Batu Bolong Beach

Back in Bali! Been nice showing the boyo around.

The night we arrived we booked a tour for the following "morning". We did a hike up mount Batur and had to wake up at 2am to go and make it for the sunrise. Crazy kids! We didn't even see the sunrise because it was so cloudy but it was quite a funny experience anyway. We were all making jokes about it, and we did get a bit of a view on the way back down the mountain. This hike wasn't too hard but stay tuned for our experience in Lombok...

We took a scooter and drove around the gorgeous green rice fields and saw some waterfalls. We also each took a few yoga classes and went to a fancy gym and had smoothie bowls so we were on a bit of a health kick here!

We ended up seeing some traditional Balinese dancers perform a dance at a hostel which was very unique and even a bit spooky. The music was a bit eerie and they really widen their eyes and use a lot of facial expressions/ eye movements and they flex their double jointed fingers and wave them around in the air. Apparently this dancing was a ritual used to ward off evil spirits and bad omens way before Hinduism came to the island. Balinese people also create very small baskets made out of leaves with flowers and rice inside (and sometimes a bit of pancake) as an offering to the Hindu gods so they will be protected from harm. They also light incense and place it on top so the streets of Bali smell lovely and look very colourful. Taxi drivers even put an offering on their dashboard to protect them on the roads. I think it's a lovely tradition and it must make them feel very safe.

We were supposed to get a free massage each at our hostel but we were late getting home from the gym so I missed mine, and I got caught in a downpour during my scooter ride home. I smashed my head into a big tree while running to get shelter and had to have a lie down whilst chris started his massage and prayed I didn't have concussion but I was all good.

We also went to a coffee plantation and tried 16 different teas and coffees for only £2.50 each! We learned about all the health benefits and the traditional method of making the coffee beans which they still use today. We bought 1 bag of our favourite tea (mangosteen) and coffee (vanilla) to bring home.

One of the photos here was taken at the Yoga Barn and you can see the yogis doing acro yoga which is a bit like doing gymnastics with a partner. It was entertaining to sit with an iced drink and watch them for free for a whole afternoon. One of the women was acting as the base and carrying a huge man on her legs... we were all so impressed!

Ubud is definitely westernised but there is still a lot of culture and Balinese charm there when you stay out of the very chaotic and touristy centre. We visited Canggu where our friend Ali just moved to but it felt a lot more westernised and without any Balinese culture at all really. Apparently it used to be a charming, chill surfer village. It has undergone massive development of luxury hotels, party hostels and restaurants in the last 10 years and now it is a bit of a Magaluf for Aussies! I'd love to go back to Bali one day and explore the whole island rather than just the hotspots. We just have such little time in each place we go to because we have a date when we need to be back in the UK.Lue lisää