On our last day in Ubud we hired a local laundromat owner as our taxi (well, he suggested the thing and he had a nice SUV), and went around the Bali to see some of the best scenes of the island.
Up with the rice terrace(s)
A very prominent part of the Bali countryside landscape is the winding green of rice terraces. Our first stop took us to a few nice ones, on the way to Mt. Batur:
Mt. Batur
The next part of the scenic route was a pitstop at Mt.Batur, an active volcane located to the east of Ubud. Apparently you could hike up to the craters pretty easily, but we settled on admiring the part ash part green valley and the spectacular panoramic views.
Pura Besakih - Mother Temple
Bali, in contrast to Jakarta, is predominantly Hindu in terms of religion. The locals, including our driver, are devout practitioners, with daily routines revolving around the balance-seeking aspects of the religion. The cast system is also very much a reality still in the Balinese life, dictating many choices and attitudes. Our driver took to the Pura Besakih as a part of his spiritual routine, to witness first hand how to approach the matters of karma through prayer and tradition.
Lunch up high
Family and interconnectivity with relatives and friends is also a key aspect of life in Bali. This ended up also dictating our lunch on the day of the adventure - someone from our drivers' family owns a restaurant hidden away on the edge of the green valleys, up the hills.
All in all, this proved to be a rather bad value for money in terms of food (don't go for buffet in Bali), but at least the service was nice, accompanied by a nice view from the terrace.
Kopi Luwak farm
Indonesia has a history as a coffee producer (4th largest in the world), particularly known perhaps for the Java island Arabica. If you're a connoisseur, the group of Island produces a wild mix of different flavors, and with the low prices, you're in for a treat. You can find a whole spectrum of different roasts, single-origin or blend to suit your need, and oftentimes you can choose how you want it brewed for you, to give that little extra bit of choice. Coffee is serious business, you know.
To visit the origins of Balinese coffee, we went to a plantation to see some first hand:
Yes, pineapples don't grow in trees.
Coconut fat boiled into oil, and palm sugar distilled into some local moonshine :)
One interesting bit about Indonesian coffee is Kopi Luwak, which is probably the rarest coffee in the world - retailing more than 600 usd per kilo. The coffee beans are actually collected from the feces (poo) of Asian Palm Civet, a nocturnal animal that eats prime coffee beans. Apparently the digestion of the animal removes bitterness from the beans, which makes the coffee from the beans smooth, sweet and light on after taste.
A Luwak, Asian Palm Civet
Some Kopi Luwak
And they gave a full tasting tour of coffees and teas for free :)
Black Beach
One curious thing on the coasts of Bali is the presence of Volcanic sand beaches. While most of the coasts are white, dreamy sand, some are totally black, and hot like a frying pan. The black sand beaches also represent a special feature for the local Hindu funerals - the ashes from the cremation are sprinkled on the black coasts. The black sand is also believed to possess healing properties - old people with ailments come to cover themselves in the black dirt to boost their health back to the days of their youth.
And it's so damn bright.
Another feature of the Ubud reason is the abundance of different places of worship - much like the Thai Wats, but with a predisposition toward the hindu religion. Most often the temples also cater to the buddhists, which is not a surprise due to the religious history of the islands - buddhists overridden by muslims and hindu at a later stage.
As the last part of our day trip we also visited a local temple called the Elephant temple:
Quick peek to Ubud at night
As the local Hindus were celebrating the New moon, the town was filled with traditional getup, percussion instruments and togetherness. We took a short evening stroll at the city to check it out, and uncovered some weird fashion installations along the way as well. With these few shots, we were just about ready to bed, with early departure to Denpasar, all the way to Gold Coast, Australia!
Local fashion with panaché
Sure, darling
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