On the third day, I had planned for a walking tour with Bali, Off course in the morning. Once again, waking up bright and early to a hearty breakfast at Jangkrik Homestay.
The morning tour starts around 7.30am and apparently, I was the only tourists for that particular morning tour. Wayan, the guide and owner of Bali, Off course, first brought me to a traditional “Griya” family compound in Laplapan village and introduce to me the typical Balinese family way of life and the Hindu religion.
Payuk Bali Cooking School is also located in Laplapan village.
Wayan said that the new-borned baby’s placenta has to be buried under the plant!
These baskets were used for making the offerings to their Hindu god.
The proper trekking tour begins here where we had to walk through villages and paddy fields.
For this walking tour, you got to make sure that you are dressed in proper attire for trekking. It was rather challenging as the ground was seriously muddy and wet!
A visit to the blacksmith’s house.
I remembered gaving them green tea flavoured sweets I bought in Shanghai but after licking it, they started laughing and gave this ‘Oh-it’s-so-spicy’ look! Spicy? Green tea?
Then we walked into this hilly forested area where the paths were studded with rocks, boulders and mud. While trekking, we met some locals who were walking towards the rice plantations as well, probably to do some harvesting of the rice.
Then things start to take a bad turn when the sky started pouring. We had to seek shelter in a resting stand for the cows. Moo-moo….
After about 10 minutes, the rain showers became heavier and it looks like it’s not going to stop for the next hour or so. Then, Wayan turned to me and asked, ” Would you like to go for the afternoon tour?” And I was like, ‘Why not?’ Oh well, when things did not go my way, I would console myself with this saying, ” God has a plan for me.”
True, indeed.
Since it was still early, around 9 plus in the morning, I asked Wayan to take me to Rebulan Hair Spa at Jalan Haloman because I’ve left my earrings there the previous day while I had a hair spa treatment. Silly me! I never thought I would be so careless to have misplaced my belongings! Anyhow, I was thankful that the staff found my pair of earrings.
After the morning tour which had ended abruptly, I was drenched from head to toe and my shoes were bathed with mud. That’s kinda gross and I needed a change of clothes but I didn’t bring an exra set of clothes. So I walked over to Ubud market, in hope to purchase some shorts or pants. But I ended up buying some yoga pants and a top from this persistent seller who had to make me empty out my wallet. I remembered that I only had about Rp. 230,000 with me but he kept asking for Rp.250,000. Since I didn’t had enough, I decided not to buy and walk away but he didn’t believe me. I even went to the extend of showing him my empty wallet after surrendering all my money to him. With that, he agreed to sell his clothes with whatever amount of cash I was left with.
Come to think of it, I was rather stupid of me to have gave him all the cash I was left with because right then, I was penniless. No money for lunch or dinner. For once, I really could sympathetize with the poor. That was quite an experience for me though!
At around 2pm, Wayan came to pick me up from the guesthouse along with a couple from Brisbane, Australia,Daniel and Suzie. It was really a God-sent opportunity that I was able to ask Daniel, who’s a Chaplain, about some doubts I had regarding Christianity. It felt like Jesus was speaking to me through him. If it hadn’t rain so heavily in the morning, I wouldn’t have gone for the afternoon tour and then I wouldn’t have met Daniel who shared with me his perspective of Christ.
How can it be? It had to be God.
Only God knows.
There was a slight drizzle even as we were trudging through the paddy fields.
I really love the idea of trekking and getting all muddy.
I must be turning crazy.
Maybe I’m not just a typical city girl after all.
Wayan was sharing with us how some Americans think that rice actually grow from the roots or ground and that they didn’t know rice were actually extracted with the seed husks of the rice plants.
Look the mountains!
That’s mount Anggur.
Civet cat.
This tour also includes a visit to the coffee plantation where we get to sample of the Balinese coffee and luwak coffee.
Luwak coffee is brewed from coffee beans found in the Civet’s poo. It was said that the enzymes found in the digestive tract of the Civet cat changed the chemical compounds in the coffee beans, resulting in a uniquely strong aroma in the beans which were excrete through the faeces of the Civet cat.
Coffee beans.
Before grinding the beans into powder, it must be roasted til it’s crunchy. I get to munch on some roasted coffee beans. It tasted like peanuts with a strong burst of caffeine!
Later, we several types of coffee and tea.
The lemongrass drink is a crowd pleaser! It’s like drinking lemon tea with a dose of honey
Feet were blistered and legs were aching after the tour but it was so much fun.
By the time, I headed back to the guesthouse it was around 7.30 in the evening. After saying farewell to the tour guide, I walked over to Coco supermarket for some last minute shopping before I fly back to Singapore the next early morning.
Visit Bali Off Course Website for more information about Wayan’s walking tours.
