Three bright yellow butterflies are dancing around the garden in front of me as I sit down to type this. There is another white one that is trying to get in on the action but the three yellow guys are pretty focused on sticking together. There are none of the huge black ones at the moment but I'm sure it won't be long till they make an appearance too. This garden is a butterfly heaven! I've just come out of an hour long energy healing session with Wayan and I feel AMAZING! Pasek is in the kitchen making my breakfast and all is right with my world. :-)
The last time I posted I'd just made arrangements for a crystal sound healing session. We spent almost 3 hours with AwaHoshi at her home here in Ubud (right across Monkey Forest Road from where we live). What an amazing experience it was! It started with her introducing us to the concept of crystals, a little about her personal (and work) history, and then we moved on to introducing ourselves with an explanation of where we get our love from. There were ten of us in total (including AwaHoshi and her assistant). At the same time as everyone was talking we all chose two cards....one from each of two different decks. Mine were Actualization and the other was card number 13. The Actualization (angel) card was all about the time being now to move to action on my goals. No matter what my dream I had only to set my intention and seize the day in pursuit of that goal. The picture on card 13 looked like either a glass of wine or a crown to me but the description that went along with that card was pretty powerful. It said that I am meant to be an influencer and that my psychic powers are aligned with my intuition so by trusting my intuition I will be in a powerful position as I move further in the direction of my destiny. Both were powerful cards for me as was the overall crystal sound experience.
Once the talking was finished we moved on to 10 minutes of group chanting. Our chant was designed to incite healing and the story behind the sanskrit words is about two horses who bring the sunrise and the sunset and there was something about honey in there too. Not sure if it was the colour of the horses or the shades of the sun at either end of it's day's journey but there was honey in there for sure. After the chanting it was time for the sound healing so we all lay down on our mats on her patio. I was at the edge of the patio so could see a mango tree reaching out to touch the railing beside me. There were birds singing and the breeze was blowing over us....it was the perfect setting for the music of the bowls that would soon follow.
AwaHoshi is masterful with the bowls and she had several lined up for that afternoons session. There were at least a dozen bowls of varying sizes and colours. Each bowl had its own tone and she had several different tools she used to play the bowls. Each tool adjusted the sound of whatever bowl it was used on. As the sound of the bowls began to envelope and resonate through each of us we quietly or silently cited our respective intentions. Those unique intentions would act as a "filter" for the sound to travel through thereby customizing the crystal energy for each of us. Now I know this may sound a little over the top for most of you but honestly....something really did happen and whether it's all in our heads or measurable scientific fact....either way is fine by me. :-). The premise is that our bodies are made up of 75% water and the sound of the crystals (just like the gongs in the pyramid) affects that water in our bodies. By setting a positive intention as the sound is travelling to and through us the water part of us is altered to be aligned with our intention. Quantum physics may not be for everyone but for me....it makes a lot of sense and the added bonus is that it feels really good too! :-)
By the end of my time on AwaHoshi's patio I left feeling empowered to move to action and in my book....that alone was worth the 350,000 IDR ($35) I'd paid! As we were leaving the crystal healing AwaHoshi explained that it was important that each of us go home and either soak in a salt water bath or at the very least shower and rub salt on our bodies paying particular attention to our joints and the inside of our wrists. For those of us who didn't have salt in our rooms she had a big bag of salt we could take from and so....I walked home with a handful of salt and a smile on my face.
Salt scrubbed, Showered, and re-dressed we were off to dinner at Bale Udung (tables over the lake) and once again....we had another wonderful meal. Whether its the good food or the great company....every meal we've had there has been memorable. By the time we got home that night we were all ready to fall into bed!
Yesterday Lynda and Barb set off on motor bikes (Barb was pretty nervous but she did it and lived to tell the tale) to go to yoga. Unfortunately the yoga studio was completely full and so they decided to skip yoga and walk instead. The day previous Lynda had been one of two in her class and so finding an overfull class this day was a shock! Perhaps the reason for so many more people is that the spirit festival starts this week so there are lots of new people in town for it. Lynda and Barb's walk took them along some rice fields, past Sedona Spa, and then down to a hotel that Lynda had visited a few days earlier. That hotel has a spa down a loooonnnng flight of stairs that "must be seen to be believed". I'm going to have to make the hike down to it as Lynda wouldn't even let Barb show us her photos as it's worth seeing it without knowing just what you'll find there. Soon.....but we've said "soon" for so many things and as we move closer and closer to departure the time frames are getting tighter and tighter!
While Lynda and Barb were off exploring that spa Alison and I had a nice leisurely walk in town. We spent a little time enjoying the latest work done to the ogoh ogoh at the soccer field. There are now two of them sitting there waiting for the day before Nyepi and from the look of them they're completely finished. They are soooo impressive and we're all getting very excited to see the parade of ogoh ogohs the evening before silent day. Alison and I also found a fantastic new place to have lunch yesterday....Alison was wanting to try some raw food and Soma was the place that could fill that bill. We had a fantastic meal! Not all of mine was raw but everything was delicious and organic plant based food is their focus so in addition to delicious it was also healthy. :-). By the time we wandered back home it was almost 5 pm and before much time had passed our patio had become the gathering place. Lynda and Barb were here first, then Alison and I joined them. A few minutes later Ketut and Pasek stopped by. Then Jati wandered in and sat down. Next it was Julie on her way home from a Texas style chili cook off...yep....it was fast becoming a party! Soon enough though the hunger struck again (it had been a few hours since lunch after all) and so Lynda, Barb, Alison, Jati, and I were off and headed in the direction of Who's Who where Jati's friend Rihanna (from Tazmania) joined us for dinner. It was another wonderful meal! There is no shortage of amazing places to eat here! Again....by the time we got home everyone was ready to fall into bed. And.....for the first time in a very very long time I had to set my alarm as I'd made an appointment with Wayan (a balian and energy healer) to come to my room at 8 a.m.
After a short night....I think I was worried I wouldn't hear the alarm.....I was up and ready for my session with Wayan. Lynda headed out to have breakfast with Barb. The two Ketut's and Pasek's son, Made, were off to the police station in search of criminal record checks that they need to have for the cruise ship course they're taking. I waited on my patio.....not knowing what this energy healing would look like and excited to experience it for the first time.
Ketut arrived and started by explaining exactly what he would do. He told me he would poke between my toes and that if it hurt to just wait till it stopped. He told me he would touch me at my chakra points and that if anything felt hot or cold to not worry....it would pass. He told me that afterward I might feel a little light-headed and that if my mind had felt full before it would be as though all my thoughts had vanished. And now that I'm sitting here after the fact I would say that I feel incredibly relaxed and very very grateful for the experience.
After Wayan had described the process he went in to bless my room. That blessing took about 10 minutes and consisted of putting out offerings, lighting incense (6 sticks), a holy water blessing (water sprinkled using a flower), and a lot of prayers. Next he turned the blessing to me. First he sprinkled me (top of head) with holy water via that same flower, then he dripped water from the flower into my cupped hands which I had to drink (3 times), then there were three more times of water into my hands via the flower that I washed over the top of my head. After that I sat on the end of the bed and he held the incense under each of my hands and then each of my feet. Next he drew invisible symbols on the backs of each of my hands and the top of each of my feet with his finger. He then explained that the symbols were representative of the earth, a symbol that stands for whatever god you believe in and three more than represent Vishnu, shiwa, and Brama, (water, fire, and air I think it was).
Once that was all complete he had me lay on the bed and he began with the pinching between the toes of the right foot. Nothing at the first one but at the second there was a definite pain. He held that and used his energy to my benefit until it began to subside at which time he moved to the back of my right knee. He poked a couple of spots before he hit the one that caused me pain which again he held until it began to subside. Then he moved on to my left foot. This time it was the third toe that caused me to hit the roof. Seriously, this was 10X more painful than the other foot had been! He held it for a very long time before he moved to the back of my left knee where the digging around for a painful spot began. Once he was finished with my feet and the back of my knees he moved on to holding both my feet at the same time as he was chanting and even though I'm NEVER cold....my feet felt cold in his hands! His hands were so warm! He held on to my feet for quite a long time (at least 5 minutes) before moving on to my knees where there was a repeat with the chanting and laying of hands for another 5 minutes or so. From there he was on to my belly which is where I had the most amazing experience. I could feel nerves twitching down just the right side of my body for much of the time that he was on my belly and for part of the time I could clearly see light! My eyes were closed and it felt like someone was shining a flashlight in front of my closed eyes. (But before you say it....both his hands were on my belly and there was no one else in the room). I could seriously feel the energy pulsing from his hands.....even though the entire experience was really good....this was my favourite part. From my belly he moved up to my chest and then up to my throat. After that it was between my eyebrows and then to the top of my head. He stayed on the top of my head for what seemed like a really long time too and the top of my head was the most pressure I'd felt at any of the stops.
Once he was finished on my head...he was all done and checked how I was feeling. I felt GREAT! I asked him what that had been between my toes on my left foot though and he replied that it was my circulation that was blocked. Interestingly, I do have problems with circulation. I asked him if the next time I get restless legs if I could pinch between those toes and it would go away...he said I could but that he wasn't just pinching...he was sending his energy too. And so of course....pinching my toes alone likely would not do it. For anyone who has ever suffered from RLS you'll understand when I say that I might give it a try anyway just in case it helps a little. :-)
So here it is....almost noon and I'm getting hungry again so it must almost be time to go in search of some lunch. Lynda left a few minutes ago for some pool time at Cendana. Barb is reading her book on her patio. Alison is at a cooking class and I'm going to head in to do my Monday yoga/tai chi routine. By the time I'm finished that it will be 1:00 when I'm scheduled to meet Barb. We're going to head up to Cendana too so we can sit overlooking the rice fields and have some lunch after which we're heading for a reflexology appointment. Hopefully Alison will be back in time to join us at Cendana too. Doubtful that she will want any lunch though as I'm pretty certain they will have eaten all the food they cooked in their class! I am sure though that she will want to join Barb and I for reflexology though as she is a fan of that self-care practice!
Who knows what tonight will bring.....you'll have to read the next post to find out about the rest of our day..... till next time,
L & L
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Thursday, March 16, 2017
March 17, 2017
WOW! Time is really flying by now! We are down to just 3 1/2 weeks till we leave this beautiful island. It always amazes me how it is that once you pass the 1/2 way mark of a block of time, the second half seems to go that much faster than the first 1/2 did...and by the time you get down to the final days they seriously fly by! Oh well, won't think too much about the fact that we're moving quickly toward final days and focus on the fact that we still have more time here than most people have as their total visit.
During the past 10 days we've been focused on making sure some of the things we want to visit or revisit are getting accomplished so we've become a little more intentional about putting an agenda together to make sure we don't miss too many of our "gotta do that while we're here" list.
A week ago a friend from Canada arrived and so our twosome has become a threesome and we continue to find lots of fun and laughter along our Balinese journey. It is also fun for Lynda and I to see Bali for the first time again through Barb's eyes. I went with Jati to the airport to pick Barb up last Thursday and as much as that may not sound like a lot....it takes pretty much a whole day to do that. You have to assume it will take a good two hours each way (her plane arrived in the afternoon so both ways were during busy traffic times) and then you have to leave enough time for the "just in case" factor too. Our drive down to Denpasar was busy but uneventful. It was also HOT so Barb arrived to some smoking hot afternoon temperatures with humidity hovering around 90%. Jati and I had lunch at the airport while we were waiting for her plane to arrive and I gotta tell you the airport here might be even worse than the airport at home as far as prices in their little cafeteria goes! Here it seems even more obscene though as everywhere else is soooo affordable that when you're paying airport prices it hurts just that much more! I think our lunch cost a little more than $30 CAD. (I'm trying to put it out of my memory which is why I say "think"). The thing I'd like to capture here is what it felt like to be one of the masses waiting to greet arriving flights. OMG there are a lot of people and almost all of them are drivers so the experience is like no other that I've had in airports where I'm there to pick someone up. This time we were all crowded up against the rail. Everyone had signs with peoples names on them and many of them use a selfie stick to get their sign our in front of the crowd so their guest can find them. Every time another group of people come through the doors from immigration everyone pushes a little bit further forward in the hope that their person is in that group. We waited for quite a long time for Barb as there were several planes landed at the same time which caused a bit of a backlog at immigration for her. In the end it was all good, we found her.....or she found us.....it can be described either way and we were off to retrieve the car and begin the journey home. Jati, sweet guy that he is, had stopped on our way into the airport to purchase a frangiapani (plumeria) lei for me to give Barb at arrival. As a result our car smelled lovely and sweet with the scent of those flowers accompanying us all the way home.
In addition to Barb's arrival here there has been another arrival this week too. Lynda's son Mitch and his wife Viri welcomed their baby boy into the world on the 13th too. It was an arrival that had quite a few delays though and so from Friday night when things started happening for them until Tuesday night when he finally made his grand entrance Lynda stayed very close to home and her computer. Even though you know there is nothing you can do even if you were closer to the action....being on the other side of the world is really really far from the front line! All's well that ends well though and Lynda is excited and happy to know that grandchild number 5 is a healthy and thriving little boy whose mom and dad are settling into their new roles with the same rapidity as everyone whose ever been there will be familiar with.
While Lynda was actively engaged in waiting to welcome the addition to her family, Barb, Alison, and I managed to keep ourselves busy. Alison is from England and is a guest at Julie's house. She is here for 3 weeks and so our threesome is often a foursome or if Julie is also available we're 5 or even more when other friends are available to join us. Being here for so long we've really enjoyed getting to know many of the people we've met. Some of them are Balinese, others are expats living in Bali, and many are visitors to this beautiful place just like us. The difference between us and most of the other visitors is that we have 5 months here so we're almost like a hybrid....1/2 tourist 1/2 expat.
One of the things that Barb, Alison, and I did this past week was to go for another chocolate massage at Sedona Spa. It was a first for both of them and once again....the experience was "delicious". I resisted tasting my chocolate again this time (I don't want to ruin the sensory experience with the memory of the bitterness that comes when you taste raw chocolate) and I gotta tell you....this whole business of getting an hour long massage followed by warm liquid chocolate being rubbed all over you and then getting wrapped up like a baby so the chocolate can work its magic....all followed by a flower petal bath in a massive copper tub where you sip on ginger tea and nibble on fresh fruit....is some kind of wonderful! Even after the chocolate is gone and I'd left the spa....I could still smell the chocolate and remember the warm stickiness of it as I marinated in my little cocoon. :-). Barb and Alison also loved their massages but for some reason they ended up in rooms that didn't have the fantastic massive copper tubs so lesson learned...next time we will be sure to stipulate that we want the rooms with copper tubs!
Another thing the three of us did was to attend the Kecak performance at ARMA (Art museum) during the full moon. It was so different from the other kecak performances I've seen (first at temple on Jl. Hanoman and then at Uluwatu). This one was FULL of fire and was an artistic interpretation of the story of two monkey kings (brothers) who get into battle with one another (which is a different story than the traditional kecak follows). As much as I loved the kecak at the temple, this one at ARMA that only happens during the full moon and the dark moon was fantastic.
That same day the three of us had also visited the Pyramids of Chi for another fantastic sound healing session. It was a March special they had on where for 300,000 ($30) I could have 90 minute sound healing in the pyramid as well as a fantastic lunch in the restaurant. I LOVED it once again!
The five of us (Lynda, Barb, Alison, Julie, and I) have also gone to a couple of different venues for films. The first night we saw a series of 7 short films and I must admit that the short films in Bali are no easier to interpret than the short films in Canada often are! On the upside...we sure all had something to talk about and isn't that one of the intentions behind art...to give the audience cause to think and hopefully discuss? So...on that level I guess those short films were pretty successful. :-). The next one we saw was AMAZING! It is called Tana and is set on an island in Vanuatu. It is based on a true story and is a real life Romeo and Juliet who's story helped change the cultural traditions of their people. This movie I highly recommend...it was a 10/10 for the story, for the acting, and for the scenery.
Another thing that Barb and I did the other day (with Lynda as our official videographer) was to go to the fish spa again....it was Barbs first time and honestly it was as much fun for me this second time as it was for the first! Along with our fish spa we enjoyed some of their kombucha (which is my new favourite thing and I am excited to get home to make some of my own). In fact, today, I hopped on the back of Ketut's bike to zip over to the fish spa again so I could pick up a couple bottles of the stuff they make there so I could have it in my fridge here. Kombucha is fermented tea and it is supposed to be very good for you so in addition to tasting good and quenching thirst....it's a benefit too.
I love this hopping on the back of a bike business here! It is so wonderful to feel the wind whipping past on these hot days. Yes....that means I'm not wearing a helmet and I know that's kind of crazy but I also know that we're not going very fast (governed by traffic most of the time). Equally as crazy is that we just wear flip flops and shorts and bare arms. On the upside, the drivers (all Balinese) are masterful riders! As I've said in other posts, they begin learning even before they can walk as the bike is the form of transport for the family and often the little kids are standing at the front of the bike with their face peeking over the handle bars. Definitely they're driving the bike themselves (maybe with an older sibling on the back) by the time they're able to reach the footrest (around 10) and licensed to drive full time at about 15.
Lynda and I continue to keep up with the self-care routines we've built here which we both feel really good about. Lynda missed a couple of yoga sessions while waiting for baby and so she is making up for it the rest of this week. In fact, I think she might even be doing two classes this afternoon! I'm still doing my every morning short yoga session (in the room) and then 3 times/week I do another routine that is a little longer in the afternoons and it has become such a habit now that I actually kind of look forward to it. So the plan is to keep it up once I'm back home too. I've been really intentional about making sure it is something that is sustainable and enjoyable in support of that plan for maintenance so I'm feeling good about my plan and my progress! This week Barb and Alison also joined me for my reflexology treatment and they both found so much value in it that Alison is back for another treatment already today!
Yesterday I had a long hot walk to pick up our passports for the final time from our agent Komang at Bali Buddha (where she sits every afternoon from 2-5). It seems weird to think that this is our final visa extension! When we arrived in November thinking about getting extensions for the entire time seemed like a lot but now that we're at the end of it...it was a breeze. $65 each every month and we're good to go. :-). This extension takes us to the 15th of April and since our plane tix are for the 12th we're good even if there was some extraordinary delay.
Last night Lynda and I went over to Julie's house (just a couple of doors away from us) as I'd made a plan to do a "class" with two of her staff (Gede and the new Ketut). She'd purchased some syrups and a bottle of vodka and I'd promised to help the boys learn to make a couple of cocktails (and some mocktails too) so that when Julie has friends over she can offer them something other than the usual fresh fruit juices. Our cocktail party set out in Julie's garden by her jacuzzi was a huge hit and I had loads of fun with the boys in the kitchen. They had a cocktail shaker and it was fun for them doing a little dance as they shook their booty in time to the mixing of the drink. :-). In the end we came up with 2 mocktails (sunrise and berry surprise without the vodka) and 4 cocktails (sunrise: 1 vodka, oj, grenadine; chocolate martini: 2 vodka, chocolate, well shaken; berry surprise: 1 vodka, strawberry syrup, cranberry juice; and one other than I can't remember the name of. It was 1 vodka, strawberry syrup, coconut syrup, shaken together and topped off with some soda water to add a little sparkle. We learned during out "invention time" that the syrups are soooo sweet and so by the second drink we'd mastered our amounts and by the end you'd never know that we were using syrups vs different kinds of liqueurs. All in all the evening was a great success and this morning Gede stopped by to say hi (he was just off to his village for 2 full days of ceremonies for his aunt who recently passed away). Julie also messaged to ask if we can do it again before we leave....so lots of evidence that fun was had by all.
Lynda received a couple of emails yesterday from the kids at the school we visited a month ago. They were wondering if we might be able to come visit them again. Ironically, we had been having that very conversation! Barb brought us a bunch of stuff (books, pencils, and stickers) that we want to take to the school so Lynda is now working on setting up another time for us to visit them before we leave Bali. Yes.....more evidence that the time is drawing short!
I've just finished making arrangements for four of us (Julie, Barb, Alison, and I) to visit a woman (AwaHoshi) who offers sessions of sound healing with crystal bowls. My sister has a crystal bowl and I LOVE it so I'm certain that this session will be amazing! That session will be tomorrow afternoon and afterward Lynda will join us for dinner. Our plan is that we'll all go back to Bale Udung (the restaurant where the tables are set over a lake and the koi fish come round for you to feed them after dinner)
What else is new this week? Well, the ogoh ogoh's are getting nearer completion all the time. Its just 10 days till the big parades that precede Nyepi (silent day) and the excitement surrounding the massive ogoh ogohs that are being constructed in every village and community centre is building. They're pretty much finished now.....just a few finishing touches. The one that is just up the street from us in the soccer field is massive. It is also incredibly well done and very very impressive. I honestly cannot imagine what it will be like to see them all gathered for the start of the parade on the late afternoon of the 27th. This will truly be a sight to remember I am sure! As well, we continue to discover new sights and places to eat....there is a seemingly endless supply of those two things here. I actually don't know what it would be like to just be here in Bali for a few days (like most people). They miss out on so much! We continue to feel overwhelmingly grateful for all of the time we've been able to spend here and at the same time will be ready to head for home in April. Until then though...there is lots more planned and there will be surprises along the way too I'm sure. So till next time.....
L & L
During the past 10 days we've been focused on making sure some of the things we want to visit or revisit are getting accomplished so we've become a little more intentional about putting an agenda together to make sure we don't miss too many of our "gotta do that while we're here" list.
A week ago a friend from Canada arrived and so our twosome has become a threesome and we continue to find lots of fun and laughter along our Balinese journey. It is also fun for Lynda and I to see Bali for the first time again through Barb's eyes. I went with Jati to the airport to pick Barb up last Thursday and as much as that may not sound like a lot....it takes pretty much a whole day to do that. You have to assume it will take a good two hours each way (her plane arrived in the afternoon so both ways were during busy traffic times) and then you have to leave enough time for the "just in case" factor too. Our drive down to Denpasar was busy but uneventful. It was also HOT so Barb arrived to some smoking hot afternoon temperatures with humidity hovering around 90%. Jati and I had lunch at the airport while we were waiting for her plane to arrive and I gotta tell you the airport here might be even worse than the airport at home as far as prices in their little cafeteria goes! Here it seems even more obscene though as everywhere else is soooo affordable that when you're paying airport prices it hurts just that much more! I think our lunch cost a little more than $30 CAD. (I'm trying to put it out of my memory which is why I say "think"). The thing I'd like to capture here is what it felt like to be one of the masses waiting to greet arriving flights. OMG there are a lot of people and almost all of them are drivers so the experience is like no other that I've had in airports where I'm there to pick someone up. This time we were all crowded up against the rail. Everyone had signs with peoples names on them and many of them use a selfie stick to get their sign our in front of the crowd so their guest can find them. Every time another group of people come through the doors from immigration everyone pushes a little bit further forward in the hope that their person is in that group. We waited for quite a long time for Barb as there were several planes landed at the same time which caused a bit of a backlog at immigration for her. In the end it was all good, we found her.....or she found us.....it can be described either way and we were off to retrieve the car and begin the journey home. Jati, sweet guy that he is, had stopped on our way into the airport to purchase a frangiapani (plumeria) lei for me to give Barb at arrival. As a result our car smelled lovely and sweet with the scent of those flowers accompanying us all the way home.
In addition to Barb's arrival here there has been another arrival this week too. Lynda's son Mitch and his wife Viri welcomed their baby boy into the world on the 13th too. It was an arrival that had quite a few delays though and so from Friday night when things started happening for them until Tuesday night when he finally made his grand entrance Lynda stayed very close to home and her computer. Even though you know there is nothing you can do even if you were closer to the action....being on the other side of the world is really really far from the front line! All's well that ends well though and Lynda is excited and happy to know that grandchild number 5 is a healthy and thriving little boy whose mom and dad are settling into their new roles with the same rapidity as everyone whose ever been there will be familiar with.
While Lynda was actively engaged in waiting to welcome the addition to her family, Barb, Alison, and I managed to keep ourselves busy. Alison is from England and is a guest at Julie's house. She is here for 3 weeks and so our threesome is often a foursome or if Julie is also available we're 5 or even more when other friends are available to join us. Being here for so long we've really enjoyed getting to know many of the people we've met. Some of them are Balinese, others are expats living in Bali, and many are visitors to this beautiful place just like us. The difference between us and most of the other visitors is that we have 5 months here so we're almost like a hybrid....1/2 tourist 1/2 expat.
One of the things that Barb, Alison, and I did this past week was to go for another chocolate massage at Sedona Spa. It was a first for both of them and once again....the experience was "delicious". I resisted tasting my chocolate again this time (I don't want to ruin the sensory experience with the memory of the bitterness that comes when you taste raw chocolate) and I gotta tell you....this whole business of getting an hour long massage followed by warm liquid chocolate being rubbed all over you and then getting wrapped up like a baby so the chocolate can work its magic....all followed by a flower petal bath in a massive copper tub where you sip on ginger tea and nibble on fresh fruit....is some kind of wonderful! Even after the chocolate is gone and I'd left the spa....I could still smell the chocolate and remember the warm stickiness of it as I marinated in my little cocoon. :-). Barb and Alison also loved their massages but for some reason they ended up in rooms that didn't have the fantastic massive copper tubs so lesson learned...next time we will be sure to stipulate that we want the rooms with copper tubs!
Another thing the three of us did was to attend the Kecak performance at ARMA (Art museum) during the full moon. It was so different from the other kecak performances I've seen (first at temple on Jl. Hanoman and then at Uluwatu). This one was FULL of fire and was an artistic interpretation of the story of two monkey kings (brothers) who get into battle with one another (which is a different story than the traditional kecak follows). As much as I loved the kecak at the temple, this one at ARMA that only happens during the full moon and the dark moon was fantastic.
That same day the three of us had also visited the Pyramids of Chi for another fantastic sound healing session. It was a March special they had on where for 300,000 ($30) I could have 90 minute sound healing in the pyramid as well as a fantastic lunch in the restaurant. I LOVED it once again!
The five of us (Lynda, Barb, Alison, Julie, and I) have also gone to a couple of different venues for films. The first night we saw a series of 7 short films and I must admit that the short films in Bali are no easier to interpret than the short films in Canada often are! On the upside...we sure all had something to talk about and isn't that one of the intentions behind art...to give the audience cause to think and hopefully discuss? So...on that level I guess those short films were pretty successful. :-). The next one we saw was AMAZING! It is called Tana and is set on an island in Vanuatu. It is based on a true story and is a real life Romeo and Juliet who's story helped change the cultural traditions of their people. This movie I highly recommend...it was a 10/10 for the story, for the acting, and for the scenery.
Another thing that Barb and I did the other day (with Lynda as our official videographer) was to go to the fish spa again....it was Barbs first time and honestly it was as much fun for me this second time as it was for the first! Along with our fish spa we enjoyed some of their kombucha (which is my new favourite thing and I am excited to get home to make some of my own). In fact, today, I hopped on the back of Ketut's bike to zip over to the fish spa again so I could pick up a couple bottles of the stuff they make there so I could have it in my fridge here. Kombucha is fermented tea and it is supposed to be very good for you so in addition to tasting good and quenching thirst....it's a benefit too.
I love this hopping on the back of a bike business here! It is so wonderful to feel the wind whipping past on these hot days. Yes....that means I'm not wearing a helmet and I know that's kind of crazy but I also know that we're not going very fast (governed by traffic most of the time). Equally as crazy is that we just wear flip flops and shorts and bare arms. On the upside, the drivers (all Balinese) are masterful riders! As I've said in other posts, they begin learning even before they can walk as the bike is the form of transport for the family and often the little kids are standing at the front of the bike with their face peeking over the handle bars. Definitely they're driving the bike themselves (maybe with an older sibling on the back) by the time they're able to reach the footrest (around 10) and licensed to drive full time at about 15.
Lynda and I continue to keep up with the self-care routines we've built here which we both feel really good about. Lynda missed a couple of yoga sessions while waiting for baby and so she is making up for it the rest of this week. In fact, I think she might even be doing two classes this afternoon! I'm still doing my every morning short yoga session (in the room) and then 3 times/week I do another routine that is a little longer in the afternoons and it has become such a habit now that I actually kind of look forward to it. So the plan is to keep it up once I'm back home too. I've been really intentional about making sure it is something that is sustainable and enjoyable in support of that plan for maintenance so I'm feeling good about my plan and my progress! This week Barb and Alison also joined me for my reflexology treatment and they both found so much value in it that Alison is back for another treatment already today!
Yesterday I had a long hot walk to pick up our passports for the final time from our agent Komang at Bali Buddha (where she sits every afternoon from 2-5). It seems weird to think that this is our final visa extension! When we arrived in November thinking about getting extensions for the entire time seemed like a lot but now that we're at the end of it...it was a breeze. $65 each every month and we're good to go. :-). This extension takes us to the 15th of April and since our plane tix are for the 12th we're good even if there was some extraordinary delay.
Last night Lynda and I went over to Julie's house (just a couple of doors away from us) as I'd made a plan to do a "class" with two of her staff (Gede and the new Ketut). She'd purchased some syrups and a bottle of vodka and I'd promised to help the boys learn to make a couple of cocktails (and some mocktails too) so that when Julie has friends over she can offer them something other than the usual fresh fruit juices. Our cocktail party set out in Julie's garden by her jacuzzi was a huge hit and I had loads of fun with the boys in the kitchen. They had a cocktail shaker and it was fun for them doing a little dance as they shook their booty in time to the mixing of the drink. :-). In the end we came up with 2 mocktails (sunrise and berry surprise without the vodka) and 4 cocktails (sunrise: 1 vodka, oj, grenadine; chocolate martini: 2 vodka, chocolate, well shaken; berry surprise: 1 vodka, strawberry syrup, cranberry juice; and one other than I can't remember the name of. It was 1 vodka, strawberry syrup, coconut syrup, shaken together and topped off with some soda water to add a little sparkle. We learned during out "invention time" that the syrups are soooo sweet and so by the second drink we'd mastered our amounts and by the end you'd never know that we were using syrups vs different kinds of liqueurs. All in all the evening was a great success and this morning Gede stopped by to say hi (he was just off to his village for 2 full days of ceremonies for his aunt who recently passed away). Julie also messaged to ask if we can do it again before we leave....so lots of evidence that fun was had by all.
Lynda received a couple of emails yesterday from the kids at the school we visited a month ago. They were wondering if we might be able to come visit them again. Ironically, we had been having that very conversation! Barb brought us a bunch of stuff (books, pencils, and stickers) that we want to take to the school so Lynda is now working on setting up another time for us to visit them before we leave Bali. Yes.....more evidence that the time is drawing short!
I've just finished making arrangements for four of us (Julie, Barb, Alison, and I) to visit a woman (AwaHoshi) who offers sessions of sound healing with crystal bowls. My sister has a crystal bowl and I LOVE it so I'm certain that this session will be amazing! That session will be tomorrow afternoon and afterward Lynda will join us for dinner. Our plan is that we'll all go back to Bale Udung (the restaurant where the tables are set over a lake and the koi fish come round for you to feed them after dinner)
What else is new this week? Well, the ogoh ogoh's are getting nearer completion all the time. Its just 10 days till the big parades that precede Nyepi (silent day) and the excitement surrounding the massive ogoh ogohs that are being constructed in every village and community centre is building. They're pretty much finished now.....just a few finishing touches. The one that is just up the street from us in the soccer field is massive. It is also incredibly well done and very very impressive. I honestly cannot imagine what it will be like to see them all gathered for the start of the parade on the late afternoon of the 27th. This will truly be a sight to remember I am sure! As well, we continue to discover new sights and places to eat....there is a seemingly endless supply of those two things here. I actually don't know what it would be like to just be here in Bali for a few days (like most people). They miss out on so much! We continue to feel overwhelmingly grateful for all of the time we've been able to spend here and at the same time will be ready to head for home in April. Until then though...there is lots more planned and there will be surprises along the way too I'm sure. So till next time.....
L & L
Monday, March 6, 2017
March 7, 2017
Surprise Surprise! It's just two days since my last blog post and here I am again. Not that there is a whole lot to tell but decided to surprise those of you who are religious in following along with us as well as kill a little time as we sit in a lovely little bistro on Jl Raya (the main street that Monkey Forest and Hanoman and Bisma all T onto.). Jalan Raya is also the street that the palace is on (right at the top of Jl Monkey Forest)
Yesterday was Monday for us and so we both had our respective yoga routines (Lynda at Intuitive Flow and me in the room with my youtube teachers). As soon as I finished my yoga and tai chi I was off to my reflexology appointment with Sujita. I've been seeing him weekly since November (with the exception of the times we've been away from Ubud) and I really look forward to my time with him. After my hour appointment with Sujita ($10) I headed for Verona Spa where I was booked in for my hour long four hand massage. ($25) This was my first time having a four hand massage (ie: two therapists working in tandem). It was GREAT...but then how could it not be?! One therapist works on the top half and the other on the bottom. Yep....I can see myself going back for another one of those! :-). By the time I walked back to our place Lynda was home and showered and ready for dinner. Both of us were beat from our busy day (yes....this is a busy day in Ubudian life) so we just went across the street to a little warung that offers good food, is really close, and where the most expensive thing on the menu is $5.
This morning was pretty leisurely for me but Lynda was up and out for an early walk so she stopped for a big breakfast at Maha (a local place that has excellent food). Actually Maha is owned by the same person who owns Mingle, Allison. Allison is the woman we met at Mingle and subsequently arranged the vespa tour we went with. You might have seen her in my vespa videos as she was in the sidecar right in front of me.
While Lynda was off wandering the streets and chowing down on some yummy poached eggs I slept in a little and then did my morning routine of stretching. I've figured out that if I put it on (its on youtube) almost before I get out of bed....I can actually keep up with doing it every day! After that it was shower, a little laundry and as soon as I popped my head out of my door Ketut was ready and waiting to make my breakfast. Lynda arrived back at about the same time as did Julie so it was a bit of a party on the patio this morning.
Julie had printed off our return plane tickets for us as we didn't want to take a chance on getting to the airport on April 12th only to be told that we'd need them. They're different from the original ones we had when we left home as we changed our return dates once we got into the visa extension business. Speaking of which....we're due to meet with Komang again some time this week to give her our passports one final time. We are currently good until March 16th so our next 30 day extension will take us past our departure date of April 12th.
After Julie left Lynda and I satisfied our addiction with a game of contract rummy and before I knew it Ketut was waiting for me as I'd made arrangements to catch a ride on the back of his bike over to Jl Bisma where I had an appointment with a hairdresser for a cut. It has been more than 4 months since I've had a cut and I felt way overdue!
Adi from TriNadi Salon and Spa was my stylist and I think he did a pretty decent job. If nothing else...I have a LOT less hair, had a shampoo, and a great head and shoulder massage as part of the service. Oh ya....the total bill was $7. :-)
Lynda and I had made arrangements to meet at the Daily Baguette, which is where I am now. For lunch I had a bottle of fresh coconut water, a piece of frittata (which was delicious- haven't had much in the way of potatoes here so it was a real treat) and some quinoa salad that was so good I plan to bring the leftovers home for my fridge! Lynda's lunch was much more interesting though as she opted for a chocolate and almond croissant and iced coffee!
So here we sit....me giving you a little update on our day so far and she spending a little time with Jack Reacher (the hero of her current novel). We'll enjoy the breeze and the view from our vantage here across from the Museum Puri Lukisan (modern Balinese arts) for a few more minutes before we select something yummy from the bakery to take back to Julie as she is busily directing the guys who are installing her new hot tub this afternoon. Yes....she is getting a hot tub in Bali! I can imagine that it will be nice in the evenings and I'm sure her guests will enjoy the opportunity to have use of that too.
So till next time.....
L & L
Yesterday was Monday for us and so we both had our respective yoga routines (Lynda at Intuitive Flow and me in the room with my youtube teachers). As soon as I finished my yoga and tai chi I was off to my reflexology appointment with Sujita. I've been seeing him weekly since November (with the exception of the times we've been away from Ubud) and I really look forward to my time with him. After my hour appointment with Sujita ($10) I headed for Verona Spa where I was booked in for my hour long four hand massage. ($25) This was my first time having a four hand massage (ie: two therapists working in tandem). It was GREAT...but then how could it not be?! One therapist works on the top half and the other on the bottom. Yep....I can see myself going back for another one of those! :-). By the time I walked back to our place Lynda was home and showered and ready for dinner. Both of us were beat from our busy day (yes....this is a busy day in Ubudian life) so we just went across the street to a little warung that offers good food, is really close, and where the most expensive thing on the menu is $5.
This morning was pretty leisurely for me but Lynda was up and out for an early walk so she stopped for a big breakfast at Maha (a local place that has excellent food). Actually Maha is owned by the same person who owns Mingle, Allison. Allison is the woman we met at Mingle and subsequently arranged the vespa tour we went with. You might have seen her in my vespa videos as she was in the sidecar right in front of me.
While Lynda was off wandering the streets and chowing down on some yummy poached eggs I slept in a little and then did my morning routine of stretching. I've figured out that if I put it on (its on youtube) almost before I get out of bed....I can actually keep up with doing it every day! After that it was shower, a little laundry and as soon as I popped my head out of my door Ketut was ready and waiting to make my breakfast. Lynda arrived back at about the same time as did Julie so it was a bit of a party on the patio this morning.
Julie had printed off our return plane tickets for us as we didn't want to take a chance on getting to the airport on April 12th only to be told that we'd need them. They're different from the original ones we had when we left home as we changed our return dates once we got into the visa extension business. Speaking of which....we're due to meet with Komang again some time this week to give her our passports one final time. We are currently good until March 16th so our next 30 day extension will take us past our departure date of April 12th.
After Julie left Lynda and I satisfied our addiction with a game of contract rummy and before I knew it Ketut was waiting for me as I'd made arrangements to catch a ride on the back of his bike over to Jl Bisma where I had an appointment with a hairdresser for a cut. It has been more than 4 months since I've had a cut and I felt way overdue!
Adi from TriNadi Salon and Spa was my stylist and I think he did a pretty decent job. If nothing else...I have a LOT less hair, had a shampoo, and a great head and shoulder massage as part of the service. Oh ya....the total bill was $7. :-)
Lynda and I had made arrangements to meet at the Daily Baguette, which is where I am now. For lunch I had a bottle of fresh coconut water, a piece of frittata (which was delicious- haven't had much in the way of potatoes here so it was a real treat) and some quinoa salad that was so good I plan to bring the leftovers home for my fridge! Lynda's lunch was much more interesting though as she opted for a chocolate and almond croissant and iced coffee!
So here we sit....me giving you a little update on our day so far and she spending a little time with Jack Reacher (the hero of her current novel). We'll enjoy the breeze and the view from our vantage here across from the Museum Puri Lukisan (modern Balinese arts) for a few more minutes before we select something yummy from the bakery to take back to Julie as she is busily directing the guys who are installing her new hot tub this afternoon. Yes....she is getting a hot tub in Bali! I can imagine that it will be nice in the evenings and I'm sure her guests will enjoy the opportunity to have use of that too.
So till next time.....
L & L
Sunday, March 5, 2017
March 5, 2017
Am sitting here with the scent of cempaka wafting up around my head. Cempaka is the type of blossom Lynda and I where each given after our private prayer time at the temple of the high priestess Ida yesterday. The blossom is placed behind your ear (along with several others that have been part of the prayer process) but the cempaka (pronounced chempaka) is the only one that I kept. The fragrance of it is so sweet and every time I move my head or a bit of breeze comes along I'm surrounded by the scent again.
I'd better back up a little and start by explaining just how it was that we came to be attending a water purification blessing with Bali's youngest and only female high priestess. My friend Jessika had been to Ida once before and wanted to see her for another blessing prior to her departure (which was today) so....it didn't take Lynda and I long to decide that we'd like to join Jessika and Angela.
Jati drove the four of us to the town of Bangli, a very traditional area of Bali about 30 minutes from Ubud. That is where Ida's family compound and temple is located. Her story is amazing on its own and I encourage you to google her if you'd like to know more but what I will tell you is that usually high priests are born into that role. In the case of Ida, she was selected by the spirits rather than her lineage. She comes from humble beginnings and her role as high priestess today puts her into an incredibly exclusive group. Add to that the fact that she is female and young and you have an incredible anomaly.
We arrived at Ida's family compound, which is where her temple is, well in advance of the 11:30 time that had been set aside for blessings that day. We donned our sarongs (required) as well as a sash around our middle. That sash is an important part of Balinese spiritual practice as it separates the top from the bottom and there is all kinds of symbolism attached to that practice.
We hung around the courtyard in front of Ida's house (there were about 20 of us in total) until she emerged and when she did she explained that first she would bless the water and then when we heard her ring the bell we were invited to join her in meditation until it was time for the water purification blessings to occur.
Her initial blessing of the water (to make it holy) consisted of her chanting and praying from her platform where she was seated facing away from us and toward the vessels and utensils that would be part of her blessings. This chanting and praying took at least 30 minutes and as much as it was amazing to have a front row seat to all of this I also couldn't help but wonder how it was that her feet didn't fall asleep! She was kneeling and sitting on top of her feet the entire time. I can't sit with my legs crossed let alone under me for much more than a couple of minutes!
After the water blessing we heard the bell ring which indicated that the meditation was about to begin. I thought that perhaps it would be a single chime of the bell but no....that bell rang non stop, and in perfect rhythm, for the next 45 minutes! It was a smallish bell that she held in and rang with her left hand and as much as I couldn't figure out how she was able to sit on her feet for that long neither could I figure out how she could ring that bell in perfect time for a full 45 minutes never missing or doubling up on a ring tone. As well, the entire time she was ringing the bell with her left hand she was doing a host of other things with her right. The sound of the bell was hypnotic and in no time it felt like I could feel the bell ringing inside of me. My body wasn't moving much but I could feel it moving ever so slightly in perfect time with that bell! I know it sounds a bit weird but honestly...it felt very very good. All of us (in the "audience) were seated on a raised platform very near the front of Ida's higher platform. Her platform was about 5 feet high and ours was about 3 feet off the ground. Everyone participated in the meditation until the bell stopped which was the sign that the water purification blessings were about to begin.
Once the bell had stopped, she had finished blessing the water, and the meditation was over she turned around to face us but all the while she was still sitting on her feet! Granted, she did have a round cushion that she was sitting on but still.....there was a long way to go before she'd be able to move and already she'd been sitting like that for at least 90 minutes.
Once she had turned to face us she put on a second holy apron and her assistants began to take their positions. A high priest (or priestess) has many assistants as they're not allowed to do much of anything for themselves once they're ordained. For example, Ida can never go into her own kitchen as she is not allowed to cook anything. Her clothes can not be worn by another - ever! She even has to have her own toilet that no one else can use. During ceremonies Ida has helpers to refill her water vessels, other priests to assist with prayers in the temple, and many many others who look after putting out the offerings before and during the process. Everyone knows their role and it runs like clockwork without a hitch. For them to have this role with the high priestess is an honour and part of what they are called to do in their culture/faith.
The first people up for their water purification was a Balinese family of five. As is the case with most traditional Balinese practices (like balian healings or ceremonies), everyone present is witness to everything that goes on. Initially the five of them lined up, two in front and three in the back. Ida pours holy water over them from silver pots that are continually refilled by one of her assistants. The first pot of water was shared between all of them but within a short time the focus of her blessing began to fall to one of the men. He was doused in pot after pot of water and instructed to stamp his feet and to let whatever he felt out. When he was finished and sent off to the temple behind the priestess for private prayer time with the priests back there, Ida turned her attention to the young woman that was part of their family. This young woman's experience through the blessing actually moved me to tears. I could feel her anguish (I can think of no other word to describe it) as she released her emotions during her purification/blessing. Ida keeps the water coming and all the while she is chanting in a tone that is almost other-worldly. Eventually the young woman's blessing was finished and she too moved to the back temple. Then came the rest of the family and they all had their blessing standing side by side. Once finished they moved to the back temple too.
Next up, Ida called Lynda and I to come forward. We'd both just watched the process but neither of us really knew what to expect. Ida instructed us to close our eyes and to let out whatever we were feeling throughout the purification process. She began to chant and pour the water over us, each in turn. Just when I thought it was finished it would start all over again. I could feel a host of emotions raging through me. I stamped my feet and heard Ida's instruction to wash my head, face and body with the water as she poured it over me. Honestly there were a couple of moments where I didn't know if I'd be able to breathe and I'm pretty sure I breathed in some of that water but by the end of it all when Ida was finished with both Lynda and I, I heard very clearly her instruction to now go forth into the world and spread peace and harmony wherever we go. She then invited us to go into her temple for a private prayer and it was there that her two assistant priests helped Lynda and I go through the motions of what to do and how to do it and what flowers and grasses to put behind our ears and who eventually...gave us each a cempaka blossom to wear behind our ear for the rest of the day. Just when we thought we were finished and that it was time to get up off the ground where we were seated in our soaking wet sarongs....one of the priests took a pinch of partially cooked rice and pressed it onto the centre of each of our foreheads. This rice (and the flowers behind our ears) is a symbol of acknowledgement that we've made our prayers today. The idea is to leave it all there until it falls off on its own. Interestingly....it lasts a very long time. My rice eventually fell off when I was wiping sweat from my brow about 45 minutes later in the market as we were waiting for our lunch to be cooked. My flowers were still there when we arrived home a couple hours later.
So there I was in the market, wearing soaking wet clothes because I neglected to bring another pair of pants (foolishly I thought the sarong would keep my pants dry enough). Soaking wet clothes, rice pasted onto my forehead, flowers and grass behind my ears....yep.....must have looked quite the sight! LOL! Interestingly, no one seemed to notice anything odd about any of us. Lynda, Jessika and Angela also had flowers and rice. They however, had known to bring a complete change of clothes so they were dry!
Anyway, lunch in the market was great and I am hopeful that I will have another opportunity to see the high priestess one more time before heading for home in 5 weeks.
Yes.....we are just 5 weeks away from our return date now. It seems impossible to believe but we've moved from measuring our time in months to counting it down in weeks. The next and final stage will be when we move to days!
The feeling of lightness and gratitude that we felt from our water blessing stayed with all four of us right through dinner as we toasted Jessika on her last night in Bali. We'd decided that we'd celebrate our visit to Ida as well as our time together by going for dinner at a fantastic Italian place, Il Gardin, and it didn't disappoint! Dinner was fantastic, the company was incredible and the four of us continued to revel in the good fortune of our lives.
Today I decided to continue the theme and went to see a Chakra healer. Again, it was an incredible experience. I will say here that I am feeling very proud of myself for honouring my commitment to be really intentional about my self-care during my time here in Bali. I have done, and will continue to do, exactly whatever it is that I feel moved to do that day. From a tarot reading and sound healing in a pyramid to reflexology and massage topped off by regular exercise, great food, a water purification and now chakra healing....I'm feeling really good about the whole business!
But back to my Chakra healing. It took almost 90 minutes and the fee was 150,000 ($15). I won't go into detail about the healing but I will tell you that my chakras are all healthy and I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed! On the way home from my chakra healing today I felt so good that I stopped in to make two appointments for tomorrow. An hour of reflexology at 3 (which is right after my yoga and tai chi times) and then an hour of 4 hand massage at 4:30. Yep...by this time tomorrow night it is very likely that I will fall into bed a very happy girl!
But what else have we been doing since I last wrote a little more than a week ago? Well..... we spent another day at that gorgeous pool we found at the Cendana Resort just up the street from where we live. We've also been keeping up with our respective yoga routines. Lynda adds 100 stairs to her 3 times weekly practice but I continue to prefer to do mine in the privacy and comfort of my own room. We're religious about our every morning stretching routine that I put on youtube almost before I even get out of bed and of course...we have to walk everywhere we go here so that keeps us moving too.
We continue to be spoiled beyond belief with dinner out every single night, laundry being done for us, room being cleaned, breakfast being made and served....and yes....even a driver any time we want to go anywhere further than our feet want to take us.
Lynda has finally accepted her role as princess and has shifted into changing the colour of her toenail polish just because she is tired of it...not because she needs a pedicure! And she hasn't even had her chocolate massage yet! Imagine what will happen to her once she engages in that decadent activity!?
In addition to all of this amazing self-care we've also been playing cards.....in fact we've played so many games of cards that we've actually worn out several decks! LOL...yes....have any of you ever worn out a deck of cards? Well, it is possible and we're living proof that it is! We've also read quite a few books. Every time we go into a new hotel lobby or restaurant we eyeball their shelves to see if they've got any decent books in english. So far we've been pretty lucky and have only had to buy about 4 or 5 books. In fact, Lynda was doing the happy dance this afternoon when she came across a Jack Reacher novel and I'm also looking forward to getting it from her when she is finished.
The other night we went to the show again. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before but Paradiso is a movie house where you sit on couches and can order dinner or drinks during the movie. We both love it there and since there was a good movie on....it didn't take much convincing to make the decision to go. We saw Warren Beatty's "Rules Don't Apply" about the later life of Howard Hughes. Don't know if it was so enjoyable because we haven't seen TV or much in the way of movies for quite a few months now or if it was really that good but we both enjoyed it very much.
So as you can see....life continues to be full for us here in Ubud. As much as we're still loving every day here, we are also both feeling like we will be ready to come home when the time comes. In Bali, there are no coincidences and so we are going to continue to roll with whatever presents itself to us over the coming weeks.
One of the things that will be presenting itself to us in just a couple days is a friend from home. Barb will be arriving here on the 9th, the same day that the king of Saudi is scheduled to depart. I am going to go to the airport with Jati to pick her up and neither of us are looking forward to the craziness that might go along with his departure. We can't find out what time he is scheduled to leave so we've got our fingers and toes all crossed that it is early the morning of the 9th in which case they'll be all gone from the airport area by the time we get there for her early afternoon arrival. How do we know it will be crazy you wonder? Well....the fact that he's bringing 1500 staff with him is one clue and then there is the fact that he has an escalator fit for the plane to bring him down to the tarmack at landing and takeoff. And of course there is the ever present high level security that will go along with a VIP of that rank. So yes....I'm pretty sure security will be heightened at every turn and the airport is likely going to be on high alert. But heh....it will be a new experience/adventure right?! :-)
With Barb here for a month it will be a great excuse to revisit some of our favourite spots so we plan to do exactly that. In fact we've started a list that seems to grow longer each day so we don't miss out on any of the great things we want to do while she is here. We've saved a couple of highlights for her visit as we didn't want to do them twice and one of them is the Monkey Forest itself so after living on Monkey Forest road all these months we're finally going to venture into the forest itself in the next week or so.
That's about it for this night so....until next time.....we'll continue to take big bites out of whatever Bali has to offer. :-)
L & L
I'd better back up a little and start by explaining just how it was that we came to be attending a water purification blessing with Bali's youngest and only female high priestess. My friend Jessika had been to Ida once before and wanted to see her for another blessing prior to her departure (which was today) so....it didn't take Lynda and I long to decide that we'd like to join Jessika and Angela.
Jati drove the four of us to the town of Bangli, a very traditional area of Bali about 30 minutes from Ubud. That is where Ida's family compound and temple is located. Her story is amazing on its own and I encourage you to google her if you'd like to know more but what I will tell you is that usually high priests are born into that role. In the case of Ida, she was selected by the spirits rather than her lineage. She comes from humble beginnings and her role as high priestess today puts her into an incredibly exclusive group. Add to that the fact that she is female and young and you have an incredible anomaly.
We arrived at Ida's family compound, which is where her temple is, well in advance of the 11:30 time that had been set aside for blessings that day. We donned our sarongs (required) as well as a sash around our middle. That sash is an important part of Balinese spiritual practice as it separates the top from the bottom and there is all kinds of symbolism attached to that practice.
We hung around the courtyard in front of Ida's house (there were about 20 of us in total) until she emerged and when she did she explained that first she would bless the water and then when we heard her ring the bell we were invited to join her in meditation until it was time for the water purification blessings to occur.
Her initial blessing of the water (to make it holy) consisted of her chanting and praying from her platform where she was seated facing away from us and toward the vessels and utensils that would be part of her blessings. This chanting and praying took at least 30 minutes and as much as it was amazing to have a front row seat to all of this I also couldn't help but wonder how it was that her feet didn't fall asleep! She was kneeling and sitting on top of her feet the entire time. I can't sit with my legs crossed let alone under me for much more than a couple of minutes!
After the water blessing we heard the bell ring which indicated that the meditation was about to begin. I thought that perhaps it would be a single chime of the bell but no....that bell rang non stop, and in perfect rhythm, for the next 45 minutes! It was a smallish bell that she held in and rang with her left hand and as much as I couldn't figure out how she was able to sit on her feet for that long neither could I figure out how she could ring that bell in perfect time for a full 45 minutes never missing or doubling up on a ring tone. As well, the entire time she was ringing the bell with her left hand she was doing a host of other things with her right. The sound of the bell was hypnotic and in no time it felt like I could feel the bell ringing inside of me. My body wasn't moving much but I could feel it moving ever so slightly in perfect time with that bell! I know it sounds a bit weird but honestly...it felt very very good. All of us (in the "audience) were seated on a raised platform very near the front of Ida's higher platform. Her platform was about 5 feet high and ours was about 3 feet off the ground. Everyone participated in the meditation until the bell stopped which was the sign that the water purification blessings were about to begin.
Once the bell had stopped, she had finished blessing the water, and the meditation was over she turned around to face us but all the while she was still sitting on her feet! Granted, she did have a round cushion that she was sitting on but still.....there was a long way to go before she'd be able to move and already she'd been sitting like that for at least 90 minutes.
Once she had turned to face us she put on a second holy apron and her assistants began to take their positions. A high priest (or priestess) has many assistants as they're not allowed to do much of anything for themselves once they're ordained. For example, Ida can never go into her own kitchen as she is not allowed to cook anything. Her clothes can not be worn by another - ever! She even has to have her own toilet that no one else can use. During ceremonies Ida has helpers to refill her water vessels, other priests to assist with prayers in the temple, and many many others who look after putting out the offerings before and during the process. Everyone knows their role and it runs like clockwork without a hitch. For them to have this role with the high priestess is an honour and part of what they are called to do in their culture/faith.
The first people up for their water purification was a Balinese family of five. As is the case with most traditional Balinese practices (like balian healings or ceremonies), everyone present is witness to everything that goes on. Initially the five of them lined up, two in front and three in the back. Ida pours holy water over them from silver pots that are continually refilled by one of her assistants. The first pot of water was shared between all of them but within a short time the focus of her blessing began to fall to one of the men. He was doused in pot after pot of water and instructed to stamp his feet and to let whatever he felt out. When he was finished and sent off to the temple behind the priestess for private prayer time with the priests back there, Ida turned her attention to the young woman that was part of their family. This young woman's experience through the blessing actually moved me to tears. I could feel her anguish (I can think of no other word to describe it) as she released her emotions during her purification/blessing. Ida keeps the water coming and all the while she is chanting in a tone that is almost other-worldly. Eventually the young woman's blessing was finished and she too moved to the back temple. Then came the rest of the family and they all had their blessing standing side by side. Once finished they moved to the back temple too.
Next up, Ida called Lynda and I to come forward. We'd both just watched the process but neither of us really knew what to expect. Ida instructed us to close our eyes and to let out whatever we were feeling throughout the purification process. She began to chant and pour the water over us, each in turn. Just when I thought it was finished it would start all over again. I could feel a host of emotions raging through me. I stamped my feet and heard Ida's instruction to wash my head, face and body with the water as she poured it over me. Honestly there were a couple of moments where I didn't know if I'd be able to breathe and I'm pretty sure I breathed in some of that water but by the end of it all when Ida was finished with both Lynda and I, I heard very clearly her instruction to now go forth into the world and spread peace and harmony wherever we go. She then invited us to go into her temple for a private prayer and it was there that her two assistant priests helped Lynda and I go through the motions of what to do and how to do it and what flowers and grasses to put behind our ears and who eventually...gave us each a cempaka blossom to wear behind our ear for the rest of the day. Just when we thought we were finished and that it was time to get up off the ground where we were seated in our soaking wet sarongs....one of the priests took a pinch of partially cooked rice and pressed it onto the centre of each of our foreheads. This rice (and the flowers behind our ears) is a symbol of acknowledgement that we've made our prayers today. The idea is to leave it all there until it falls off on its own. Interestingly....it lasts a very long time. My rice eventually fell off when I was wiping sweat from my brow about 45 minutes later in the market as we were waiting for our lunch to be cooked. My flowers were still there when we arrived home a couple hours later.
So there I was in the market, wearing soaking wet clothes because I neglected to bring another pair of pants (foolishly I thought the sarong would keep my pants dry enough). Soaking wet clothes, rice pasted onto my forehead, flowers and grass behind my ears....yep.....must have looked quite the sight! LOL! Interestingly, no one seemed to notice anything odd about any of us. Lynda, Jessika and Angela also had flowers and rice. They however, had known to bring a complete change of clothes so they were dry!
Anyway, lunch in the market was great and I am hopeful that I will have another opportunity to see the high priestess one more time before heading for home in 5 weeks.
Yes.....we are just 5 weeks away from our return date now. It seems impossible to believe but we've moved from measuring our time in months to counting it down in weeks. The next and final stage will be when we move to days!
The feeling of lightness and gratitude that we felt from our water blessing stayed with all four of us right through dinner as we toasted Jessika on her last night in Bali. We'd decided that we'd celebrate our visit to Ida as well as our time together by going for dinner at a fantastic Italian place, Il Gardin, and it didn't disappoint! Dinner was fantastic, the company was incredible and the four of us continued to revel in the good fortune of our lives.
Today I decided to continue the theme and went to see a Chakra healer. Again, it was an incredible experience. I will say here that I am feeling very proud of myself for honouring my commitment to be really intentional about my self-care during my time here in Bali. I have done, and will continue to do, exactly whatever it is that I feel moved to do that day. From a tarot reading and sound healing in a pyramid to reflexology and massage topped off by regular exercise, great food, a water purification and now chakra healing....I'm feeling really good about the whole business!
But back to my Chakra healing. It took almost 90 minutes and the fee was 150,000 ($15). I won't go into detail about the healing but I will tell you that my chakras are all healthy and I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed! On the way home from my chakra healing today I felt so good that I stopped in to make two appointments for tomorrow. An hour of reflexology at 3 (which is right after my yoga and tai chi times) and then an hour of 4 hand massage at 4:30. Yep...by this time tomorrow night it is very likely that I will fall into bed a very happy girl!
But what else have we been doing since I last wrote a little more than a week ago? Well..... we spent another day at that gorgeous pool we found at the Cendana Resort just up the street from where we live. We've also been keeping up with our respective yoga routines. Lynda adds 100 stairs to her 3 times weekly practice but I continue to prefer to do mine in the privacy and comfort of my own room. We're religious about our every morning stretching routine that I put on youtube almost before I even get out of bed and of course...we have to walk everywhere we go here so that keeps us moving too.
We continue to be spoiled beyond belief with dinner out every single night, laundry being done for us, room being cleaned, breakfast being made and served....and yes....even a driver any time we want to go anywhere further than our feet want to take us.
Lynda has finally accepted her role as princess and has shifted into changing the colour of her toenail polish just because she is tired of it...not because she needs a pedicure! And she hasn't even had her chocolate massage yet! Imagine what will happen to her once she engages in that decadent activity!?
In addition to all of this amazing self-care we've also been playing cards.....in fact we've played so many games of cards that we've actually worn out several decks! LOL...yes....have any of you ever worn out a deck of cards? Well, it is possible and we're living proof that it is! We've also read quite a few books. Every time we go into a new hotel lobby or restaurant we eyeball their shelves to see if they've got any decent books in english. So far we've been pretty lucky and have only had to buy about 4 or 5 books. In fact, Lynda was doing the happy dance this afternoon when she came across a Jack Reacher novel and I'm also looking forward to getting it from her when she is finished.
The other night we went to the show again. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before but Paradiso is a movie house where you sit on couches and can order dinner or drinks during the movie. We both love it there and since there was a good movie on....it didn't take much convincing to make the decision to go. We saw Warren Beatty's "Rules Don't Apply" about the later life of Howard Hughes. Don't know if it was so enjoyable because we haven't seen TV or much in the way of movies for quite a few months now or if it was really that good but we both enjoyed it very much.
So as you can see....life continues to be full for us here in Ubud. As much as we're still loving every day here, we are also both feeling like we will be ready to come home when the time comes. In Bali, there are no coincidences and so we are going to continue to roll with whatever presents itself to us over the coming weeks.
One of the things that will be presenting itself to us in just a couple days is a friend from home. Barb will be arriving here on the 9th, the same day that the king of Saudi is scheduled to depart. I am going to go to the airport with Jati to pick her up and neither of us are looking forward to the craziness that might go along with his departure. We can't find out what time he is scheduled to leave so we've got our fingers and toes all crossed that it is early the morning of the 9th in which case they'll be all gone from the airport area by the time we get there for her early afternoon arrival. How do we know it will be crazy you wonder? Well....the fact that he's bringing 1500 staff with him is one clue and then there is the fact that he has an escalator fit for the plane to bring him down to the tarmack at landing and takeoff. And of course there is the ever present high level security that will go along with a VIP of that rank. So yes....I'm pretty sure security will be heightened at every turn and the airport is likely going to be on high alert. But heh....it will be a new experience/adventure right?! :-)
With Barb here for a month it will be a great excuse to revisit some of our favourite spots so we plan to do exactly that. In fact we've started a list that seems to grow longer each day so we don't miss out on any of the great things we want to do while she is here. We've saved a couple of highlights for her visit as we didn't want to do them twice and one of them is the Monkey Forest itself so after living on Monkey Forest road all these months we're finally going to venture into the forest itself in the next week or so.
That's about it for this night so....until next time.....we'll continue to take big bites out of whatever Bali has to offer. :-)
L & L
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