January 19: Bike Tour

Another gorgeous day in Bali!!  We have been told that it was nonstop raining for days before we came.  But we’ve seen almost nothing but sunshine since we’ve been here!  Thank the Lord!  Especially since many of the activities we do and places we visit are outdoors.  I hope this good weather keeps up for the next few days. 

This morning we got in the bus early to ride up to a little farm in the mountains where they grow all sorts of spices and foods like coffee, vanilla, chocolate, and fruits.  After taking a little walk through the farm we got to sample several different types of coffees and teas that were made from plants grown at the farm.  The coffee was DECILIOUS!  Being an extreme coffee enthusiast, I must say this might have been one of the best parts of the trip.  We even had the um.. privilege.. of getting to try the famous Luwak coffee.  It is called Luwak coffee because the coffee beans are fed to the Luwak and then harvested from their feces, cleaned up, and ground up to make coffee.  Believe it or not, having coffee beans pass through the digestive system of the Luwak give the bean a delicious flavor.  We all were wondering how they figured that out… Our group got to buy coffee, chocolate, and tea at the gift shop at the end of the tour.  We all bought something to bring back home with us. 

Cute little Luwak

After the farm tour and coffee tasting we headed further up the mountain to eat a second breakfast at a beautiful restaurant at the top.  We dined on delicious banana pancakes and fruit in order to power up for our bike ride down the mountain.

 View from the restaurant

Banana Pancake

We glided through villages and got to stop along the way to have the tour guide explain parts of the village and the culture.  We stopped in a Hindu village compound where we saw all sorts of sacrifices to the Hindu gods and evil spirits.  The villagers warmly welcomed us with “hellos” and outstretched arms anticipating a high five as we flew by on our bikes.  We stopped at a rice field and observed people harvesting and thrashing the rice.  It is hard to believe that people go through all that grueling manual work for a bowl of rice!  The scenery took my breath away with its beauty!  Some rain drops decided to join us for the last leg of our journey.  We welcomed it after being in the sun for so long!

 Taking a breather during the bike ride

 Our bikes in front of the village temple

Thrashing the rice

After the ride the tour guide invited us to his home for lunch.  It turned out to be the best meal we ate while in Indo!  Barefoot, sitting on cushions on the floor, we ate delicious traditional Indonesia foods such as Gado Gado, Tempe, and Sate.  I thoroughly enjoying this meal and appreciated the opportunity to be in the inside of someone’s living space.

The delicious food

We were all on our own for dinner tonight so Michelle and I headed to IndoMart to get the ice cream we had been craving.  It was so great to just to relax, explore the city a little bit, and hang out with friends. 

Yet another beautiful full day which actually felt like three days. 

-Erin