Field Trip to Bali

The cool kids sat at the end of the bus. That’s how it was when we would go on field trips in high school. It was complete chaos, but there was excitement in the air.

This trip, everyone is far beyond high school, and it seems as if everyone is equally cool. There are eighteen of us, including an American trip organizer, a Balinese guide, a driver, and the rest of the yoga practitioners.

The airport was the first delight with great sculptures everywhere, many depicting Hindu Gods. A brand new Suzuki van with no seat belts takes us up the mountains as we head towards Munduk,, as the sun was setting over the two lakes.

Marigold necklaces are draped over our necks, as greeting smiles flower around. Water fountains, lotus ponds, and lush vegetation with beautiful flowers are abundant. The cottage is set up on stilts with a dark wooden balcony, over looking the little pond below hosting calm fish unaware of the expansive rice field’s just meters behind them.

Dinner consisted of a vegetarian sampling. Skewers of tofu in a Balinese sauce, tempeh in something like a BBQ sauce, cabbage in peanut sauce, a sort of latke, and Chrysanthemum tea. Every meal is shared with some other friends from the group, exploring diversity of life experiences, listening to stories, and enjoying others on chill mode. The rice terraces on the hills across from us have heard it all by now.

The next day we explored the property, walking through little temples, rice fields, spice plants, ponds, statues everywhere, and magnificent views of the mountains and villages around. What really makes it wonderful are the details, the smile of a passer-by, the gold fish in the pond, the bamboo mini bridge, the beautiful red flowers draping off huge semi translucent bright green leaves, the sounds of water flowing through streams and in and out of ponds.

We adventured off property and let destiny take our feet through the jungle, passing homes with bird cages holding quiet pretty blue birds, vanilla beans for sale off of someone’s front yard, coffee beans laid down to dry, wandering dogs, and mopeds everywhere. Everyone from young to old is on a moped. All Japanese made.

We took a trip to a coffee and spice plantation and sampled some fox shit coffee. It’s not really a fox, but looks similar. The fox goes out at night, searching for the best coffee beans, it is a very picky animal. It eats the coffee bean, digesting only the skin, and then poops out the bean. Since the fox is so picky this is considered the best bean one can find. We had to try it once, as Wayan our guide told us, “Try it once and that’s it, you don’t want to drink shit twice!” This coffee is sold for $500 in Japan.

After morning yoga and breakfast we head to the beach. We arrive in Pemuteran, at the magnificent resort of Taman Sari Bali Cottages, and really, I would call it no name except the experience of bliss.

What can I say? Heaven is here. I would stay here for a month without blinking. Beautiful grass dotted with flowers, sculptures and Japanese like lanterns. Our room has an amazing outdoor shower surrounded by pebbles, with a huge marble floored porch, a step from the little pond that flows as a stream between the rooms, gold fish, a sculpture fountain, and perfectly organized vegetation surround it. Large Indonesian wood furniture with blue cushions decorated with butterflies sewn on it. The awning is made of perfectly tight tied palm leaves. I’ll stop here as I feel like nothing would portray the amazingness of this place. I tried to take photos but even they do not do justice. The swimming pool by the ocean is wonderful and warm. Everywhere you look there are sculptures or statues, amazing vegetation and water streams.

Off to teach the afternoon session, a Dharma talk, presenting my path, the relationship of Yoga and Zen – Zoga! Stay tuned more coming soon…

Love, D