The last days in Bali

Unfortunately, the last days in Bali are over. In Ubud, we spent the last 4 nights in Indonesia. Ubud is a very lovely town in the southeast of the island and is well known for yoga. But we had some other things in mind. On the first day, we walked through the city to the Monkey Forest and then to the market. There we had to show our negotiation skills... we were able to get the price down to almost 1/3. We had a special plan for the next day. We decided to do a sunrise hike to Mount Batur (1717m above sea level) and enjoy the sunrise there. We were picked up at 2:00 am for this hike. With transportation, it took about 45 minutes to the north, where we had breakfast for the first time. Banana pancakes, like almost every morning in the last 10 days. Then we continued to the foot of the volcano, it was around 3:30 am. Our group consisted of 7 people, two Belgians, two French and us, and the two guides. Unfortunately, we were not the only ones who wanted to do this tour, as there were so many hikers. Then we marched up the mountain in single file, armed with flashlights. The ascent was not always easy in all places, as the path consisted of sand, lava stones, and uneven steps of varying heights. The sun was supposed to rise around 6:20 am, but we were already at the summit around 5:40 am. Sweating and not exactly dressed for winter, we had to wait and freeze for about 40 minutes. The sunrise was unique. The view to the east extended over the crater lake, the nearby Mount Agung (3031m above sea level), across the open sea, and to the neighboring island of Lombok. Simply fantastic.

The descent was also challenging. We had to climb down the entire way. Along the way, we encountered more monkeys, and our guides showed us some spots where hot steam came out of the volcano. There were small steam clouds visible in some places in the crater.

When we arrived home (around 10 am), we had the third breakfast of the day (the second one was on the summit). We spent the rest of the afternoon very comfortably, taking a siesta and reading.

The next and final day was also very relaxed. First, we organized everything for our upcoming trip, and then we hit the road in search of a soup man. These street vendors sell a delicious soup called Bakso Ayam. It consists of broth, meatballs, noodles, some greens, roasted onions, soy sauce, a little tomato sauce, and of course chili. The soup is mixed right in front of you, and the driver waits patiently until you are finished so that he can take the dishes back. I think this soup is a little insider tip, and everyone who goes to Bali should try it.

The next day, it was time to pack, which is always a little challenge. Because I always struggle with the space in my bag, and Laura and time are not always the best friends :) The day before, we organized a shuttle bus that would take us directly to the airport. Unfortunately, the time had come to say goodbye to Alena. At this point: thank you for the great time we had in Bali together and have fun on your adventure. We enjoyed 10 wonderful days in Bali and got to know the country from its various sides, and I can say with a clear conscience: I will come back.

For Laura and me, it was a 5-hour flight to Taipei. At the baggage claim, we met a nice little family from Tainan who helped us find our bus to Taipei City. We are still in contact with the family, and we may even go visit them.

After our first night, we took the train to Taichung. From there, we took a shuttle bus to Sun Moon Lake. The schedule in Taiwan is a bit tight, so after arriving, we went straight to cycling. In 4 hours, we cycled around the lake once. We underestimated the route and were completely exhausted at the end. In total, we covered about 29.3 km, and unfortunately, it was not just straight. Nearly half of it was uphill.

Tomorrow we will continue to Chiayi and take the train to Alishan. The goal is to go around the island.