continued relaxation

it wouldn't be the most relaxing vacation we have been on without massages.  we loaded up on daily massages while in bali.  there was one massage that was by far our favorite ever.  it was a two-hour couples massage.  to break it down, it was a 1-hour full-body massage followed by a cream bath and herbal scrub, and then a 30 minute soak in a big tub full of jasmine and flower petals.  during our soak we were served fresh fruits and herbal teas.

the grand total of this massage was the equivalent of $15 each!

later on that night we attended a balinese traditional celebration dance.  we saw 6 different dances performed, each one representing some balinese history.  one dance was about the king and his secret desire for a younger woman in the palace who was not interested in him.

all the dances were beautiful and creepy at the same time.  the reason they were creepy is because every dancer stares at the crowd wide-eyed.  meanwhile their eyes shift left and right with the tempo of the music and sometimes their facial expression changes from a creepy half-smile to a concerned and scared face when their eyes shift.  they also are able to move their pinkies side to side very fast with the music.  it was very entertaining.

rice fields

preface: this is going to be a picture-overload-post.

on our bike ride down from the volcano we also stopped by a compound that is common in bali where a family lives.  we learned about the balinese culture and beliefs.  for example, everyone in the balinese culture believes that you must get your teeth filed straight across so that all your teeth are even or else you go to hell and you don't reincarnate.  

there are anywhere from 4-15 families living in one compound.  in the compound are bedrooms in separate buildings, a kitchen in a separate building, a shrine/temple, and chickens and roosters running around freely.  the grandparents in the compound live in the building that is on a platform to represent honor being the highest.  

she is making spices for their food.

splitting bamboo to make household items

the shrine/temple

the first born son is able to choose whether he wants to stay in the compound with his family or move away.  the youngest son inherits the compound and must stay, because he is the youngest and he will stay alive longer in order to take care of the rest of the family.

we continued the journey through some rice fields and stopped to meet and help some women tend to the rice.

we ended the trip by being served the best meal we had in bali.  7-hour roasted duck, 5-hour roasted chicken, kabobs, veggie rolls, fresh fruit and juice.  

kopi luwak coffee

after we ate breakfast near the volcano, we rode our bikes to a coffee and herb plantation.  we were able to learn about different herbs and fruits they grow there as well as the process they go through when making and roasting their coffee.

one thing that was very interesting was learning about the civets and how they make kopi luwak coffee.  civets are wild animals that live in the forests that this plantation catches and cages for a few days.  the reason they catch them is because these animals eat and chew on the coffee beans, but they are unable to digest the actual bean, so they poop it out.  this plantation collects their poop, washes it, collects the whole beans from it and roasts it to make coffee.

they only cage the civets for a couple days, then release them and catch new civets, always keeping on a rotation in order to lessen the stress of the animals.

this coffee is probably the most expensive coffee in the world.  we were informed that it sells in new york for about $80 acup.  it is also featured in the movie "the bucket list".

after learning about how the plantation works, they served us complimentary samples of their different coffees and teas that they make.  we enjoyed our samples while overlooking the most lush view possible.

mount batur and crater lake

we woke up at 6:30 in the morning, ate our usual breakfast at the resort and hopped in a van carrying 10 other people from all over the world headed up a mountain to see an active volcano.

it was such a beautiful sight.  we ate brunch in a restaurant located across from the volcano and over-looking the crater lake.  the water was sparkling, the clouds were hovering and the food was delicious.

mount batur used to be one large volcano, but over time and due to all the eruptions, it has formed two peaks with a crater lake in the middle.

mount batur has erupted 27 times since 1870.  the last eruption was two years ago.  the eruption came from crater lake.  it was an underwater eruption that killed most of the fish.

the black you see on the slopes in the picture above is the still remaining outcome of an eruption that happened in 1972.  it destroyed a whole town.

behind us is the larger of the two peaks with the lake below.  to the left of the lake is the second peak with the black patches along the mountain side.

after brunch we all hopped on bikes and headed down the mountain back into ubud.

yoga in bali

the first thing on my wish list for bali was to practice yoga.  we found the most amazing place in ubud.  there were probably 4 different studios, a cafe, an outdoor performance/practice area, hammocks, lounging huts and lots and lots of land draped in green.  we were lucky enough to be able to squeeze in 3 classes.

it was so refreshing for me to be here because the place i am currently practicing at in south korea is in a dark room, the instructor plays the same music and teaches the same sequence of poses for almost all the classes.  i have been finding myself in a rut.  i will do my own home practice and try to push myself, but there is nothing like being surrounded by other people who are encouraging one another to try new things and keep working hard, as well as having an instructor who gives the perfect balance of a strenuous and relaxing class.  i have been craving more.  and i found it.  

i could honestly say that at this studio, i attended the best class i have ever taken and was even encouraged to push myself into a new arm balance i had never done.

this class was held up in a tree house-like structure.  it was amazing to be practicing yoga in a room with no walls, no windows, an amazing view of rice fields, with plants peeking inside and a breeze dancing around our bodies.

i would love to go back and attend a teacher training course over the summer.