Koh Samui & Bali: "Live Aways"

We were tucked in bed last night by 8:30PM and did not really stir until about 8:00AM this morning! Today is one of the few days during our stay in Bali where we don't have anything on the schedule. I only booked three excursions in Thailand (because we had been there before), but I ended up booking seven here in Bali ... including two nights away to the North of Bali just before the end of our stay.

At any rate, it was absolutely sublime to simply stack up the pillows behind me in bed while I sipped my coffee and chatted with those of you who had left comments here. The old boy played a few rounds of bridge online while he enjoyed his Indonesian java. They have a Nespresso/Kurig equivalent here, but we don't know what kind of coffee the pods are. All we have determined thus far is that we enjoy the taste of the orange ones more than the blue. One day I'll have to ask which is what??

We made it down to breakfast with just an hour to spare before they shut it down for the day. We are still discovering things in the buffet that we never noticed before. We are going to have to try the waffle ... crepe ... pancake ... french toast options tomorrow. And, I am going to be sure to try the coconut rice patties! Doesn't that sound interesting?

Oh ... and ... I am going to have the Ham Benedict again tomorrow. The Chef is a magician when it comes to poaching the eggs! Dang ... I don't think I have ever had such a good benny. And, they are so wise here in Bali ... they put two eggs on one bun. No one needs two buns, right? In fact, I am not sure if I have mentioned it before, but I have had little to no bread since we arrived in Bangkok on Jan 26th. And, truth be told, I am not missing it one little bit.

After breakfast, we decide to go for another walk along the beach in the northern direction. We were so grateful it was overcast because it was already getting quite hot. We couldn't help but notice that Sanur (the community we are located in) is a beautiful blend of upscale and artistic offerings along with rustic and untouched beauty.

We walked out onto a beautiful little half circle walkway to a pagoda. While we were out there, I made a video of our scenery. I had no sooner shut off my camera when I heard/saw a parade on the shore. We hurried back so as to not miss whatever we being celebrated.

We arrived to see a big palanquin (also known as a sedan chair) with the picture of a man on it, being carried on the shoulders of several people moving towards a huge fire. Many people were following in line with offerings. They were dressed in different colored garments with ashes on them.

We could tell it was a major celebration of some sort but weren't sure what it was. We finally asked one of the locals and they shared that it was a cremation ceremony. I asked if it was someone special or famous. He said "No." This is done for EVERYONE. There is a parade, music, honoring and then the public cremation. We could feel the reverence in the space. I almost felt intrusive taking photos, but no one seemed to be concerned.

We also learned that the people wore different colored garments to indicate the village that they come from. We felt very honored to have witnessed the way the Balinese see their loved ones home.

EDIT: Our driver explained that this big multi-village ceremony happens once every five years. And, when it does, everyone who has lost a loved one gets a chance to honor their passing during this ceremony. That is why people wear their village apparel. This makes much more sense!

We carried on for a ways longer, but the heat was really starting to get to us. We stopped to sit for a bit and get a cool drink. I decided to wet my feet in the ocean. I had to walk out quite a way in order to get my toes wet ... and then my prairie girl naivety became quite evident. I did not notice. the wave rolling in behind me. OMG! It was all I could do to stay vertical as the water lapped up the cheeks of my behind!!

I started to laugh and tried to make my way to the shore. Another wave slapped me in the thighs. The good thing was that my wet skirt was cooling me off. The not so good thing was that I tweaked my back trying to stay upright. I was hoping the spasms would let up with some good stretching and a cool dip in our pool.

One of the really nice things about our room in Bali is that we have a private pool outside our little patio area. We don't have to find lounge chairs at the main pool because we have our own right outside our room.

We cooled down in the pool before we headed out to do some shopping and exploring down the main street. We needed to find more hairspray and and a nice place to have dinner tonight in honor of Valentine's Day. It started to pour rain so we ducked inside a massage parlor and both enjoyed a nice foot massage. It was different than the Thai massages ... we both liked those better, but it was a great way to wait out the rain!

We also spied a place called Cork and decided to check Trip Advisor while we enjoyed high tea at our resort. It was rated 84, so we went back for an early Valentines supper. The old boy had the crispy duck and I really enjoyed the sea bass! It was cooked to perfection and came with Beurre Blanc. I'd order that again in a heart beat. It turned out that the old boy and I both ate for the price it would have cost us for one at the Valentine's Dinner at the resort here. And that price included our wine ... which it would not have at the hotel.

After dinner, we checked out a couple of shops and I found one called Gripps. It was filled with lightweight rubber sandals. I bought a pair with an ankle strap. That way, they will stay on when we are out and about ... even if we end up in water! They set me back $16.50.

We were both so hot that we headed back to our room and slid into the pool. It is really nice having a source of water right at our doorstep. There is not a breath of wind and it is still 28 degrees Celsius. Fortunately, there are no mosquitos. I am finishing up this blog on our deck ... in my wet bathing suit. I turned down the a/c so it will be sleeping temperature by the time we go back inside.

All in all, it was an absolutely wonderful day ... very relaxed and filled with good stuff. We have to set the alarm again for tomorrow's excursion ... but ... we'll get to have breakfast before we go!

I'll see you again tomorrow after we get back from our tour!

Love and hugs,
❤️ k&j ❤️ Czytaj więcej