Bali Day 4 (Part 2): Wood Carving Village & Pedicures

Here is Marfin!  He was our driver the entire time we were in Bali from picking us up at the airport, to dropping us off, and all our day excursions.  He was amazing.  He had fabulous suggestions and would cater to what we wanted.  He was a fantastic driver.  He kept telling us about his village.  He said his village was well known for their word carving and that his bother was a wood carver.  So on our last day, we made sure to visit is cute village.  The wood carving village was one of the nicer villages we had been too.  

Out in front of the village wood store, were two rows of wood carvers hard at work.  It was amazing seeing these old me bent over a black of wood and carving a beautiful piece of art.  There was one man who was using his feet to help him carve.  

While we were watching the artist at work, we were also given information about the different wood that is used in the village.  We learned about the tools used, and the qualities of the four main woods they used.  We also learned that there are three types of carvers, and depending on the type of caver, would determine the price of a piece.  They had kids as young as 8 years old who were learning and selling their work.  

I knew that I wanted to get Kevin a unique piece of woodwork!  I asked the different artist and found a piece that they place over the hospitals.  The four handed Ganesha Hindu god.  Ganesha has an elephant head who has four hands which depict Chakras and represent conservation, survival and material well being.  Genasha grants success, prosperity and protection from adversity.  I also picked a Ganesha that was made by a master carver and made out of the Balinese Crocodile wood!  Here I am standing in front of a crocodile tree holding Kevin's gift!

After leaving Marfin's village we went back to Ubud for pedicures and dinner.  We found a pedicure place that does the Dr. Fish pedicures for cheap.  So we all tried the Dr. Fish pedicures for the first time.   These pedicures are where you put your feet in a giant fish tank and little fish eat away at your dead skin.  It was the weirdest feeling.  It felt like the tingle after your foot falls asleep and is slowly gaining movement and the blood is rushing back.  Betsy and I did OK.  It felt weird, and other then the occasional tickle, I was able to handle it.

 Holly, on the other hand, did not like the fish on her feet.  We all got a good chuckle watching her face as she could barely handle the sensation of the fish all over her feet.

 After the Dr. Fish pedicure, we all got our toenails painted.  It was fun to sit, relax and enjoy our last Bali adventure.  It was especially nice after my long hike that morning!

We ended the night with our last group dinner!  Holly, Betsy and I had to leave about 11PM to catch our flight, so we enjoyed our last time together as a whole group.  All of us had an amazing time in Bali!  It was the best of girls on this trip, which made it even better!  This was a great end to an even greater vacation.

Bali Day 4 (Part 1): Mt. Batur- Hiking a Volcano

Mt. Batur is 1717 meters high and an active volcano.  When I found out I was going to Bali, this was one of the top things I wanted to do!  The thought of hiking a volcano is something that terrified me and filled me with excitement all at the same time.  I asked the other girls if any of them wanted to hike Mt. Batur with me, and Holly and Betsy were a definite yes!  Corianne and Sarah liked the idea, but they were both worried they didn't have the proper footwear.  In the end, it was Holly, Betsy and I that woke up at 3AM. to catch the 3:30 car to the base of the volcano.  Betsy sat in the front and laid her seat down, Holly slept in the middle row, and I laid down in the back seat.  We all slept on the ride to the volcano.

When we reached the volcano, we met our guide and took the last bathroom break.  It was just the 4 of us for our little hiking group.  It was nice to be able to go at our own pace and not have to wait for a huge group.  The trek started out flat going through a small farming village.  We passed by tomato plants, peppers and what looked like cabbage fields.  It was super dark, so we just had our little flashlights provided by our guide.  Our guide must have measured us up and found us worthy of the most difficult path.  We noticed a few other flashlights to our far right.  We found this was a road that went around the fields.  We were taking a direct route through the fields at a rather brisk pace.

I've done a few hikes in my life, and I haven't ever done a hike as direct as this hike.  We went front point A to point B in a pretty much straight line.  I am used to switch backs and gradual inclines.  This was not the case with Mt. Batur!  There were many times we were completely out of breath.  About half way up the volcano, there was a flat rest area.  At this point, our guide was sweating and said we had to rest.  Apparently our brisk pace caught up with him.  He took a smoke break while we snacked on granola bars and rehydrated.

We continued up the last half of the volcano.  The path was rocky and at some points very slippery.  We were walking on volcanic rocks and fine volcanic dust.  The larger rocks would just slide down because the fine rocks underneath them.  We made fantastic time and made it to the top a good hour before sunrise.  Our guide had us stop the very second we reached the top and handed us moth eaten rugs.  He told us to sit and wait for the sunrise.  It wasn't the best view, with rocks to the right and people walking in front of us every few minutes.  It also wasn't very comfortable with hardly any space to sit.  I went walking around trying to find a better view and a more comfortable spot.  Just a few hundred yards further, was a ledge with a perfect view.  Betsy, Holly and I moved our ragged carpets over and sat down.

At this point, we were sweating from our hike.  The longer we sat, and our sweat turned to cold precipitation, we found ourselves super cold!  We put our sweaters back on and sat close to keep each other warm.  Our Villa packed us a breakfast of bread, eggs and a banana.  We ate our breakfast while waiting for the sun to rise.  Since we were there so early, we were able to watch the sky go from black to dark blue, to light blue, purple, reds and oranges.  In the distance we could see Mt. Agung, which erupted just a few months ago.  We cold see hot steam coming from the mouth of the volcano.

Our view was priceless.  The hike was well worth every labored breath and aching legs.  We could see the Sea as glass and the mountain peaks of Bali in the distance.

We picked a perfect day to hike, as we had a perfect sunrise.  We took a ton of pictures!

After the sun had risen, our guide found us and asked if we wanted to go back down, or explore and continue around the mouth of Mt. Batur.  We proclaimed that we wanted to continue on forward. we continued down the ledge to circle around the mouth of the volcano.  It was at this point that our guide pointed out the steam coming from the very volcano we were walking around!

He had us walking a little further down and inside the volcano.  It was much warmer here!  There were steam pockets all around us.  In two of the steam pockets, guides were using oven tools to toast and bake eggs and bananas.  We were so sad we already ate our entire breakfast.

As we were looking around the steam pockets, the sun rose to a perfect height and we were able to see the sun in full glory!

Out guide told us that he was going to take us all the way around the mouth of the volcano.  He said it was because we were very good hikers and he knew we could do it.  Most guides don't take their people around the entire volcano because at some parts, it is an extremely small ledge of only about 8 inches.

We continued around the volcano and each step took us to a more beautiful view.  We were able to see the inside of the volcano where the crater was.  We also saw the beauty of the fertile ground down the volcano with grass and flowers and beautiful greenery.

With the sun rising on our backs, we soaked in the views around us.  It is impossible to describe the beauty I experienced this day.  It was one of the most beautiful views of God's creation I have experienced.

After we made our way to the other side of the volcano, we started the descent down the side.  This side of the volcano was significantly harder then the way we ascended!  The ground we were walking down was small tiny volcanic rocks that made it so you just slide with every step.  Most of the time, we were sliding more then walking.  Each of us fell at least once.  I took a huge fall as I almost slide off the volcano and caught myself with my hands.  My palms were ripped up and bleeding with small rocks lodged in my skin.  Luckily I had a first aid kit.

We were able to get a really good vies of the crater on our way down.  It was covered in grass and trees, and then just a straight drop off down the volcano.  Our guide told us that a few people died because they got too close to the ledge and fell in.

The hike down took about as long as the hike up, since we had horrible footing the entire way down.  Our path was labored with huge boulders, small rolling volcanic pebbles, and rolling rocks.

When we were almost to the bottom, we came across a beautiful temple.  The temple was in the process of being built.

We were able to walk into the grounds and see the statues and the grandeur of the steeples.  It was a good break to walk around the temple.

The last 20 minutes of the hike down was on a windy farm road.  The farm houses humbled me greatly and made me appreciate all I have.  These amazing people lived in these one room tiny shakes.  Some were held up by cardboard and fabric.  There was no heat or A/C.  There weren't any couches or beds, but simply mats.  Every farm had tons of roosters in these wicker cages, waking up the morning with their "kak-a-doodle-doo".  I really am a blessed person.  I am so grateful for all I have and all the experiences I am able to have.  And hiking Mt. Batur, I count as one of my highest highlights and blessings!

Bali Day 3 (Part 2): Kedonganan Beach & Tanah Lot Temple

Since Bali is an island, we wanted a beach day!  In my mind I was picturing a beautiful white sand beach with umbrellas and beach chairs.  I was picturing myself with a book in one hand, a fun fruit drink in the other while basking in the glorious sun.  We told our driver that we wanted a beach, so he drove us to a tourist adventure beach.  There wasn't a sandy beautiful beach greeting us, it was rocks and ocean and a table with a binder.  Apparently, most people that come to Bali and ask for a beach want to have beach adventures, like paragliding, glass-bottom boats, ocean tubbing, etc.  We all really wanted a relaxing beach, so we found our driver and explained what we wanted. We got back in the car and drove a little longer to Kedonganan Beach.

Kedonganan Beach wasn't the most picturesque beach, it also wasn't an island beach that I was picturing, but it would have to do.  At first we were at a restaurant table to get lunch.  The menu was all seafood, and I'm not a big fan of seafood.  I could see a few restaurants down the beach, so while everyone else ordered seafood, I made my way down the beach in search of food.  I found a place that had chicken and French fries and a glorious fruit drink!  I also found out they they had umbrellas and beach chairs, so I reserved 6 of them!  I went back to the group and told them to meet me over by the umbrella and chairs when they were done eating.  While I was waiting for my food, I put my feet up, closed my eyes and enjoyed the sound of the waves while relaxing on the beach!

I was able to sit by the beach and eat my lunch in my beach chair and enjoy my virgin drink!!

Once everyone else finished eating, they all came and sat and relaxed for awhile.

Holly and Sarah wanted to get in the water, so the two of them ventured out into the waves.  The current seemed pretty strong to me, so I was a wuss and did not go in.  I also didn't want to spend the rest of the day completely wet.  Holly and Sarah enjoyed the waves and the refreshing water.  Their only complaint was that there was so much sand in the water!  When they got out of the sea, their entire body was covered in sand, and their swimsuit must have had 3 lbs worth of sand hiding inside.

I love this picture!  You can see them trying to run back in before a wave hit them.

Holly, Sarah and Heather enjoyed a walk in the sand along the ocean!

And I enjoyed putting my feet in the sea foam with  Betsy and Corianne!

Since we wanted to see Tanah Lot at sunset, we left the beach and made our way to Tanah Lot.  Unfortunately we hit pretty back traffic.  Our driver knew we really wanted to make it, so he was being super aggressive.  It took so much longer to get there, and when he finally pulled up, we had to run to make it before we lost all day light.

Little did we know that before you get to the temple, you have to walk through about a mile of a market.  The market opens right up to a huge gate that overlooks the sea side temple.

This temple is amazing!  My one regret is that I didn't get to spend more time at Tanah Lot!  This temple is super unique because its built right on the rocks in the ocean.  The only time someone can go into the temple is during low tide.  When we got there it was high tide, and the path to the temple was already too dangerous and closed.

With the limited sunlight remaining, we all enjoyed walking around the rocks and taking sunset pictures by the temple.

I truly wish I could have explored this temple more.  It looked so amazing set right up on the ocean.  I want to know how the foundation stays strong with the waves crashing on it half the time.  If I ever make it back to Bali, Tanah Lot will be my first stop!

Bali Day 3 (Part 1): Uluwatu Temple

Today we had our driver take us to the Uluwatu Temple.  We got to the temple and adorned the beautiful purple sarongs that were provided to use during the temple stay.

As we were walking one of the Balinese men came up and was talking to us as we were walking.  He said he would show us around. At first, we were trying to figure out a way to nicely decline, our opinion changed very quickly!

When we stepped onto the path to the temple, we were greeted with a horrifyingly scary encounter.  You see, the Uluwatu temple is also known as the monkey temple.  The entire grounds of the temple is covered with monkeys.  There are big monkeys, small monkeys, baby monkeys... you get the picture.  There is only one problem- these monkeys are mean and aggressive and rude!  The locals call them "cheeky monkeys".  These monkeys have basically, unintentionally, been trained this way.  If a monkey steals something from a tourist, the local guides will offer the monkey food for the stolen item.  These monkeys have a learned behavior that the more things they steal, the more food they will get.  Now, let me return to our horrifying site...

The six of us girls were laughing and talking and admiring the beautiful trees and our surroundings.  As we enter the path we see two girls walking towards us about 100 yards away, when all of a sudden, out of no where and quick as a flash, a good size monkey rans out of the brush from their left and goes straight up to them and starts to climb one the girls with a backpack.  The poor girl is so startled that she screams and is thrown off balance by the monkey and falls.  When she falls, the money goes straight to her feet and steals her left shoe, right off her foot and darts back into the trees.

All of us are just staring and simply couldn't believe our eyes.  The Balinese tour man with us, pulls a sling shot out of his pocket and snaps it (it was empty) at the monkey, and the monkey scampers off.  The man explains that if we stay with him, no monkey will bother us because they stay away from the sling shots.  So, all our minds were made up, it was worth it to pay the guide to stay with us, so we wouldn't be attacked by monkeys.

It ended up being the best thing to have the tour guide!  After we walked a few hundred yards, he invited us to leave the path, hop a fence to see the beautiful sea shore from the cliff!

We walked through a construction site of a new cliff side restaurant. When this restaurant opens, it will have the best view in all Bali!  The walls were made from crushed shells with sections of plexiglass, so you have a clear view of the ocean. There were beautiful rock formations all along the outer walls.  It was absolutely breathtaking!

After taking a bunch of pictures, we made our way back to the path to the temple.  The walkway follows the edge of the cliff, with spectacular ocean views!

We were also able to see many more monkeys stealing items from unsuspecting tourists.  The number one thing that we saw being stolen were glasses!  The monkeys would climb straight up a person and grab their glasses right off their face, then run away.  It was something else!  We never got approached by a monkey, our guide kept us safe.  We were able to get up close to a few monkeys who had already been given food in exchange for a stolen item.

As we walked along the path, we could see the ocean, and the beautiful temple growing out of the side of the cliff!

We got to the temple and were able to walk around the grounds.  The temple was beautiful.  The gates were grand, ancient, and uniquely beautiful.

We were not able to enter the temple, so we admired the beauty from a distance.

We still had a little time before we needed to meet up with our driver, so we continued following the cliff-wall path.  We got to a beautiful look out point and were able to snap a picture with the temple far in the background.

We then cut through the forest to get back to the parking lot.  We saw many more monkeys in this area, but true to our guide's word, we were not approached by a single cheeky monkey.