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.

monkeys

while in bali we went to a place called monkey forest.  it is a large sanctuary in the middle of the city where wild monkeys live.  people can walk through the forest and explore while watching monkeys go about their daily routines.  

before entering the forest there are tables set up with women selling bananas for people to buy and feed the monkeys.  since monkeys are ryan's favorite animal, we thought we had better have a real encounter with them.

we were warned that the monkeys can be very aggressive if you have food, or they think you have food.  at one point i took off my earrings and opened my back pack to put the earrings inside and a monkey must have thought that i had food, so he quickly climbed onto my shoulders and hung out for a few minutes.

since visiting the forest, we have a new running joke in our family.  it goes something like this: "hey, remember that time we went to bali and had the most relaxing vacation ever, except for when ryan got rabies."

yes, it's true.  the monkey sitting on ryan's shoulders in the picture below bit him on the head and neck because ryan wasn't giving the monkey all his bananas.  he was throwing some bananas at a smaller monkey a few feet away who looked very hungry.  apparently it's a known monkey forest fact that the larger monkeys have first dibs.

shortly after our monkey forest visit, we went to the hospital so that ryan could get rabies shots, just to be safe.

despite the whole rabies thing, i would still recommend visiting the monkey forest.  just don't feed the smaller monkeys first if there are larger monkeys present.

bali bed and breakfast

in bali we stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast.  we originally didn't want to stay anywhere too extravagant in order to save some money, but after we arrived at the sunti villa and resort we realized that it was more than we expected.  open spaces, lovely views and the sound of the breeze made it one of the most serene places we have stayed.  our room had an amazing view of rice fields, a spacious deck and a window from our bathroom to our bedroom.  breakfast was pretty good as well.  every morning we had a choice between a traditional balinese breakfast of fried rice or noodles with meat and vegetables or an american breakfast of toast, eggs, meats, jam, fresh fruit and smoothies.  

a taste of bali

balinese cuisine is packed with flavor and spice, yet it is simple without trying too hard.  it seems that most restaurants we went to had the same items on the menu, but all of which had different sauces combined with a different variety of side dishes.

meat, meat, meat.  someone once told me that bali is known for its arrangement of meats and spices; more specifically duck.  we ate some of the best meat we have ever had in bali.

aside from the menus, it seemed that every restaurant in ubud was told they had to make the most beautiful atmosphere ever known.  the reason i say this is because i have never been to more beautiful restaurants in my life.  every restaurant had an outdoor atmosphere with a ceiling and a floor, but no walls.  this way the consumers could take in the beauty of the rolling hills, fountains, ponds, lily pads, flowers and rice fields that surrounded them on all sides.

here are some pictures from our favorite restaurants.

bali part 1: bali offerings

we went to bali, indonesia last week and enjoyed the most relaxing vacation possible.  we were surrounded by a lush green oasis accompanied by the warm sun, a cool breeze, massages, yoga and wonderful balinese food.

every day as we walked around town we would almost trip over beautiful offerings created by the locals and placed in front of their stores on the sidewalks for good luck and wealth for the day.  these offerings ranged between flowers, rice, incense, crackers, candy, and sometimes all of the above placed in a bamboo or leaf bowl.