I have a confession; I broke my “cleanse” today. Before
jumping to any conclusions or disappointments, let me explain…
The last three days I have been excellent in denying
temptation. Even on a Friday night out at the Jazz Café here in Ubud, I
declined a drink and only had a pot of green tea. Yesterday, upon meeting a
German friend at yoga, I passed on a social cup of coffee and instead had an
“Enzyme Energy” smoothie. Needless to say, I feel I’ve been keeping my
determination fairly well. However, today posed a scenario that would be
ludicrous not to enjoy.
My original plan for today was to wake-up and enjoy a nice
breakfast, perhaps buy some local fruit and then to take the motorbike for a
drive in an attempt to find the Elephant Cave. I’ve attempted to find various
temples over the last three days and each attempt has been futile. The day ends
with me being lost for hours and eventually just meandering my way back to
Ubud. I’m not complaining though. Those days are sometimes the most enjoyable
with seeing true, local Balinese life. Although…. It would be nice to actually
find something for a change.
The morning started off perfect. I found a small,
hole-in-the-wall café named Tukies Café (*Note: If you’re in Bali and want to
find this café there address is Main Street… no number, because you know… it’s
Bali).
I had some delicious fruit with yoghurt and a green tea all
for less than $2. Additionally, something that turned most tourists away when
walking in yet immediately caught my fancy, the café served Balinese bakery
goods (no western croissants or pain au chocolates). Knowing I’d be hungry
during my drive, I bought four different treats. They were:
Dadar (A Balinese pancake with a green exterior color). No photo, I ate it too fast!
Bantal
Stick rice with coconut and banana wrapped in a
young banana leaf
Samping
Rice flour, coconut and banana
Onde Onde
(Owners favorite)
Sticky rice, mung bean and sesame
With a box full of goodies, I was feeling confident that my
drive should prove a success! I had torn out a map from a lonely planet book
that I own and had circled the location of the Elephant Cave. I began driving
in the direction that I was certain to be correct. However, it was not. I ended
up driving back and fourth up this main street about an hour away from Ubud
three times each direction. Mind you, this was not a “tourist” area. The locals
were all staring at the ding-dong blonde zipping back and fourth and back and
fourth. Until finally, a local Balinese man motioned me to pull over. He asked
the ever-popular question “Where are you going?”.
I laughed and pulled out my map and told him I was trying to
drive to the Elephant Cave. He looked confused and said “O yes, that’s near
Ubud”. That was an immediate sign to me that I am no longer “near Ubud” myself.
He started to give me verbal directions and motion signals when he saw my utter
confusion. He smiled and said, “Would you like me to escort you?” And just like
that… I had a personal Balinese tour guide for the day.
My new friends name is Made which means he is the second
born of his family. He is a local who works here in Bali at a Agro-tourism
place (which I will mention later).
Today’s experience with Made may have been the most authentic, rewarding
and special day I’ve had in Southeast Asia. He drove his motorbike and I
followed. Along the drive he would stop and ask, “This is nice spot, would you
like to make a picture?” and then continue on. He took me to a waterfall that
cost less than $1 for an entry fee and he walked me down to the base of the
falls (which I doubt any other guides or tourists would endure that trek). Once there, he offered to take my picture
and continued to explain some fun stories from his childhood. He pointed to the
rocks that, when the water level is higher, he and his siblings used to jump
from. Imaging the life of a Balinese child through Made’s stories was a new
alternative to my own upbringing.
After the waterfall, Made and I drove to his Agro-Tourism
business. It is called Kebune Bali (https://www.facebook.com/kebunebali.agrotourism?fref=ts). And here, my
friends, is where I broke my “cleanse”. Kebune in Balinese means garden. Here
at Made’s shop, there is a coffee, chocolate and tea garden. All of the beans
are grown and harvested in a traditional manner. Additionally, Kebune Bali
serves what is known as Luwak Coffee. A style of coffee known around the world,
Luwak Coffee is harvested beans that have passed through the digestive system
of the civet animal (yes, the beans come from the poop). Putri, a sweet girl
working at the shop, explained the process to me.
First, the civet eats the coffee cherries and it ferments in
the stomach before passing through the digestive system. The locals then find
the beans and clean them in hot water. After the cleansing, the beans are dried
in the sun and roasted in a traditional stone fire until black. Once black, the
beans are ground and then shifted to create the coffee powder. The process
after the fermentation/excrement stage is one-hour. This style of coffee is
becoming internationally popular because of its unique taste and health
benefits. Since the process is normally a more limited supply, a cup of this
coffee can cost quite the pretty penny. Even at Paresa Resort in Thailand, a
similar coffee was offered and cost $25 per cup. Yet, at Kebune Bali, it only
cost $5.
Photo: Top right is the beans after being processed through the civet. Then the other beans are after the cleaning processes and having dried in the sun
Another fantastic thing about Kebune Bali was that with your
cup of Luwak Coffee, you receive 15 free tea and coffee samples from the
various plants grown in the garden! Also, samples of the three types of
chocolates made from the freshly grown cocoa beans that were a milk, caramel
and orange chocolate. My favorite tea was made from the skin of the mangosteen
fruit and is good for the skin, in preventing cancer and reducing stress. My
favorite coffee sample was a ginseng coffee with caramel. A popular drink in
Korea, the description said it had natural aphrodisiacs. When I asked sweet
Putri if she knew what an aphrodisiac is, she laughed and said “It’s good for
Honeymoon!” and Made chimed in and said “Yes! Father tested, Wife approved!” O
the Balinese humor is my favorite.
Photo: Garden fresh spices and sugars
Photo: Cup of Luwak Coffee with a Cinnamon Stick to stir
Photo: My lovely tea and coffee samples!
So yes, I am guilty of having both coffee AND chocolate
while at Kebune Bali. However, it was at the expense of a true cultural experience
and no “cleanse” is more important than the knowledge I gained.
To end our adventure, Made and I finally reached the
Elephant Cave. After all the fun and unique places he’d taken me, I was not as
thrilled once reaching this tourist picture background. Again, my guide made
the experience. He told me that there aren’t even elephants in Bali and that
the cave is named simply because of the statue on the inside. Once inside the
cave, he blessed me with holy water that was next to the statue’s offerings.
First by dipping a flower in the water and dashing my face three times, then
placing three grains of rice on my forehead between my eyes and lastly having
me eat three grains of white rice. He said that this aligns the mind, body and
spirit, which is important. He laughed and said that now I am Balinese!
Photo: Entrance to the Elephant Cave
Photo: Traditional offerings inside the cave
Made escorted me back via our motorbikes to a main
intersection in Ubud (literally impossible for me to get lost from there). Of
course, I was assuming he’d want me to pay him or tip him or something for
showing me around over several hours. However, he just smiled and declined the
money. He said he is just happy to make a new friend who wants to learn about
the culture of his island. Made gave me his phone number and said to call
whenever I want a Bali guide. These are the days I wouldn’t trade for anything.
I can say with all my heart; I love Bali.
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