Kecak

The Rolling Fork, Uluwatu

Our rainy week has continued, but we're making the most of it by trying amazing new restaurants, running in the rain, and surfing as much as possible.  

One of our favorite restaurants is called The Rolling Fork.  It opened the week we arrived, and has amazing homemade pastas, lava cake, and gelato.  Yesterday, Jay took advantage of the extended breakfast menu and got afternoon pancakes.  The lemongrass ginger tea is my favorite (mostly because it comes with cookies).  It's a must stop place if you're visiting Uluwatu.    

Yesterday was the opening ceremony of the Rip Curl Cup, where they announced the full list of invitees (Tom Curren and Bruce Irons are some of the international riders).  The contest theme is "When it's on, it's on" and it means just that- the surfers stay in Uluwatu from July 10-August 10 and as soon as Padang Padang shows epic conditions the contest starts.  

They brought up a bunch of the local surfers who have won in the past, including Mega Semadhi, the champion from last year. Interestingly enough, he's in training to become an Indonesian priest.  All of the local riders are super humble and it was clear from the opening ceremony that Padang Padang is a special place, with many spiritual ties.  Monkeys swing from the trees above the stairs that cascade down the cliff, which creates an amphitheater leading into one of the best surf breaks in the world.  There's a special power and energy there.

To conclude the opening ceremony of the surf contest, dozens of dancers appeared to perform the traditional Kecak Fire Dance.  I'll never forget the sound they make, and we hope you can hear it from this short video.  

The white monkey was my favorite, though at one point he was carrying a Bintang around and I don't think the beer was part of the customary Hindu performance and story. 

Tomorrow we're heading north along the western coast of Bali to explore Seminyak, Kuta, and Canggu.  Have a beautiful week and pray for sunshine.  

Rainy Day Ritual

For a week, Jay has been saying how cool it would be to see a tropical downpour, and around 7 this morning we awoke to just that: rain splashing down outside our villa, making plinking sounds on our pool and swishing sounds on the trees.  It's our first cloudy, rainy day.

So what to do? The rain stopped an hour or two later, and we headed to breakfast.  A warm oatmeal, acai bowl, and espresso kicked off the morning and then we went to our new gym.  Bare bones, but it gets the job done.

Yoga Searcher Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal

Kayana Gym, Uluwatu

The Rip Curl Cup kicks off this weekend at our local beach; the street is buzzing with energy and we're excited to see some awesome surfing.  Keeping it mellow, and wishing you a relaxing weekend.   

Making it Official

Over the past few days, we have felt more like island people. The first week or so we traveled by foot to get some local food or hit the closest beaches, but we finally hit home with renting a motor scooter for the summer. Funny story: we bargained a great deal for renting a brand new scooter, but we had to borrow an old, crappy, used one for the first day because they were putting a surf rack on the new one for us.

The first day, I (Jay), was zooming all around the island and through the windy streets. Not to mention, they gave Chantal a pink helmet to rock **chuckle**. I love the rush I get when I'm cruising through the Uluwatu streets.

We took it on an exploring adventure until we heard something scraping against the cement. Chantal freaking out, I could have sworn it was a flat tire... (great, just our luck). As I pulled off the street, we found out that it was just a piece of the plastic of the side panel hanging off. Phew, Mr. Fixit (me) kicked that sucker right back into place and continued the journey. You can say our "adventure" got cut short.  

Anyway, the next day we went back to the rental spot and picked up our brand new, shiny black, Honda Vario '17 with a surf rack. We set out on our first mission, looking for the perfect surf board. We must have hit 15 shops until I saw my baby.

A 6' red, wide body Mayhem board that is almost identical to the one I have at home. Bargaining took a while on this board, because the girl who owned this board usually only rents it; apparently, she has too many memories with it. The "I promise I will sell it back to you in 2 months when I leave" won her over and she let it go "temporarily." 

No less then 20 minutes later, I was out in the water at the Padang Padang beach break while Chantal went for a run. Talking about making it official in Bali, right?  

NEW TOYS

TAKING OFF FOR THE FIRST SET

FRONT PORCHIN' IT

The Art of Living

Although we have general plans for things we want to do and see (scuba certification begins tomorrow!), we are generally facing an open itinerary.  We are free to schedule or not schedule- to explore or to be- to sleep when we’re tired and eat when we’re hungry.  This sounds simple, and maybe even silly, but it’s an odd phenomenon to live without confines.  

So many choices in our traditional lives are made for us, and even on trips the time restrictions of vacations generally create a schedule and a pacing.

So what do you do when you can do absolutely anything you want?

You have to be present.  You get the challenge and the gift of being present.  Food is a wonder and an art; fresh juices nourish and add pops of color to the day.  Walking is scenic, rather than mundane.  Smells and sounds are more acute.  Conversation is everything.

It’s an art of exploring the people as much as the places.  It’s a dance of miscommunicating with locals and realizing things taken for granted without a language and cultural barrier.  It’s a deep look at your own culture and norms: What generally drives your life and dictates your time? 

Suarga Padang Padang, Uluwatu