Water water everywhere

Our next stop was the Pura Tirta Empul. This is a sacred temple aligned with the water and purifying. Though it was beautiful I preferred the temple yesterday as it was extremely touristic and there were people everywhere. There were a large number of people bathing in the waters and personally i feel if you are not a practicing Buddist then you should not. But cannot deny it is quite an experience.

We unfortunately had to exit via the gift shop from Hell. It was a missive winding path that seemed to have no end, with stalls on either side. Some of the owners were shouting at us to buy something and it just ruined the experience a little.

Our final stop for the day on the bike, was the Bandung waterfall. This is a man made back drop with natural rocks framing the water flow. You are allowed to swim in these waters and we decided to do so as it was really rather hot at this point. The water was a perfect temperature and not too strong, making it a very pleasant place to be.

After, we headed back into the city as rush hour was beginning and I wanted to avoid it for the most part. We unfortunately did not succeed in that endeavour and ended up having to navigate the roads full of cars, busses and motorcycles. The exact view you think of when you think of Asian roads. It was not fun. But I managed without any real issues except stress. When we got back, I was shaking from adrenaline and needed a sit down to breathe for a moment.

All in all, it was really fun riding again and kudos to Moni for trusting me to get us around safely. It has also given me some idea of what Vietnam will be like. The road conditions are the scariest parts, one pothole and it's all over. Then there are the other drivers who seem to drive as though they are both invincible and immortal which is completely insane. But really it is a lot easier than I had anticipated.

Once back we had a rest before heading out for an early dinner. We went to a restaurant that had been recommended. Overall it was ok, but it was pricier than other spots we've seen and the food wasnt amazing like expected. That being said we did have desert and the banana fritters I ordered was divine.

We wanted to have an early dinner because of our plan for tomorrow!Read more