Day 24 - Bali - Waterfalls, Rice Terraces and Temples

Slept much better last night. I'm not sure why, but I've grown accustomed to being fully covered at night when I go to sleep. What I mean by this is that I want the blankets to come all the way up to cover my shoulders and for me to be rolled up in the blankets a little. Don't ask me why it's that way, because I don't have an answer for you. All I know is that is the way that I sleep best. And last night I untucked some of the blanket from the foot of the bed so that I could pull the covers up - just the way I like it.  Ahhhh.

I ended up going to bed last night before the blog was done because I caught myself nodding off a couple of times while writing it. That just won't work.  Better off to get some sleep and finish it in the morning. So that's exactly what I did.

Was awake at about 6:30 AM this morning, but felt quite rested. Better blanket situation. We have to be ready to go with Kawi and Santi for 8:30 AM, so being up a little earlier is beneficial. I had a shower, got dressed and then started working on the blog. Breakfast was due to arrive at 7:45 AM, so I had a bit of time before it got here.  Laureen had written some while I was in the shower, so that helped as well. It's challenging when you do so many things in a day to get them all out in words.

Breakfast arrived, and the person who was assigned to take care of us for the week (happened to be the employee of the year - I saw his picture in the office lobby) set it out on the table.  This is the kind of service we received every day. I could get used to this kinda treatment.

After he set out our food and departed, we had a quick WhatsApp video call with our grandson (and Tim - Tylo was at work). He played a little shy. Maybe because he hasn't seen us for a while.  It was nice to chat with him anyway. We then finished our breakfast and headed out to the reception area to meet our guide and driver. I popped into the reception area to see if I could get my hands on a couple of envelopes so that we could give our driver and guide a tip for the few days that they spent with us, and then we hopped in the car to head off to our first tour location of the day.

Tengenugan waterfall is a stunningly beautiful cascade of water flowing over the local dark rocks (might be lava). There are a series of lookouts and plenty of uneven stairs to maneuver to get there. And, it's a pretty long ways down (something one should keep in mind given that you are going to have to go back up at some point). You can even swim in the water near the waterfall but not right underneath the falling water as they have that portion roped off. The place is stunningly gorgeous. 

I have a few different angles captured as I made my way to the bottom of the gorge. Laureen did not make the full trip down (at least somebody was thinking about the steps back up). Here are a few more views of this scenic location.

 

Little Market Just Outside of Where the Waterfalls were Located.

We made our way back to the top of the stairs, picking up Laureen on our way and with a couple of rest stops before reaching the top. I felt a little bad for Kawi as he's 68 years old negotiating these rather daunting stairs with me. Of course, he never complained because that seems to be the kind of person that he is.

Our next stop was a wood carving place that provided a bit of a demo of the way the carvings are done and the kinds of wood that are used. The photo below is of the demonstration pieces to help us see the difference between the types of wood used for carving. 

Sample Wood Carvings

There was: hibiscus wood (two kinds - yellow flower and red flower), mahogany, crocodile tree,  and ebony. (The piece on the ground is an example of what someone would find in the market, painted to look like ebony.) They also had three wood carvers sitting there making pieces. The art rep noted that people usually work from home, and just bring in their work when they have something completed. Goes to show you that work-from-home was not just a covid thing. It's been around for a long while.

The art gallery was stunning. We wandered through the whole place looking at all of the different types of sculptures. We decided on a small mask of the mythical creature Barong. This is the dragon you might see in Balinese ceremonies and represents positivity. The other contradictory dragon is Rangda which is the negative side.  Together they cancel each other out. I also saw a carving of the last supper and inquired as to how much it would sell for. He gave me a number of $25,000,000.00 Rupiah (or about $2100 CAN) and that would include the shipping. I took his number and contact information.

Next ,we made our way to the Ceking Rice Terraces, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The pictures don't do this place justice, as it is a stunning scene of tiered rice growing in their little water filled sections. The place is beautiful.

The traffic leading up to the UBUD Royal Palace (Puri Saran Agung) was very congested.   Santi was slowly moving the vehicle closer to the palace.  When we were “close enough” Kawi and us jumped out of the vehicle and walked a half block to the palace.  Santi would find a place to park until we were done in this area. The former official residence of the royal family of Ubud, it's now a tourist destination. 

The market was the usual bustling place with many tourists walking through the numerous stalls filled with various hats, tote bags, souvenir trinkets, t-shirts, art work, sarongs, beadwork, etc.  We perused the two-level market checking out the available items. After a while it becomes very repetitive.  We didn’t really have much in mind to buy, because we have already purchased some specific items from Bali.  Curt found a batik baseball cap to add to his “travel” caps collection and we picked up another hand fan (can't have too many of these around here). Kawi waited on the steps leading up to the market, and when we found him he gave a call to Santi to pick us up from the main road.

Because today’s outing was a full day of sightseeing, our tour included lunch at Kayun Restaurant.  Our lunch was set in a beautiful open-air covered terrace overlooking the countryside.  While dining, we could see two people in the neighboring property sifting their rice harvest and carrying away the rice stocks.  Our meal started off with a Balinese vegetable soup made from organic vegetables from the restaurants garden,  The main course was Bebek Goreng/Crispy Duck spiced and deep fried, served with rice and various items to mix in to the meal: spicy Balinese chilli sauce, cooked green beans, peanuts, marinated onion salad, and rice chips. Of course there was dessert too.  Two battered and fried banana pieces with a Balinese Sticky Rice Cake with coconut, wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf. Yummmmm. Belly is full.

Our next stop was the Dewa Putu Toris Gallery, nestled in the heart of Ubud. It is a captivating space that showcases the rich artistic legacy of Balinese culture. Founded by the renowned painter Dewa Putu Toris, the gallery is a treasure trove of traditional and contemporary Balinese art, particularly known for its intricate Batuan-style paintings. Each piece tells a story, filled with mythological themes, daily village life, and spiritual symbolism. The atmospheres was intimate and authentic, enhanced by the opportunity to meet the artists (I think one of them was sitting there) many of whom are members of the Toris family. There was one small painting that we admired and I asked how much it was. She told me $250.00 USD. We kept walking through the rooms and rooms of paintings enjoying the amazing artistry. We got to the end and decided that we would not purchase a painting. Our 'sales" person immediately dropped to $150 USD. I suppose if we wanted it we could have negotiated even more. A quick thank you and on to the next place.

Our next stop was a traditional Balinese residence. A traditional Balinese home is a serene and thoughtfully designed compound, where architecture and spirituality blend seamlessly. Set within a walled enclosure, the home is made up of several separate pavilions, each serving a specific purpose—such as sleeping, cooking, and worship. Intricate carvings, stone statues, and vibrant offerings to the gods are common sights, reflecting the deep connection to Hindu beliefs. Open-air spaces, lush gardens, and carefully aligned structures create a harmonious flow with nature, making the home feel peaceful, balanced, and deeply rooted in tradition.

Our last two stops were beaches in the area so that I could get a little sand for the collection. The reason there are two beaches on our itinerary is that not there is both black and white sand beaches in Bali and Kawi wanted to make sure I got some of both.  They were not that far apart, but due to the traffic it took quite a while to get to and between them.

From there we made our way back to our villa and said goodbye to both Kawi and Santi.

I also made a quick trip to the front desk to find that I could still get an hour massage before the spa closed. Of course I jumped at that and it was amazing. Back to the room for dinner and a quiet last evening in Bali. We are being picked up tomorrow at 9:00 AM for our 1:00 PM flight to Vietnam. 

I'd have to say that Bali was very nice and a place we would most certainly be willing to come back to.

Curt and Laureen in Bali, Indonesia