2016
Toni Tour Guide rides again
12 September 2016
It is time to show Sia and Jon my beloved Bali. A long stay in Indonesia on this trip for which i needed a two -month visa because of the coming Ombak Putih trip from Flores to Ambon next week, before the festival later in October
Monday morning and off to the Puppet and Mask Museum. Josh asked me last night how I can see the same sights each time new friends come to Ubud. That's easy to answer! I get a kick out of their reactions to my showing them my favourite places and responding to their curiosity. Sia and Jon are brimming with enthusiasm for the Bali they are seeing. And wow, it is spectacular right now! The whole island is decorated with the bamboo penjor at every gate, along every road, inviting the gods down into every home (and business) for the ten day Galungan-Kuningan festival. Already the yellow (kuning) coloured decorations for next week's Kuningan are going up as yellow umbrellas are added at each gate. It is a joy to drive village roads as we did yesterday, up to the volcano and to my "secret" garden temple at Sebatu with its carp ponds and spacious lawns. One village, Payangan, where my driver friend Ketut is from, was competing for the elaborate splendour of their penjor. This one with a Naga snake/ dragon spiralling down it was worth a photo stop. A group of women were sitting making woven leaf decorations nearby. Fun to see they use staplers these days instead of wooden tooth picks to attach the pieces of leaf and coloured paper! I asked the older woman does she ever get bored making offerings and decorations and she replied with a wry grin, "All the time!" It is the lot of a Balinese woman to never be idle - any spare time is devoted to snipping and stapling. These decorations they were making were to sell for Kuningan, so I wished them good profits!
Monday morning and off to the Puppet and Mask Museum. Josh asked me last night how I can see the same sights each time new friends come to Ubud. That's easy to answer! I get a kick out of their reactions to my showing them my favourite places and responding to their curiosity. Sia and Jon are brimming with enthusiasm for the Bali they are seeing. And wow, it is spectacular right now! The whole island is decorated with the bamboo penjor at every gate, along every road, inviting the gods down into every home (and business) for the ten day Galungan-Kuningan festival. Already the yellow (kuning) coloured decorations for next week's Kuningan are going up as yellow umbrellas are added at each gate. It is a joy to drive village roads as we did yesterday, up to the volcano and to my "secret" garden temple at Sebatu with its carp ponds and spacious lawns. One village, Payangan, where my driver friend Ketut is from, was competing for the elaborate splendour of their penjor. This one with a Naga snake/ dragon spiralling down it was worth a photo stop. A group of women were sitting making woven leaf decorations nearby. Fun to see they use staplers these days instead of wooden tooth picks to attach the pieces of leaf and coloured paper! I asked the older woman does she ever get bored making offerings and decorations and she replied with a wry grin, "All the time!" It is the lot of a Balinese woman to never be idle - any spare time is devoted to snipping and stapling. These decorations they were making were to sell for Kuningan, so I wished them good profits!
Wonderful to see Sia and Jon again. Sia and I have been corresponding regularly since the last Ombak Putih trip four years ago, sharing our lives electronically, but taking up the conversation face to face is a real pleasure. They are staying at Puri Saraswati in town and loving its tranquil garden setting and central location, as all my friends I send there do. They arrived Saturday late morning from their week in Sulawesi, and after an excited catch-up chat on their verandah we headed out to walk around central Ubud and have lunch. We all needed a rest in the mid afternoon but I met them at night for dinner at Pulau Kelapa / Kamasan restaurant which worked its evening magic. I had never eaten down the back at Kamasan at night before, overlooking the expanse of organic gardens below. It was so cool and the lights strategically placed in the trees, plus nature's gift of stars, entranced us all. The food was good too! As always.
The mountains were so clear yesterday. on our trip up o Batur volcano in central Bali. Fabulous glimpses of the mighty Agung along the way! And Batur itself was stark against the sky and the lake below was shimmering. A light lunch on the Lakeview terrace and of course, a photo op! We stopped at one of the Agrowisata places to see their coffee and spice gardens and sample their teas and coffee overlooking the valley and mountain range beyond. Jon was determined to try the Kopi Luwak, where the beans have been through the digestive system of the civet cat (Luwak). Supposed to be the finest coffee on earth (as they say the Luwak is very discriminating about which beans it will eat!!) It sells for hundreds of dollars a kilo in the US. Jon was not particularly impressed. Nor could he claim to be able to differentiate its flavour from any other coffee.
The mountains were so clear yesterday. on our trip up o Batur volcano in central Bali. Fabulous glimpses of the mighty Agung along the way! And Batur itself was stark against the sky and the lake below was shimmering. A light lunch on the Lakeview terrace and of course, a photo op! We stopped at one of the Agrowisata places to see their coffee and spice gardens and sample their teas and coffee overlooking the valley and mountain range beyond. Jon was determined to try the Kopi Luwak, where the beans have been through the digestive system of the civet cat (Luwak). Supposed to be the finest coffee on earth (as they say the Luwak is very discriminating about which beans it will eat!!) It sells for hundreds of dollars a kilo in the US. Jon was not particularly impressed. Nor could he claim to be able to differentiate its flavour from any other coffee.