Bali // May 2018
The morning was fresh and warm, and sweet with flowers and something frying and canang sari, the daily Balinese offering. Or maybe we couldn’t quite smell the offering, but we knew it was there because the gratitude, the presence, the mindfulness, and the devotion permeated the air. People say Bali has a magic to it - I think this is why.
Lorenzo went to get us coffee. I put on my swimsuit and walked the ten feet from our porch to the rectangle blue swimming pool. It was a shared pool, between the six or so rooms in the hotel. A homestay, it was called, but no one else was out this early.
I swam without direction, flipping underwater every now and again. I thought about what I wanted this trip to be, about why I had flown halfway around the world to be here, about why here of all places. Healing, discovering, connecting, manifesting - vague, broad hopes that I wanted to more clearly define. I knew Bali could help me with that, and not just because Eat Pray Love convinced me. I travel because it frees me and helps me reshape my story, and better understand what I want it to be.
Lorenzo came back with the coffee. Still glaze-eyed from jetlag, he held up two plastic bags heavy with hot black liquid. “This is coffee to-go,” he said. We emptied the bags into mugs we found in our room. The plastic bags, now relieved of their contents, were soft and sticky from the heat.
I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t think I can drink this,” I said, thinking of BPA and all the other toxins sure to be floating in my cup. Just then, the owner of the homestay appeared around the corner with a big tray and a bigger smile.
“Good morning!” his smile showed his molars as he set down plates of papaya, scrambled eggs, and soft white wonder bread in front of us. And a porcelain pot of coffee. “Oh, you have coffee already?” The smile was replaced by a furrowed brow.
“Oh, no, we will have yours! Thank you so much.”
He smiled again. A real smile. “Enjoy.”
The fluffy eggs with crystals of salt on top, the doughy bread, the fruit still warm from sunshine, the hot rich coffee with a sweet tobacco taste filled us. We ate until only a few pieces of bread were left and leaned back in our chairs and felt the air on our skin and thought, thank you.
Thank you for reminding us of the wonderful simple extraordinary pleasures. Thank you that we’re here. Thank you for right now.
Sanur favorites: Kamboja Homestay, the spa at Artotel, standup paddleboarding by Sanur Beach, Power of Now Oasis, fresh seafood along the beach, calm beaches, watching the sunrise, the cafes and shops, live music at night.
Ubub favorites: Sradha Villa, Sacred Monkey Forest, fire dancing, all the healthy food and fresh juices, coffee, rice paddies, "Awesome Afternoon Bike through Ubud," the temples, yoga, shopping, and zooming around on a scooter.
Jimbaran favorites: Aahh Bali Bed and Breakfast, fresh fish while watching the sunset (Teba Cafe was our top), ocean cliffs, breathtaking views, small villages.
