April 16
Our first stop was at the Tegalalang Rice Terrace where we stopped for photo ops. Unfortunately, it was raining on and off so we couldn’t really walk about. I really wanted to do the huge couples swing that goes out over the rice terrace, but at the ticket window they ask your weight and age. Our weight was fine, but they don’t let you do it if you are 65 or older. We did do some of the other photo ops but due to the rain it was a quicker stop than planned.
Next up was an unscheduled stop at Lumbung Sari House of Coffee. It was in a beautiful setting, and they had big umbrellas for us to walk to their demonstration of how Civet Cat Coffee is made. It was rushed due to the rain, but it still was interesting. They even had a couple of Civet Cats on display. They were hard to see in the cage, but we had seen them in the wild in Borneo, so no problem.
Kopi luwak, also known as civet coffee, consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet. The cherries are fermented as they pass through a civet's intestines, and after being defecated with other fecal matter, the beans are collected. Although kopi luwak is a form of processing rather than a variety of coffee, it has been called one of the most expensive coffees in the world. In places like New York, it can cost $50 a cup. I’m not a coffee drinker and I liked it. It was too mild a taste for Greg who prefers a dark roast.
pretty lady having her "Instagram moment"
pouring the "cat poop coffee"
Our next stop was the Holy Springs of Tirta Empul and the sacred temple of Tampaksiring. It is an important temple complex and holy mountain spring dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu God of water. The site serves as a legendary setting of a traditional tale about good versus evil.
Sarongs are required to be worn by men and women at all temples and are included in the entrance fee. Emon was so sweet in helping us tie them correctly. Shoulders and knees are to be covered, but some temples require them to be worn even if you are dressed properly.
Pura Gunung Kawi was up next, and we stopped to see 11th
century tombs carved into the rock face. There is a very long staircase leading
to Gunung Kawi with 315 steps. The countryside here is very fertile and lush,
and the footpath leading down to the temple passes through some stunning rice
terraces.
There are Five main funeral shrines, and they are thought to be dedicated to King Anak Wungsu of the Udayana dynasty and his favorite queens. On the east side there are five temples that are dedicated, according to one theory, to King Udayana, his queen Mahendradatta, and their sons Airlangga, Anak Wungsu, and Marakata. The temples on the west side are dedicated, according to the same theory, to the king's minor queens or concubines.
The last stop on this great day was a visit to the Elephant Cave at Bedulu. The site dates to the early 11th century and was used by Buddhist monks as a monastery.
It was later than we would have liked lunch, but our touring was clustered out of town and our included lunch was in Ubud. On the drive Emon was talking about our elephant experience the next day and he explained it was in a zoo. The entry fee was included but not the cost of bathing and riding. (extra $200 per person) Not exactly the experience we were looking for since the canceled one was out in nature and we were in the water with the elephant.
It was at Arma Resort Ubud. It was a set menu, and we had a choice of crispy duck or crispy chicken. We got one of each. Both were quite good. We discussed if we still wanted to do the elephants and the consensus was a hard no. So, after lunch we let Emon know we only wanted the half tour that was originally on the schedule. We both let Jason at AH know.
After lunch we were taken back to the hotel. We set the time for tomorrow’s tour and had the rest of the day on our own.
We didn’t have much time to relax before we walked into town in search of something light to eat for dinner since we ate lunch so late. We walked to the Palace and found a pizza place close by. The Palace was handing out fliers on their Culture Shows and we said we should do that tomorrow night.
On the way back to the hotel we found gelato and stopped. It wasn’t great, but we have been spoiled with some pretty good gelato.
Tomorrow, we visit the Palace, Ubud Money Forest and a batik market.
For larger photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/gcaEWyfrYbPVgnRe9
