Bali - around the island

Over winter break, Mike and I visited Bali, one of the islands of Indonesia.  Since the island is covered in a maze or roads that only locals could navigate, we hired a driver to help us get around.  We explored a number of temples, visited a volcano next to a giant lake, and (of course) the beaches.  We also attended a traditional Indonesian Barong Dance and visited a few art studios to learn more about wood carving and weaving.  Here are some pictures from around the island.  

(This is the first of three posts.  Posts on our temple visits and the Barong Dance soon to follow.)

Quiet stream flowing through the lush, green forest.

 

Terraced rice fields

A hut in the middle of a terraced field.

Many women walk around with large baskets of goods balanced on their heads.  Using no hands, they walk down stairs and across busy roads like it is no big deal.  Very Impressive!

 

Danau Batur Lake, to the east of the active volcano, Mount Batur.

Mount Batur, near the village of Kintamani, is an active volcano on the island of Bali.

Doorbell - You take a wooden mallet and hit the side of  it. 

I've never seen these flowers anywhere.  They look and feel as if they are plastic but are quite real!

 

Coffee plantations are commonly found throughout the Indonesian islands.  One particular type of coffee, called Luwak, is especially popular for the way in which it is processed.  Once the beans are grown and harvested, they are fed to Asian Palm Civet (a species of cat).  These animals consume the coffee beans but their body cannot digest the beans.  They are passed through their digestive system, undigested, and then pooped out.  The feces of these animals in then taken and cleaned, roasted and then proceed like regular coffee beans.  Apparently, the additional step of feeding these coffee beans to this particular animal adds a desirable quality to the coffee beans.  The end product, Luwak coffee, is considered some of the most expensive coffee in the world.  Being the coffee drinkers that we are, we had to check this out for ourselves.

Peaberry, undigested coffee beans.

An Asian Palm Civet

The peaberry coffee beans, after the Asian Palm Civet has "processed" them.

After the beans are "harvested" from the cat's feces, they are roasted over an open fire for about 45 minutes.

The final product!  Mike thoroughly enjoyed the coffee but I enjoy my coffee with some milk and sugar....

...so I tried all the other kinds of coffees and teas that they offered while Mike laid back with his "cat poop coffee"!  My coffee and tea sampling included 8 different favors from a lemon or ginseng tea to vanilla or mocha coffee.  

Terraced fields near where we stopped for coffee...simply beautiful.

A woman weaving a scarf on a traditional loom.  She was very sweet and eager to show us how she worked the loom, but became quite shy when I pulled out my camera to take a picture of her working.  She took much pride in her craft and produced beautiful work.

Another stop was at a local art gallery with resident artists working on their latest pieces. 

We also visited a wood carving shop.  I am so appreciative of all the artists who willing shared their craft and talent with us.  These people possess a talent that I can only dream of.  Their work is absolutely beautiful and their modesty about their talents just humbling.

We spent a few days at a beachfront resort.  During the early morning hours, I would go to the beach and read a book (before the sun got too hot and the beach too crowded).  During these earliest of hours, many fisherman would walk along the low tide areas in search of crab and other sea creatures.