After breakfast, we went up to the Crow's Nest to watch the sail in. As we approached the harbor, the channel became much narrower and the ship was really close to the reefs. But the channel was clearly marked with twists and turns. And there was a wreck on the starboard side and another ahead of us as we reached the point where the captain pivoted the ship 90° counterclockwise before backing into our berth.
A musical troupe and dancers entertained us while the ship was cleared for disembarkation. Once the announcement was made we made our way out of the terminal area where we met our guide, Agung, and our driver Yoyo. I should add that Dennis and Dayle from Vancouver, BC organized the tour using Tours By Locals which we have also used in other parts of the world.
We headed off through the crazy traffic (and I do mean crazy, more on that later) and found a money changer so we would have local currency for spending throughout the day. We then found a Batik studio (Goak Batik) where we learned how Batik is done. Plus the gals got to do their own Batik, and we found some Batik clothing.
It was then time to head for the Monkey Forest and enjoy the Grey Macaques. These little critters are very aggressive about any loose items or food items. The first macaque we saw had stolen someone's selfie stick and was totally fascinated with it. Inside the forest I watched a man almost lose his Bermuda shorts as he had food in his pockets! The macaque was not at all interested in the food it could see, but it was totally enthralled with the lump in the fellow's right front pocket. Besides the macaques there was all sorts of statuary. Keep in mind that Hinduism is the predominant religion on this island.
A stop at the Bali Pulina Plantation to sample coffees came next (of course using the crazy traffic). Besides showin us coffee plants, we observed a wide variety of herbs and spices being grown along with the hand method that they processed the coffee beans. Speaking of the coffee beans, the way they get the outer plant material off the seeds is to feed them to a cat like critter who eats the beans and expels the hard shelled beans as excrement. Those beans are then cleaned and crushed to get the softer coffee bean which is hand roasted. The end product is called affectionately catpuchino! We were served a sampling of the coffees and I have to admit as a total non coffee drinker or lover, I really enjoyed most of the samples. My favorite was the lemon tea!
We then drove to a local restaurant (Warung Babi Guling) where we're enjoyed a pork lunch and a local beer, both of which were quite good. The beer was especially good because of the high heat and humidity. On the way back to the port, we stopped at a Hindu temple and dressed in a respectful ceremonial robes to enter the grounds.
Speaking of the traffic, it was the craziest I've ever experienced! There are thousands of scooters and motorcycles carrying every manner of person or persons and cargo. There are scooters and motorcycles on our left, passing on our right (keep in mind they drive on the left here), lanes are only a suggestion, helmets and safety riding gear are non existent, right turns or cross traffic can suddenly materialize in one's lane. It's quite a dance! But I observed very few dented vehicles!
Back at the port we shopped a bit more before reboarding the ship. We had received an email that our ballot submission wasn't done correctly, so we resubmitted them. Also my Google account was locked because I tried to access it in Indonesia using my Australian Sim card. So I'm not sure I'll be able to update my blog. I find Google's two factor authorization to be a real bummer when traveling internationally. It happened last year in Singapore as well. It plain just doesn't work!
Remember to savor the journey even though the destination is important!
Tim Bowman
Sent from the Road Somewhere
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