Bali ☺️ Oct. 2022

2:30 am - the alarm clock goes off...the early bird would be thrilled.

Dishwashing, squeezing in the last piece of luggage, and off we go.

Arriving at the airport, we realize that I have quite a lot of luggage for just carry-on.

But now it can't be changed anymore, I just hope for a nice staff member at the counter who turns a blind eye.

He turns out to have more than two eyes that he turns a blind eye to - not only does he patiently watch us as we download all the necessary apps and fill out everything (we really didn't know that you have to register online in two places for Bali now, after or during the pandemic), no, he also realizes that my carry-on is too heavy, and that Franzi cannot sit next to me because I paid more for my seat for more legroom... We understand all of this, we don't even discuss it, and therefore we are more than surprised when he lets my luggage through and places Franzi next to me - all for nothing 😌 he really deserves the award for the best employee at Berlin Airport!

12:30 pm the flight starts to feel quite long after the first 7 hours. That's where the distraction of people-watching comes in handy. Every 1-2 hours, a muscle-packed man sprints from the back of the plane to us, throws himself hectically on the floor and does push-ups as if there were no tomorrow. Then he is gone as quickly as he came.

He is only surpassed by our Dancing Queen. She may be 60 years old and dances like there's no tomorrow. No hip swing is safe from her...and when the push-up performer starts again, she and her hips cheer him on mercilessly.

We don't know what that's all about, but it amuses us and makes us forget how long we still have to sit in this metal devil.

We fly mostly in the dark, but we still can't sleep. It may have various reasons, but for Franzi it's certainly because she constantly has to think about Nasi and wants to eat it. She wants rice and hopes for a delicious Nasi meal in Singapore. I disillusion her by pointing out that there is hardly anything to eat in Terminal 1 in Singapore at night... she doesn't want to believe me and continues to hope.

Arrival at 4:00 am in Singapore and we can't find Nasi or any other food, so we end up at Starbucks 🧐.

We also need something in our stomachs because the short flight to Bali is really bumpy.

I fall asleep quickly, wake up because my heart is almost jumping out of my chest. Apparently, I dreamt exactly of this situation, waking up and everything is foggy (inside and outside) and we crash (except that we don't crash in reality). I decide to stay awake, which can't be said of Franzi. She is finally sleeping too - and will hardly be able to stand on her feet and keep nodding off in the coming hours.

After the health check, paying for the visa, passing through immigration and customs, we have finally arrived. We take a driver to Ubud, which is about 2-3 hours away. As I said, Franzi is no longer capable of perceiving anything, she is so tired and sick. And me? I enjoy the sight of Bali. Finally, after the first trip in 2018, being here again feels simply wonderful.

The sun is shining, it's 11 am when we finally head towards Ubud. After a short stop for Nasi Goreng (I love it and want to marry it), we continue.

The Green Sala Villa on the (mountainous) outskirts of Ubud is surrounded by rice fields, it's quiet, and the welcome is warm (https://www.booking.com/Share-D6RjR0).

23 Euros per person for the room including breakfast for 3 nights - we enjoy ourselves and it doesn't matter that there is no door or anything towards the bathroom. Basically, the room and bathroom are one big space - we get to know each other better than we would like 😄.

I sit on the terrace when the girl from across comes up to me. She is from Israel, 23 years old, and traveling alone for the first time. The three of us have dinner together and gladly invite her to spend the next day - the first real day here - with us. The plan is: yoga, breakfast, and then we'll see.

She hesitates with the yoga, but it's only because of the time😌. For now: good night!

6:20 am...and we're in the car on the way to Ubud Yoga House.

Just like in 2018, I really like this place because it's located amidst rice fields and you can only get to the main road by car, the remaining 15 minutes have to be walked. Franzi is completely amazed - and I fall in love with Bali again - the green, which is definitely different, the people... Bali has something magical.

Arriving at the Yoga House, we chat with the owner first, who complains about the rain season starting earlier and earlier - climate change, the perpetrator of all evil, is quickly identified.

The yoga class is wonderful, like in most buildings here, there are no walls. Especially during meditation and final relaxation, we experience the sounds of the tropics up close and personal. The day couldn't start any better.

A few steps through the rice fields and a cappuccino later, we have ourselves driven back home, shower and eat... Nasi for breakfast. In the car, Ogik suggests that we participate in a water ceremony later. Let's treat ourselves. But first: Monkey Forest. Or also: Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary or Mandala Suci Wenara Wana.

The animals on Bali owe their sacred status to the deity Hanuman. In Hinduism, it is depicted with a human body, but with a monkey face and a long tail. This is why Hanuman is also referred to as the monkey god. Here, the Javanese monkeys, also known as long-tailed macaques, live in a over 12 hectare forest area. The Monkey Forest Ubud sees itself as a sacred city with the educational mandate to promote the coexistence of humans and nature in harmony.

The monkeys are fascinating, but this time I strictly follow the instructions: no direct eye contact, no jewelry or water bottle, keep enough distance, don't eat or drink.

I watch a monkey playing in the trees with great interest when suddenly it poops on my foot! 😮‍💨...

Maybe it's good luck!

We drive to Tirta Empul in Ubud.

The water is sacred ("amritha") and there are a total of 15 fountains through which it rushes into the temple's water pools. Both pools - one for men and one for women - are believed to have healing powers for the body and mind.

The bathing ritual for the Tirta Empul temple is precisely predefined and it is best to be guided by a local guide.

In general, you change from your temple-appropriate clothes in the changing room into a green bathing sarong. You can step into the water with it without any worries.

But before we can enter the bathing pool, we have to leave a small offering bowl and express wishes in prayer while kneeling.

We continue to the fountains and are informed beforehand: you pray at all the fountains except the last three, which are reserved for funeral ceremonies.

While holding your hands in a way that you can catch the water, you then dip your face into it three times and then throw the water over your head three times. After that, you step directly into the water stream. And at the end, don't dry yourself!

Well, in theory, in practice I have some difficulties remembering the complex process. Franzi's difficulties consist solely of going into the water as it is incredibly cold. But with some sweet-talking, she manages to get in.

We are completely soaked, but we really enjoyed the insight into the ritual. Spontaneously, we all go out to eat, although we are soaked, but a Nasi Goreng is worth it.

And after Made has taken care of our insect invasion in the room using makeshift measures, but with a lot of passion and tissue papers, we turn on the Balinese TV and end the day. Unfortunately, there is too much pizza on TV, so I get hungry. It's now 9:30 pm and we play around with the Grab app inspired by the ads. On Grab food, just for fun, we fill the shopping cart with delicious vegan and really healthy burgers, waffles, and shakes, and we are incredibly surprised when the order is suddenly placed without us really wanting it. No idea what happened in the app, but within the next hour we expect burgers and co.

Yes, the food was really good, but I feel so sick, and we decide to skip our Nasi Goreng for the next morning and only have juices for the first half of the day tomorrow😌