outriggers bearing offerings of blossoms fruits, grains of cooked
rice, and even cookies and cigarettes. Incense
is offered everywhere.
Our driver showed
us the resort beaches of Nusa Dua and the little cove of Padang Padang, now
unfortunately known as the "Eat, Pray, Love" beach. It's much smaller yet more
beautiful than how it appears in the movie. Bob said be
sure to have a grilled fish dinner on Jimbaran Beach at sunset, and we are glad
we did that.
Our last day, we
headed north to the volcanic mountain areas unfrequented by tourists. We rambled through the terraced rice paddies
at Jatiluwih, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site on the slopes of Gunung
Batukan, the second highest peak in Bali.
Akemi tackled an adventure course with zip lining in the Bali Botanical
Gardens; I watched this one from below.
Driving for miles
more on a narrow winding road through cloudy mist, we came to a beautiful lake
in the volcano caldera. Since we were
coming off the rainy season, the water level was still high enough to surround
the temple Pura Ulu Danu Tambligan and we approached it by dugout canoe. We were the only visitors there. Akemi had a field day taking “art shots” with
our driver Dean, an enthusiastic and experienced photographer who gave her tips
on angles and framing. He was pleased to
give us a unique experience.
In contrast with
all that is lovely and graceful about Bali, we also were struck by the homes of
cinder block walls, rusted corrugated metal roofs, and earthen floor next to
piles of trash. Motor bike congestion
causes traffic jams not unlike LA's and young people struggle for education and
gainful employment. But all the Balinese
we had contact with were warm and friendly.
Bob's house staff
has been with him for years, and are like family. As we left to return to Singapore, they urged
us to come back. This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and yet it would be
wonderful to see them again.
On our stop-over
night in Singapore, Bob treated us to an incredible Peranakan dinner at the
Grand Hyatt Straits Cafe. Early the next morning, we were on our way back to Changi Airport on the MRT, old pros of
the system now. We could hardly
believing our big trip was coming to an end.
Akemi and I have had a non-stop return
to reality since getting home on Friday. Our adventure is now one for the memory books, yet we also are now looking forward to many other excited things lined up for this summer.
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