Bali --> Day 2: relax relax relax

After our full day of adventure, we got back to our home stay in the late afternoon and were happy to see the calm and peaceful grounds.  After hopping in the shower, we headed to Putri Bali Spa for hands down the best massage I have had in Indonesia so far.  That's saying a lot considering I get one to two massages a week!  It was amazing.  We picked up some peanuts and dried mangos and an ice cream at the supermarket and had a relaxing late night snack dinner on our little deck then it was off to bed for a good night's rest before our Saturday morning cooking lesson!

Bali --> Day 2: ubud monkey forest

 

 After the bike ride, we stopped off at the Monkey Forest.  It was BANANAS!  So awesome.  They were very adorable.  If you had food, they were your best friends.  Enjoy the monkey pictures.

Bali --> Day 2: rice fields

The bike tour continues!  Here are the lovely rice paddies followed with the delicious meal at the end.

Banyan Tree

Bali --> Day 2: bike tour - coffee + compound

Day two started around 7:15am.  Gusto, our guide from the Bali Eco Cycling tour picked us up around 7:30.  We had to pick up two Dutch gals and a very nice (and nice looking) professional British rugby player.  We drove about forty minutes through little villages until we reached Lakeview Restaurant which overlooks Mt. Batur and the beautiful crater lake.  The view was spectacular and we ate banana pancakes and fruit, then headed to a coffee plantation where we sampled teas, coffee and fruits (snakeskin fruit, mango, mangosteen and oranges).  The ride was a total of 22km with an optional 8km uphill ride at the end.  I think that works out to be something under twenty miles.  The first part was all downhill and it was simply delightful.  Due to the heat and hunger I somehow agreed to do that last uphill bit.  I nearly died but somehow survived.  I spent the next half hour sweating uncontrollably and enjoying some of the best Indonesian food I've had all year.  But first, here are the pictures of the morning view, the coffee sampling and the Balinese compound.

The famous luwak of the very expensive Kopi Luwak.  These guys eat the coffee beans which ferment in their
stomach and then they poop and the beans are harvested and made into coffee.  I still haven't tried it yet but need to.

After the coffee, tea and fruit sampling, we got our bikes and rode through some beautiful rice paddies before stopping off at a traditional Balinese family compound.  This compound specialized in making traditional woven bamboo.  We learned about the layouts of the compound, who stays where and who does what.

Sausage.

The kitchen.  All the counters are built low so that the kids are able to access it.

This is the grandparents' room.  It is also the honeymoon suite if someone in the family gets married.
It's right next to the  compound temple.  To the left of the stairway is the buried placenta from any sons
that have been born and on the right is the buried placenta from any girls that have been born into the
compound.  I think they believe that the placenta is still part of the human and shouldn't be thrown out.