Bali, Indonesia
One place you always hear about that you never think you will ever get to visit in Bali. It is a tropical paradise on the other side of the world. But since we so close, we decided to spend two weeks here. Our first stop was Ubud. Ubud is a great spot to set as our home base so we can check out some of the local traditions and temples.
Our first day we rented a car and driver to take us to a few different places. The first was Tirta Empul Temple. It was built in 960 AD. The sacred waters here are used for purification. At each of the 11 spouts, you say a small pray, clasp your hands in prayer and then dunk your head under the spout. It was an amazing and spiritual experience.
Next, we stopped for a coffee-making business. Coffee production is a huge business in Indonesia. Here the kids learned about where coffee comes frrom and how it is processed. We even tried several coffees and teas. Sean even tried the luwak coffee which is made from the poo of the luwak after they have eaten coffee beans. Yew.
After coffee tasting, we went to a geothermal hot springs pool. It has really cool statues that shot out water. It reminded me of a water park back home.
After swimming for a couple of hours, we stopped by one more temple. The Goa Gajah or Elephant Cave. The was really cool. If you notice Sean and I are wearing sarongs. Most temples in Bali require you to have your knees covered and have sarongs available for use.
