Flat Tires, Poop Coffee, Opera Singing and Other Tales...

So I've been here for about a week and I feel as though I've already had a life time's worth of experiences.

It would probably take me all day to tell write about what this week has been, so I'll give you the abbreviated version which I suspect will be a bit lengthy anyhow.

Mornings

I'm currently staying at a guest house in the center of Ubud and let me tell you--Bali, if nothing else in my life, has made me a morning person.

Let me paint you a picture.

At around 4:30AM, I am serenaded by a symphony of roosters and I can see the earliest glimmer of dawn creeping through the cracks of my old wooden door. At around 5:00AM the roosters are soon joined by the chatter of exotic birds and the smell of burning wood as families prepare their wood-fire ovens for breakfast. At this point, I usually climb out of bed--sweaty and dazed, slip on my flip flops, and a sarong and head out to the front balcony (yes I have two). The front balcony overlooks the Ning family's (the amazing family who I am staying with) house and courtyard. Their house is part temple with unbelievably ornate wood carvings and doors, part house and part guest house. Next to the chair on the balcony the Ning mother has already set out warm nutty tea for me. I sip the tea and write in my journal as I watch the sun rise and with it the heat of the day. The Ning daughter comes up the steps with a tray full of incense and offerings to the volcano gods and conducts a ceremony on the shrine next to my room. The smell of burning incense wafts into my room and onto the balcony. She and I bow to each other and wish each other a good morning "Breakfast?" she asks sweetly. I nod my head and thank her. Shortly after, the Ning father, a jolly man who is full of smiles and jokes brings freshly made crepes with banana, cinnamon and coconut, and fresh fruit off the tree--bananas, pineapple and papaya all arranged in a pyramid. I thank him with a big smile to show how grateful I am for the way he treats me like a queen. I  consume my breakfast and savor the taste of Bali--sweet, spicy and full of surprises. Then, I begin to plan or not plan my day.

This is my morning in paradise. :)

Village Visits

As you might've been able to tell from the photos I've taken, my second day here was spent motorbiking up a volcano--something that in my wildest of dreams, I never would've imagined doing. However, that's travel for you. Somehow, you trust, you're open for opportunity to sweep you off your feet and take you somewhere magical and challenge you in ways you'd never expect. :)

So my friends Dillion, Jen and I took off on motorbikes (me on the back of Jen's). He had a GPS, so we were able to go off the main road and through the jungle and villages that we never would've found otherwise-- which let me tell you, was by far the most incredible thing I have ever done in my life. We stopped for lunch in a small village with a huge market. We bought fried bananas and chicken, egg noodle soup. As we were having lunch, a Balinese fellow next to us struck up a conversation. His name was Puta and he lived in the village but worked in a hotel in Ubud. He was so incredible. I don't even know how to possibly describe the depth of this human, but we talked length about travel, life and living it. This has been common amongst most every Balinese native I've met. They are quick to smile, quick to introduce themselves and quick to help when it's needed. I think this is quite the accomplishment especially considering how over-run with tourists and ex-pats Bali is becoming. Sometimes, I even feel small sense of guilt for being here and intruding on a culture. Still, I try to be as respectful as possible. I'm sure not every tourist is as mindful. Yet, despite how frustrated I'm sure the Balinese must get at times, they certainly don't show it. When I talked to Puta about tourists and foreigners coming to his land--he smiled knowingly and said "We are one! One people of this world! We should share it."

Wow.

Also, Puta had a niece. She was about 3 years old and the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen in my life. Immediately she gave me a winning smile and waved to me. She didn't speak a word of English so she and I communicated using our arms and faces--making faces at each other and being complete goofballs. It doesn't matter where you go, the children of this world are absolutely amazing, amazing beings. I will cherish that hour I had with Puta and his niece forever.

Flat Tires= Opera and Poop Coffee

Title get your attention? I was hoping it would because this next story is like something out of a movie...

So Jen and I were riding a REAL motorbike. Like one with SUPER duper treads--one that is meant to drive up a volcano.

Dillon's moto? Not so much.

He was driving ahead of us when all of a sudden we all heard a big POP!

Well, shit.

There we were on the side of a volcano without much evidence of humanity around us and with a flat tire. We should've freaked out but for some reason, I felt a huge sense of calm as if somebody (volcano gods, perhaps) were looking out for us. Suddenly, I remembered that we had just passed the Kopi Luwak plantation so I suggested that we go back there and see if they might be able to help us.

So Kopi Luwak, for those of you who don't know and who have not seen the movie "The Bucket List", is the most expensive coffee on the planet. The process of production is very....unique. The plantation keeps tons of Luwaks (small lemur looking animals) in captivity--feeds them coffee beans (poor over-caffeinated animals) then collects their excrement, and uses that concoction to make coffee. Yes, essentially, this is poop coffee and it goes for hundreds of dollars (in the US at least).

Thankfully, the ever generous Balinese were there to help us. As it would happen one of the men who worked on the plantation had a friend just down the road who fixed motorbikes. Amazing, right?

So as Dillon went to go get his bike fixed, Jen and I stayed on the plantation. Obviously, this meant that Jen and I had to stay and try this Kopi Lowak. The volcano gods demanded it.

So there we were, sitting in a beautiful tree house, overlooking the lushest green valley I'd ever seen and sipping (the surprisingly delicious) Kopi Luwak.

Then there was the monkey.

This character would not leave us alone. He came right up to me, started tugging on my shirt and biting my bag which was cute at first then as he became a bit more insistent, less cute. Obviously, I had to stop sweet talking him and show him that I was alpha. So, I narrowly escaped attack by monkey by baring my teeth and making deep loud noises and pounding on the the wood floor with my fist. He bared is teeth at me as if to say "you're a JERK!" Then scurried off. What a character...

So THEN came the whopper.

Jen, caught on that I am an opera singer. As soon as Dillon had returned with his newly fixed motorbike he insisted that I give a concert. I suppose it was the least I could do to thank the volcano gods.

So there I was, singing my lungs out to the monkey, the luwaks and the volcano/any unsuspecting valley person. Good thing there aren't avalanches in Bali (of snow at least).

In all seriousness, it was a completely beautiful experience. I hadn't sung like that in YEARS. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. The boys were sweet and gave me a huge hug afterwards.

That was, by far the most awesome thing I've ever done in my life.


Well, my internet time is running out. More to come later. :)