Bali, Summer 2016 (Day trip around Karangasem Regency)

     Bali, in the popular imagination, is the quintessential tropical island paradise. The notion probably comes from the movie “South Pacific” with the theme song “Bali Ha'i”--a mystical unreachable island.

"Bali Ha'i" (in my imagination)

motorcycle gangs?

       The real Bali, a province of Indonesia, is quite reachable however. It may not be “mystical”, but it certainly fulfills many of the basics of a tropical paradise. It is located in the Indonesian archipelago just east of Java a few degrees of latitude south of the equator. It has beaches, mountains, volcanoes, swaying palms, soft sea breezes, bananas and coconuts and monkeys. It is also too touristy in some places and has fallen victim to heavy traffic of cars, trucks, busses and motorcycles. So, paradise, accordingly, is how you see it and where you find it. It's like gold, you have to pan for it.

Komang Suarjana

       A couple days after arriving in relatively remote and unspoiled (from the honky tonks of Kuta) Candidasa on the southeastern coast of Bali, we hired a car and driver for a day trip around Karangasem Regency that included a tasting of Kopi Luwak (a unique type of coffee), a traditional village (Thengahnan), a water palace (Tirtaganga), the palace of the King of Karangasem (Puri Agung) and a chocolatier set deep in the jungle (Uforia). Our driver named Komang Suarjana, a friendly charming young fellow, was a patient and knowledgeable guide who was full of information about the places he took us to and insights about Bali and Balinese traditions and customs.

Kopi Luwak

they call it "poop coffee" - here's why;
"luwak" is the Balinese name for the civet . . .basically the above "explanation" says
that the luwak likes to eat the ripe coffee fruit; its digestive system is pretty fast
so the coffee beans remain intact in the droppings; the beans are then picked
out of the droppings and cleaned before hand roasting; certain enzymes in the civet's digestive tract reduce the level of acid in the beans to produce a very clean smooth
coffee taste--like fine wine.

a luwak 

after the poop is removed the beans
are cleaned and roasted by hand

Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in
the world - featured in the movie "The Bucket List"

Thengahnan

village meeting place - serves as a village council -
a village chief is elected every 5 years

summons bell tower and gate
to the meeting place

kids will be kids - trading cards

village temple gate - one cannot enter
unless wearing traditional garb - a sarong

a village artist - etches on palm frond

the artist:s work

Tirtaganga

water palace garden - home of a local king in the early 20th Century

former palace, now a restaurant

fantastic statuary

walk on water

Puri Agung

entrance gate to Puri Agung

inner garden - entrance gate in background

garden pool with a Garuda statue and Frangipani tree

Uforia

euphoria in the jungle - odd place for a chocolatier

UFOria chocolate

       Upon returning to the hotel we were greeting by a cute, bespectacled elephant sitting on the bed. Imagine that! The proverbial 800 lb. elephant in the room.

Welcome back!