Day 176 A trip to the north of Bali

Since our driver from yesterday was engaged in a charitable cause today, he sent us a friend who will show us around the north of Bali. So after breakfast, we got back in the car and made our way out of Kuta through the traffic jam.

On the way, our driver told us many things about Bali. It was very interesting to listen to him, and he enjoyed telling stories. After a good 2 hours drive, we made the first stop. According to him, we could visit a coffee plantation if we wanted to. Of course, we did not decline the offer. It turned out that it was not really a coffee plantation that we visited, but rather a garden where different plants and fruits were shown to us.

However, they also showed us the coffee plant and how they roast the coffee here.

The coffee fields were not far from here, according to the employee who showed us around the garden.

They also showed us the civets that they use for their special and high-quality "animal coffee". The civets eat the coffee beans, but they cannot be digested by the animal. They only undergo an "acid treatment", which is supposed to change the taste of the bean. The bean is then excreted by the animal and further processed like regular beans. At the end of the tour, we had the opportunity to taste all the coffee and tea varieties they produce, except for the animal coffee, which our guide said was too expensive with a smile.

So we tasted our way through the different coffees and teas and also tried local dishes.

After this refreshment, we went to visit the Lake Temple, the Pura Ulun Temple. Another Hindu temple built directly on a mountain lake. Unfortunately, the weather did not play along. It was very foggy, and it looked like it was about to rain soon. With good weather, the magnificence of this place would have been much better displayed. But even so, it was a beautiful place. Like in the other temples, we could walk through the complex, but we could not enter the rooms and prayer halls.

After the temple, we went to see a UNESCO World Heritage site. These were huge rice terraces that stretched to the horizon. Unfortunately, it had started to drizzle. But, especially me, I did not let that stop me from getting out of the car and taking crazy photos. I was thrilled with this place. Together with our driver, we leisurely walked through the rice fields.

We made our last stop at the Water Temple. A temple built on the coast.

During low tide, and it was low tide at the time, you could also walk on the sacred rock.

But to enter, you had to wash your face and hands with the water from the holy spring. After that, you received the blessing and could go up on the rock.

The temple stretched along the coastline, so we strolled along the coast and enjoyed the spectacle of nature that unfolded before us. With the dark sky in the background, the blue sea, and the sun trying to push through the clouds, the whole scene was bathed in a special light that invited us to take photos.

With this last stop, the exploration of Bali unfortunately came to an end. We decided to spend the remaining days relaxing.