Ubud June 2017

What did you start your day with? Coffee? Me too!

Luwak coffee, one that has gone through the fermentation process in the intestines of a jungle cat.  The result is that I can't tell the difference, it's a delicious coffee regardless but Heather remarked on its lovely flavor.  I had the pleasure of meeting Luwak, the appropriately named 5 month old jungle cat whose poop treated my morning's coffee.

Luwak

Ubud's architecture and vibe is exactly what I had pictured in my mind (not Google Images for once). Ornate sculptures, colorful tapestries, the smell of incense permeating the air. This place is magical. The tourists are overrunning the place and in my head I have to dream of empty streets and quiet roads to fully enjoy this. But even with the chaos of high season, this place is something else. 

I've gone 15 days without hearing Russian but I knew I was running out of time. Russians are everywhere and they are here in Ubud too. Probably because Obama is as well. 

There is a first for everything and today I got side swiped by a car. Light enough that I didn't fall, hard enough to make their side mirror collapse. A bit of pretty red on the right side of my face for a souvenir. Explanation: 2 way streets here are really one lane for driving in both directions *and* walking. Other lane is for 4 scooter deep parking. 

Any Ubud Top Ten List suggests a visit to the Sacred Monkey Forest. The nature is beautiful but the monkeys are fierce.  Tourists are encouraged to buy bundles of bananas and most oblige.  Then they proceed to scream when a monkey attacks them. Shocker that happens, huh? It felt a mix of a zoo and a tourist trap and I will most definitely think back on my Wildlife Alliance experience outside of Phnom Penh as a proper monkey adventure. 

As in all things stereotypes, Bali and yoga go hand in hand. There are many studios throughout town, holding drop in classes, weekly seminars and workshops on a variety of topics. Heather and I bought a pass to the biggest of them all, Yoga Barn.  With over 15 classes to choose from per day, we were able to find something for our schedule and the views of the lush gardens were a lovely bonus. A Canadian from Ottawa taught the class and it marked the first time we dealt with someone English speaking and not from Australia. 

Yoga Views 

We finished the day at a traditional Balinese restaurant, Batan Waru  where I ordered having zero clue what I was actually getting. Fish baked in banana leaves, a coconut drink with something that doesn't exist in English and crepes filled with coconut and pineapple. Delicious! 

Tomorrow is Heather's last full day and we are off to see some temples on the East side of Bali. The ones Obama visited yesterday (yes, still hoping!)