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Friday, March 22, 2024

Bali 2024 - Day 9 (March 21) - Part 2

After I got

Tirta Empul - holy spring

into dry clothes, Ibu and I walked around the rest of the temple complex to take pictures. The holy spring that feeds the pool for the purification rituals is inside the temple walls, and it's pretty amazing. The water is crystal clear and you can watch it pouring up from the ground, roiling the sand around it, but not causing a ripple on the surface. The ferns you see in the picture are all growing under the surface of the water, and the blue-green to black area is where the water is coming up.

On the way back to the main courtyard, I noticed a large koi pond in another enclosure and ventured in to take a look. I'm not sure I've ever seen so many koi at one time. You can purchase food for them, and they go crazy when you throw it in.

When exiting the temple, tourists are routed into a maze of market stalls, the vendors all asking you to "look please", "shopping, yes", "buy for good luck". There are some deals to be had here, but make sure you bargain. This used to be where you could purchase beautiful hand-crocheted tablecloths and bed covers, but the only crocheted things we saw were dresses, halter tops, and swimsuits. Once you get through that, there are the fruit vendors in the parking lot. Some of these will quickly peel a banana or some other fruit and before you know it, it's in your hand. Just know that you are never obligated to buy.

Back in the car, we headed off to a coffee plantation. This was an interesting tourist trap consisting of a guided walk through the grounds, where the guide pointed out various types of plants - cocoa, coffee, vanilla, mangosteen, etc. We were then given a glimpse of the luwak (Asian palm civet), the animal that eats the coffee cherries that become Kopi Luwak - the most expensive coffee in the world. The next stop was an information center where the whole process is explained. Beans were being roasted and ground by hand, and we could have tried our hand at it, but it had started raining and it was getting chilly, so we moved on.

We were then taken to a large pavilion where our guide handed us off to one of the sales staff. She brought out a tray with 13 cups of various coffees, teas, and hot chocolate for us to sample. The surprising favorite was avocado coffee, with vanilla and coconut coming in second. The hot chocolate looked thick and rich, but really didn't have the flavor I was expecting. Cups of Kopi Luwak were available for 50,000 each, but not being a big coffee drinker, I didn't think it was worthwhile for me to try it.

After our sampling, we were directed into the store where all the beverages we had just tried were available for sale - powdered mixes with soy milk and honey already included, just add water. Kopi Luwak was also offered for sale, but the prices were extravagant (over 1 million rupiah - $78 - for about 200 grams, if I remember correctly), so we purchased elsewhere. We did pick up a package of the avocado coffee, though.

Continuing our big day out, we headed further inland toward Kintamani. We had hoped to find kites and painted bed covers along the way, but all the shops appeared to be long closed. The only thing we saw for sale along the road was durian.

Mount Batur

Arriving in Kintamani, we were stopped and had to pay 50,000 each tourist fee to enter the town. This is not unusual when visiting villages that have a particular draw for tourists. Kintamani's claim to fame is that it overlooks the caldera and Mount Batur. Batur last erupted in 1963, and the lava field is still visible - at least when it's not raining.

We stopped and had a buffet lunch (150,000 per person - about $10) while the rain continued to pour down. It was windy and cold. OK, it was 71 degrees, but with the wind and being used to upper 80's, it felt cold. The clouds did finally clear enough for us to see Batur and get a few pictures, then we got back in the car and headed home. No dinner tonight since we stuffed ourselves at lunch.

Bali 2024 - Day 9 (March 21) - Part 1

Big day today! We are off to Pura Tirta Empul, the holy water temple, and I am going to do the purification ritual and collect holy water to take home.

Made tells me that I can go in the water in my sarong and T-shirt, so I packed extra clothes and a towel for afterwards, and got my bottles to collect water in. You must use clean containers. Water bottles are okay to use, but they must not have been drunk out of.

Along the way, we stopped in Tampaksiring to visit a shop that specializes in body jewelry to pick up some plugs for Jake's ears. This place has a website, and I expect they do most of their business online. This was another hidden, off the road place that doesn't have street frontage. When we walked in everybody hopped up and quickly converted the house to a shop. They had some beautiful earrings and other items for piercings. The plug size we were looking for is apparently not a popular one. They brought out a bag full of stock and dug through it until they found all they had of that size. We bought 4 of the 6 pairs they had and got back in the car.

Made making the offerings

Just a short drive from there we entered the temple grounds. Made found a place to park (it was packed), we avoided the lady selling bananas, and headed into the temple. Tickets for tourists are 50,000 each. Sarongs and temple sashes are required; they can be borrowed (rented?) at the entrance. We made our way through into the main courtyard where Made made offerings, then proceeded into the area where the purification takes place. I felt a little out of place, as I was the only person there who wasn't wearing the rented sarong and sash. After instruction from Made, I made my way to the steps to enter the water. The steps are quite tall and not easy to use when wearing a sarong, but luckily the man ahead of me helped me get in.

It used to be that cameras were forbidden in this area, since many Balinese would perform the ritual in the nude. But now, there are temple staff waiting as you enter and offering to take your picture.

The purification ritual consists of meditation and/or prayer in front of 11 separate spouts pouring water from the holy spring. After your prayer, place your hands on the spout, and duck your head into the water pouring out. This is done two or three times at each position.

On this day, the pool was full of people and I had about 6 people ahead of me at each position. The bottom of the pool is covered in large pebbles, with larger stones here and there. Watch out for these, as it is quite uncomfortable to discover one with your toe - they do not move. Also, large fish are swimming through the pool, but they didn't bother me. The water is icy cold and you can't just submerge yourself to adjust like you would in a swimming pool. It took until the third spout for me to really adjust.

After completing the ritual and collecting my holy water, I proceeded to the steps leading out of the pool. Once again, the man ahead of me had to help me. These steps are very tall - about knee-high - and VERY slippery.

Purified and cleansed

I waited with Ibu while Made went to another area to collect holy water to take home. This water is important to the Balinese and is used in their daily rituals. Holy water is available from other sources, but the water from Tirta Empul is preferred.

When he was ready, we went back to the main courtyard so that I could go change. The locker area was packed with people all getting changed so that they could enter the water. I just needed a place to strip, dry off, and get into dry clothes. I managed to find a ladies' changing area that wasn't too crowded. I went in, closed the curtain behind me and claimed a spot on the bench so I could keep my stuff clean and dry. I was facing the wall and trying not to completely expose myself to everyone else while also getting completely naked. Doing this as quickly as I could, I managed to get into dry clothes. I gathered up my stuff and turned around to leave, only to discover that at some point, someone had gone through the curtain and left it wide
open, exposing my naked backside to an entire room full of strangers. Oh well!

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Bali 2024 - Day 8 (March 20)

While we were at breakfast this morning, a man came to cut the grass in the parking area. He was using a weedeater with no guard, and doing it while wearing shorts and flip-flops. He only got one side done because one of the guests complained about the noise while she was eating.

Today was a rest at home day. I worked on writing and photos in the morning, and cooked the rest of the chicken from yesterday along with sauteed mushrooms and fried potatoes with onions for lunch. After we ate, we walked to the warung for kretek.

On the way back, I decided to investigate Kino's Kitchen. There is a sign out on the road, but no appearance that there is a restaurant. We walked up the driveway behind a garage to find a lovely, clean little place with three tables. At first, we thought we weren't supposed to be there - the guy seemed so surprised to see us. But then he showed us the menu and we decided to try both kinds of their homemade shumai.

We got them to go and took them back to Londo House. Completely forgot to take pictures of them, but trust me, they were beautiful and delicious. We ate in the dining area and played Yahtzee until about 9:30, then went to bed.

Here's the rest of today's pictures:

A dove hanging out in the rafters above our rooms

The entrance to Londo House

Made's garage floor

A fat little gecko on the wall above our couch

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Bali 2024 - Day 7 Photos

A lizard hiding outside my bedroom door

Baskets of marigold flowers for offerings

Baby chicks for sale - some in designer colors

Mealworms

Crickets

Mini gas station

Auto parts store

An even smaller gas station - yes, those are Absolut bottles

Storm brewing

Bali 2024 - Day 7 (March 19)

Vegetable stall in local shopping area

This morning we got an earlier start for Sukawati. We packed snacks and plenty of water. Made dropped us off on the street because Ibu wanted to check out the stalls along the way. We went into a market building that was like the old markets we enjoyed so much. Got some good deals on some clothing, but not much else that we were looking for there.

Outside of the market, the shops and stalls around here are really not intended for tourists. Stopped into a couple of sarong shops to try to find something traditional that will fit my thick body. Went into an apotek (pharmacy) to get some low-dose aspirin to prep for our trip home - 20 pills cost 20,000 ($1.29). Checked out an artist's supply shop that turned out to be just paint and brushes - everything from gallons of water-proofing paint down to little tubes of oils.

Found a pet store and since I've always wondered what a Balinese pet store was like, of course I had to go in. No actual pets, although I think they might have had a white dove for sale, but food for whatever animal you might be keeping. There was a large open box full of crickets and large trays with mealworms and ants. The ants were kept in the tray by the presence of cooked rice. Someone came in to buy some while we were there and the shopkeeper got a container and took his fingers and just pinched up a big bunch. These were red ants about 1/2" long - I'll be darned if I would put my fingers in there.

Ants for sale in the pet shop

After a while, we headed back towards the market buildings. At one point I heard sirens. This is a bit unusual, so I looked to see what was going on. Coming up the road toward us was a parade of VW Things, many of which had been beautifully
restored and sported bright new paint jobs. I was so surprised I failed to get any pictures. 🤦

We ventured into one of the buildings we missed last time we were here. This building was focused mainly on art - paintings, carvings, etc. I decided to wait outside on a bench. While there, I struck up a conversation with an older Indonesian woman. One of the things we talked about was kretek (Indonesian cigarettes) and I mentioned that they don't always stay lit. She told me "suck harder". 🤣

Homemade mie goreng ayam

After another trip into the building where we shopped the other day to get yet more clothes, we decided we had enough stuff, and headed back home. Once there, I took a quick swim, then started to cook lunch and discovered that the chicken I had purchased was no longer fit for human consumption. Probably because when I bought it, we went to lunch then home. So off to Bintang to buy more. This time I wore pants so I could ride like I'm used to. I recorded the ride home, but the traffic wasn't too bad, so it doesn't really give a good idea of how nerve wracking it can be.

Home cooked fried noodles with chicken and vegetables for dinner. I now know that 200 grams of chicken is enough for two people. I had bought about 500 grams, so I have more for tomorrow. I cooked up the bad chicken and an egg I accidentally cracked for Blackie, Made's dog.

Motorbike Ride

Most everyone here rides a motorbike of some sort. They are easier to maneuver through traffic, easier to park, and cheap to rent and operate. Also, it's kind of amazing what can be carried on one.

Yesterday, I needed to go to the supermarket so Made had Putu take me on the motorbike. I wore pants instead of a sarong for this trip so I was able to take video on the way back. The traffic wasn't too bad this time.

I can't post the video here due to its size, but here is the YouTube link:

Grocery Run