प्रकाशित: 29.06.2018
Unwillingly, the alarm clock broke the silence at 3 o'clock in the morning. I quickly turned it off and thought "just another 5 minutes" and went back to sleep. Since the promised wake-up call didn't come, my dad knocked on the door at 3:15 o'clock.
We quickly got up, put on our hiking clothes, and had a small breakfast with cake and watermelon.
Shortly before 4 o'clock, we started the hike. The winding and bumpy ride lasted about 20 minutes - Anna and I were relieved when it was over.
When we arrived, our guide, Honey, introduced himself and equipped us with flashlights. The tour started.
We needed 1 hour and 15 minutes for the ascent - so we were right on time. It was said that depending on the pace, it would take 1-2 hours.
Once we reached the top, we sat down on a bench and were provided with cocoa and coffee by Honey. Shortly after, we had toast with jam, eggs, and fruit.
The sweaty clothes and the wind made us shiver. So Anna, Bastian, and I snuggled under Anna's scarf and used the eggs as hand warmers.
The view at sunrise was beautiful. Because of the clouds, you always had to wait for the right moment.
After the sun came up and we took many photos, we started the descent. It was much less strenuous than the ascent, but you had to be careful not to slip because the ground occasionally gave way.
Once we reached the bottom, we said goodbye to Honey and were driven back to the hotel. We all took a shower and had a proper breakfast. Refreshed and strengthened, we met our driver and started our journey.
The drive to the waterfall was very curvy, and Anna and I started to feel queasy. After we were offered an overpriced tour on the parking lot, which would have taken about 3 hours, we decided to skip the waterfall.
We continued to the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. There was a huge parking lot and crowds of visitors. After a quick lunch, we visited the temple. We always had to wait for people to finish their selfies before taking photos. Patience was especially required with groups.
Back in the minibus, the curvy drive continued. To distract ourselves, we played "guess the animal" like in the old days.
When the curves were over and the road got wider, it was time for a little nap.
After 1.5 hours, we passed the Pulaki and Pabean temples, which were right by the roadside. We made a quick stop to take photos.
We were expecting another two hours of driving, so we were more than pleasantly surprised when our driver turned towards the sea and said that we would continue by boat.
While my dad and Bastian passed the time with a beer, Anna and I went in search of a restroom. Unfortunately, there was only a stinky one with a hole in the ground, so we hurried.
Shortly after, we were informed that our boat was ready to depart. Our luggage was loaded, we got comfortable, and off we went to the hotel. After about 20 minutes, we arrived at the hotel pier and were warmly welcomed.
After a welcome drink and a short introduction, we went to our rooms.
We quickly freshened up in our rooms, stored all the food in the designated metal box, and met for dinner. The restaurant is located right on the beach, so we could enjoy our meal with the sound of the sea and a pleasant 26 degrees Celsius.