Asia Adventure 2012: Ubud to Bali (and Mt Batur hike)

The wake-up call for our Mt. Batur hike was right on time, 2:30am sharp. We scrambled around and were in the lobby promptly for our 3am pick-up. From Xtreme Adventure Travel, Suardana, our guide and Dewa, our driver were very reassuring when it started raining about 5 minutes into the trip. Apparently at our destination the sky was clear and star-filled. And sure enough it was indeed.

Dewa left us and a second guide (whose name we forgot) showed met up with us. We attached our headlamps and gloves, and set out in the pitch darkness. The hike was not difficult, but it was very steep with skree-filled sections. Both guides insisted on holding our hands over certain areas of the hike and this was prevalent with other hikers on the hill, so we went along with it. However, it would have been much easier to balance with both arms free rather than one being steadied straight up in the air above us. We passed by many dry-crop areas along the way where tomatoes, onions, chilis, sweet potato and other crops were growing. It was difficult to get a good look at anything in the pitch dark. Nevertheless, we plugged along the 1.5 hour steep trail and reached the summit before the sunrise. It was awesome watching the sun come up, given that it was unclear if we would actually see the sunrise with all the clouds dancing their way along the summit. So we were lucky they disappeared long enough for us to capture some great shots up there.

The descent did wear our knees out a bit, but it wasn’t anything comparable to Pico Turquino in Cuba. We stopped part way down at a little hiking trail café and enjoyed some eggs, bread, fruit, and if you can believe it, lattes. Along the way, some feral dogs (a mom and 2 pups) followed along and we fed them some eggs from our hotel-packed boxed breakfast. The little black pup was quite assertive, stealing eggs from his nursing mother. At the café were a troop of monkeys looking for bits and bobs of food and any chance to pick your pockets. In a daring theft, one monkey grabbed a hiker’s bottle of coke, only set down for a moment, took off with it, gulping every last drop, before discarding the bottle down the volcano. Now that was awesomely comical.

Before long we were at the base again and heading back to the hotel, enjoying the villages, farms and people along the way. We encountered a traffic jam resulting from a truck carrying a load of volcano sand veered off the road into the ditch. Within moments, villagers and other drivers came to his rescue by digging the sand out of his truck and digging him out of the ditch. By the time we passed by the scene, which was quickly under the command of police, the driver was laughing and trying to get his truck started. Now that’s what I call teamwork and community.

One of the most amazing hillside rice paddies we’ve seen so far, was in the village of Tegalalang. It was just breathtaking.

Back at the Samaya, we had some lattes and juice before packing up and very, very sadly saying farewell.

Soot arrived right on time to transfer us to our hotel in Bali. He spent a lot of time explaining his spiritual journey and how the pieces fit together so well between the physical and spirit worlds. Although I was fading in and out of sleep along the way, his description was very similar to the Mohawk 7 stages of the soul teaching.

ur Bali hotel, the Nusa Dua Beach Resort and Spa was just incredible. We were booked in President’s Club suites which gave us privileges in the club lounge where our meals were served and free internet was available 24 hours per day. The courtyard where tea and meals were served was just amazingly lush and finely manicured. The hotel gave us an upgrade to the honeymoon suite which is huge and luxurious with a dining room (including a cappuccino maker), living room, bedroom, bathroom, and powder room, with a furnished double balcony. Wow, even if we don’t have our own pool here. The room has a view of the pool and beach.

We settled in a bit and checked out the grounds before heading to the lounge for tea. Ginger tea and a selection of tiny sandwiches and what seemed to be endless petit fours. Really! We have so few clothes with us and little margin for gaining any girth, but “what the heck” we wouldn’t miss an afternoon tea for anything.

In the evening, we were invited to the Manager’s Welcome reception where we met the Manager and other guests while being served endless drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Now that was quite a treat and I just wanted to retire afterwards, seeing as we had been up since 2:30am! But Greg was still peckish, so we had an ocean patio seafood salad at the Chess Club Beach Front restaurant. Unfortunately, we were seated beside some rambunctious conference participants. Okay, maybe I am getting old, seeing that loud and inebriated young folks talking gibberish interferes with my ability to hear Greg’s ramblings. Okay, I am getting old because my hearing is going, not because young folks are having fun.