Welcoming Shasta.
If I were to ask Shasta to describe her first day in Bali with me in one word I think she'd say amazing!
Actually no, umm... I'm wrong. I just asked her and she said "sensory overload".
Shasta arrived to me officially in UBud at 2am and we pretty much went straight to bed. So I'm claiming her official day as the first full one with me on this hot and humid island.
She slept in and woke up to me telling her and the still sleeping Alicia that breakfast had been delivered.
Every morning at our Pondok Indah home stay, the owner makes us breakfast which is included in our $10 a night.
Each room has a little porch with 2 chairs a tables and a lounge chair. Breakfast is delivered to the outdoor table when we let Wyan, the owner know that we are awake and ready.
On this morning we each had a delicious fried egg with 2 pieces of grilled toast, pineapple jam, a plate of fruit and tea or coffee. We sat on our porch eating and enjoying the beautiful view we have of a rice field and gobs of dragonflies flying above it.
Our home stay view.
After breakfast we showered and followed Alicia to a market where she was having some tailoring done. Since she was going to be awhile and wasn't as interested in seeing the yoga barn as Shasta was, the 2 of us headed there.
It was a sensory overload for her, taking in all the locals, tips from me, the sights and the infamous Ubud sidewalks that are crap! Let me show you a few pictures, all taken within the same block.
I should mention that the sidewalks here have removable tops. The sewer system runs below the sidewalks instead of the road so it's easier to get to for repairs. Where the sidewalk is falling apart, you can step on the broken pieces and it's usually a solid step. Usually. Other times you step on the sidewalk and it tips like a teeter totter! So rule number 1, always watch where you are about to step. Rule number 2, always watch for dog poo on the sidewalk. All the stray dogs means lots of poo.
We walked to the yoga barn to see it and check out their class schedule. But their organic cafe called to us and we wanted out of the sun. So we shared a salad, a Mediterranean plate and each had a coconut water. It was a beautiful setting and so peaceful, we both loved it!
Alain, the Canadian Crossfit cert. guy I met the first day I was in Bali was in UBud for 2 days. So I had messaged him when Shasta and I arrived at the yoga barn to invite him to join us. Sure enough he showed up to have some lunch with us.
I introduced him to Shasta. We talked about doing the sunrise volcano hike in the morning. Alain had brought it up and really wanted to do it in the morning.
Alicia had already informed me she was going to do it when her friend Andy came to visit.
After lunch Shasta, Alain and I spontaneously decided to take a yoga class.
Alain paid for his class and went into the studio. Shasta and I bought a 3 class pass and then joined Alain inside. The class was just starting so we scurried to get our gear together and situated on the floor. It was a different type of yoga then I am used to. One with bands, foam blocks, a hard pillow and a folded up wool blanket. All these props were used for sitting tall, helping heads touch the floor easier, and stretching deeper. They weren't props for sleeping.
After class Shasta and I walked to the monkey forest and met Alain who cruised there on his rented motor bike.
We snuck into the forest by a stepping over a chain at the side entrance. I had already done the monkey temple so I didn't feel a need to pay another couple bucks to see more monkeys. Since Alain had found this side "entrance" and Shasta hadn't seen the monkeys yet so i joined.
The monkey temple and the forest aren't like zoo's. Someone asked me this so I thought I'd explain it.
These areas are forested and where monkeys were already living. The locals built park like fencing up around the area so they could better control the tourists and charge them. It's only a few dollars and then there is always a few people inside trying to make a buck off you as well. If you don't want to pay to go inside and you don't use the side "entrance" like I did just hang out in the street just outside the forest and your sure to see the monkeys. They tend to join the people on the sidewalks in front of the streets often.
The monkeys in the forest were much more aggressive then they were at the temple. They were taking things from people and a lot more of them were hissing at people. There were a few people that the monkeys really didn't like. It seemed they always had monkeys running at them! One monkey took Alain's empty coke can from his hands and another pulled his water bottle out of the side of his backpack. One monkey got on Shasta's head and managed to find a bobby pin in her hair. It left the pin but she noticed that night it had took the small round plastic ends off the pin. I had a monkey try to pull my sarong off. They were crazy!
After the monkey forest Shasta and I hopped on the back of Alain's motor bike (think mo-ped) with him. He took us closer to our home stay and then before splitting ways we bought 3 spots to the sunrise hike.
Bali has it set up so you can't just hike their active volcano, Mt. Batur, you have to go with a guide. It turns out it's not necessarily a money making scan. I think it's probably a good idea to be with a guide.
Alain went back to his accommodations and Shasta and I went back to ours. We planned to meet for dinner and we did, adding one more to our group. Chris, a guy from In Da Lodge hostel who knew where this locals diner was came with us.
Caroline, an Irish lady I met at a hostel in Senur told me about this locals eatery. It's called Mama's Warung.
Warung, means kitchen so I see a lot of places to eat with that in the name.
It was a small place, very cheap, good food and mama was the one who sat down with us while taking our order. A good local meal to end Shasta's first day in Indonesia.