Pyramids of Chi

Three of us started the day with Diva our driver, heading out into the countryside to the Pyramids of chi.

The entrance to the Pyramids of Chi

This place was established by a Western Australian couple in 1963 It is a wellness and sound & healing centre with buildings shaped on the pyramids of Giza.

From the minute you arrive you get a feeling of peace. It’s beautifully centred around an entrance hall with a cafe and a seating area spilling down an incline.

You are encouraged to arrive early to become relaxed and ready for our session.

We chose Sound Healing though you can do other sessions like yoga and meditation . We are called to our session with a gong sounding in the foyer.

Entering the pyramid we were given an eye mask, stowed our bags collected a light blanket and found a bed.

All set up with pillows and a bolster for comfort.

Settling in it was explained that we would experience a range of sounds from light bells to heavy gongs and everything in between. This was going to be an experience!

The sound pit behind the gongs

Our leader also explained if we fell into a trance or sleep and started to snore they would give a light tap in the shoulder! I hoped it wouldn’t be me.

It started with light soft bells. Hypnotic. I started to relax and next thing tap tap on my shoulder. Then a gentle lifting abc another pillow was placed under my shoulders. I hope I hadn’t snored loudly!!!

It continued on for over an hour. I know I was in a trance like state. It felt like mediation.

Inside the Pyramid.

After we woke and took our time o saw the pit like structure where the sound DJ operated the bells …..

Over a healthy berry coconut bowl we chatted about our experience and a man with an assortment of coloured clothes and painted red nails came over to share his experience. Patsy had noticed he’d held hands with another man who he then introduced as his nephew.

From California, he talked about ‘paying it forward ‘ as he gave Patsy a beaded bracelet.

In a dream like mood we headed back to our lovely villa and waited for lunch. Today the hosts of the villa. The Papa and Muma had invited us to lunch and a cultural experience.

They made a garland crown for us as we enjoyed beautiful satay and a delicious coconut salad. The lady, Sree, who had done our booking was there to meet us. She had been a little concerned that as ‘older ‘ ladies we might find the steps in the grounds a little much. But we were proud of ourselves. Everyone was managing well. Little did we know.

Coconut sticky rice

Ed stated our cultural experience making little flowered offerings. You see them everywhere her outside the shops, markets temples. Called canang sari, they are daily offerings of gratitude, prayer and balance to Hindi Gods. They have flowers arranged in a specific order and an incense stick to carry the prayers to the gods.

Making the offerings
With Papa

Then things went horribly wrong. We were gathering for a group photo when Lynne turned and stepped up. It was onto a tin lid covering a drain next to the koi pool.

Down she went. All I could think about was Don’t cut your Skin. Lynne has had a lot of trouble with healing on her shin.

Still smiling.

After a fresh water wash it seemed no skin was broken. But very painful to walk on

Thank goodness it was almost our last day

Ubud to Lembongan : a beach day

Today we left Ubud for a beach day. Shelley organised a special day at the Sandy Bay Beach Club. She had been there when her daughter married in Bali.

It was a great idea – it got us away to see the beach island life in Bali.

We left our Bali home at 7 am and headed to Samur. Traffic is so bad in Bali we didn’t want to miss our ferry !

We got there in plenty of time to see the hoards of tourists boarding ferry’s for different islands!

40 minutes later we arrived at a busy little wharf with ‘black limos’ waiting to take us to the beach club.

The black limo.

The drive across the island showed us that there are no rules here regarding rubbish and litter. The island is lovely but there is so much rubbish along the roadside. it spoils it!

The Sandy Bay Beach Club is in a great position and was welcoming to our group of 8.

We settled in on beach lounges and tables and ordered a few cocktails to start us off.

The little beach was clean and the waves were pumping.

We swam, walked on the beach, lounged on the sun beds and ordered lunch which was terrific.

Other guests around us turned out to mostly come from Queensland!

Time passed as we chatted and relaxed. Lou’s husband popped in ! He’s over her to meet Lou at the end of our holiday. he’s a keen surfer and they are spending 10 days surfing and relaxing.

Relaxing at the beach club.

Our ‘black limo’ arrived to take us back to the ferry port.

The tide had gone out so now we had to tender out to the boat. what a performance. We were congratulating ourselves on our flexibility getting on and off boats. We are in our 70’s but still holidaying like we’re in our 30’s – without the brief bikinis.

Back in Sanur our driver Devi was waiting for us. He took us into Sanur beach and we walked along the front past all the lovely hotels.

The footpaths here are better than in Ubud and there are so many restaurants and bars and spas!

We headed back to our Bali home happy to have seen another Bali. The beach Bali.

Peace and Chaos in Ubud

Walking in Ubud is either a quiet treat or it borders on chaos.

A few of us set off in a Grab taxi with Henri who drove us to the start of the Campuhan Ridge Walk.

Patsy and Shelley ready to tackle the ridge walk.

It was so peaceful leaving the road and crossing a little bridge to start the climb up to the walk along the ridge.

We walked and chatted and greeted others along the way. The path ended with a gate and then a very modern cafe where we had a great coffee.

A hippy statue to guide our walk

Continuing along past shops, spas, restaurants, and a Japanese vintage shop where Patsy bought a vintage t shirt with I yam what I yam. With a shape of Popeye on the sleeve. A conversation starter.

It was getting warmer so we turned back and headed back along the path.

Massages and facials awaited!

Jumping into a taxi we got a few hundred metres down the road and decided it would be faster to walk.

Out we jumped and set off.

It took about 15 – 20 mins. And the traffic crawled. Turns out the police changed the traffic directions and while people get used up to it chaos reigned!

Getting back at 10 breakfast was at 10.30 then had swims and rest. Followed by a visit to the supermarket. The roads are so blocked…….. to get across the road we got the man from the bank to blow his whistle wave his red flag and walk us across.

The big supermarket is big and has everything. We bought various tonics for our gin, cheese, wine and chips. Went to the atm and it kept Kirsty’s card. Not good for her.

The afternoon was a mixture of facials, swimming, afternoon naps reading / all holiday activities!

The big event was our visit up the modern hotel the Kaamala resort for a cocktail in the terrace before the 7 paintings dinner experience.

Yum, fun, a unique active dining adventure , fascinating, inventive. Amazing. Matching artists to food.

We got to paint – with edible ‘paint’ the table became a canvas with a hologram guiding us through t the adventure.

It’s hard to describe.

We started dinner at 8 and finished at 11pm. Such a big beautiful night.

Eat, Love, Pray with friends in Bali

An early start today with Breakfast at 7 as we were leaving for our big trip around with Diva our driver.

He met us on the first day and now we’ve adopted him and he’s going to drive us wherever we want.

We headed north to a Temple.

Our itinerary for the day.

Terta Empul temple was about 45 minutes north.

One of Bali’s most important temples because of its sacred waters ……said to be healing.

It’s quite a process.

We arrived at the entrance and paid our fee – about $15 Aus. We were given a sarong which had to be worn with the yellow band facing the top

Quite a sight in our multicoloured sarongs.

We made our way to the sacred water and were given a lesson by our guide on how to behave and what to do.

We made our way to the change rooms to get into our swim wear and to wrap ourselves in a different green sarong with a red sash. The change rooms were a mass of men and women waiting in turn to change in funny little cubicles most with a urinal inside. Not for storing clothes as you changed!

The guides helped wrap our sarongs carefully. Ours were done quickly. Some girls in their extremely brief g- string bikinis seemed to have extra help from the male guides! Not bvery respectful for visit to a temple.

We started with the offering at the alter.

In our now green sarongs

We then made our way to the pools.

It was slippery getting in and the bottom of the pool was rocky which made it hard for me!

A view of people waiting to enter the sacred pool.
Me attempting to stay in my feet to pray.

We all had a turn in the first pool where at the first fountain you put your hands together to pray and splash our face three times to cleanse and then accept the blessings of health before leaving that one and entering the second pool.

Lynne decided she would not enter the second pool as she had to pee!

Lynne is missing!
In our wet sarongs after the cleansing ceremony.

After changing back into our clothes and feeling fresh and cleansed we followed our guide around the temple ground. They are preparing for a special ceremony soon – hence the statues wrapped in sarongs.

Time for lunch so we walked the maze of stalls with everything from beads, fans, clothes, art, fruit and made it back into our van and headed off to lunch in a rice paddy field.

Lunch

We stopped again in about 10 minutes for a coffee & cacao plantation walk. We saw some civat cats. Apparently the civet cats eat ripe coffee cherries, and the beans pass through its digestive system before being collected and processed. Quite a story. We sat on the terrace and had a tasting of about 15 different coffees and teas. Coconut coffee was delicious and the rosella tea beautiful. I bought some lemongrass tea and turmeric. Hopefully they’ll give me vitality and bones that don’t ache!

Patsy roaring the coffee.

Back in with Diva we decided our old knees would not cope with 150 steep steps down to the river at the falls. So decided to look from the bridge. We got there and decided no! It was too expensive for a walk out on the bridge!

We opted for the monkey river sanctuary.

Mani befriends a monkey

Usually I don’t like monkeys but these ones are lovely and funny and don’t try and raid your bag for food.

Very sweet monkeys.

Heading back to our accommodation we felt like we’d had a great day. Prayer and cleansing, lunch and coffee and playful monkeys to finish the day.

Diva was a star ushering us around

Diva dressed in his Australian shirt and hat!

Fresh after lovely showers we enjoyed a few gins on the terrace before our lovely staff here at Gunung Merta brought dinner out.

Off to bed as we are up early to do a walk tomorrow.

Discovering Ubud

I started the day with a swim.

The pool is right outside my door and it was quiet and lovely in. Patsy was lolling with her cup of coffee and the other were yet to emerge from their rooms.

Breakfast on the terrace was delicious. A colourful mix of food chosen from such a big menu.

The meals arrived under a little woven coloured ‘hat’. Very festive.

Beautiful papaya.

We had planned our day around…..talking to the cushion lady , wandering into Ubud and massages.

The cushion lady is a friend of Lou’s from previous trips. Her fabrics look gorgeous and her prices are Bali low! I decided no cushions for me and set off with Lynne and Kirsty to discover ubud.

What we did discover pretty quickly is that the pavement-sidewalk is dangerous here. It is a rough arrangement of paving stones with cars parked over them, gaping holes, motor bikes getting out of traffic and it’s hard to take in the sights when you are looking down.

Watch out! You could disappear down that hole.

We made our way up the road past lines of traffic going who knows where and wondered if the shopping would be good.

First stop was Berkly. A little jewellery store. A few purchases later we were on our way along the cracked pavement. A book shop where the books are all wrapped and not much cheaper than in Australia. A blue batik clothes and cushion shop where I found a beautiful soft batik dress.

Coffee was at a roastery with great coffee. Kirsty headed back to meet her son for lunch and Lynne and I made our way slowly to Ubud Palace.

Drumming noises from the side street had us following the crowds. It was a ceremony for a new temple. I love finding something local during our travels. Watching the people dressed for the ceremony was special.

Back to the grounds of the temple then across the road to the Art Market which is more a ‘ we have everything’ market. How much you want to pay us the catch cry!

We resisted and continued to walk along the back streets. past ceramic shop, book shops and lots of jewellery shops.

Down little lanes you can spy …..

We stopped for lunch at Mudra. Up stairs it was airy and welcoming and the fish taco was so good.

I finally found a hat!

We made it back to the hotel without dropping into a hole in the footpath!

A swim followed by a rest, a pink gin and then a massage. It was great though I know I should have a massage more often. Even if it hurts!

Then out to dinner at Tablespoon. A longer drive than we planned! But it was good and had a lovely guy singing songs we knew!

What a great day.

Therapy in Bali

Welcome to Bali

There are many forms of Therapy. Mine is meeting regularly with a group of women – friendships made when my boys started school.

We’ve been together for close to 40 years helping, supporting and making each other laugh. It’s the best form of therapy !

We always have a weekend away together usually in early December at Patsy’s beautiful beach house.

Last year we decided on a ‘getaway’. Somehow it ended up with Bali as the place that offered the most affordable holiday.

Today we left. Only 6 of the regular therapy girls and two honorary girls.

Meeting at the airport at 6.30am we wandered into duty free and ended up tasting gins! It must be 5pm somewhere!

Lynne, Patsy me and Chris.

Then it was coffee time.

Welcome Shelley, Kirsty and of course Lou and her sister Mani

And before we knew it we were onboard for the 5 hr flight up to Bali.

We were scattered around the plane with Lynne & I on each aisle in row 6.

Three of the girls, who shall remain nameless, were in row 15 ordering little bottles of bubbles.

We arrived at 2pm local time and got through immigration in record time except for Mani who had to see an official before being allowed in. We waved and waited …..then she was in.

Our driver picked us up outside for the 90 min drive up to Ubud. We decided we were thirsty so made a stop at the supermarket and bought a few cans of Bintang and bags of chips! The supermarket was big with many brands we know. But some great decorations!

We continued on chatting and getting into holiday mode – the Bintang helped as the traffic crawled into Ubud.

Seen from our bus. Two content pups.

From the outside our small hotel of 8 rooms didn’t look great. But the staff arrived to carry our bags and we walked into a very natural little oasis. really charming.

Lovely gardens and cobbled paths
Huge koi fish in the hotel fish pond.

We unpacked into our spacious rooms. Four upstairs. Four down.

Then met for dinner Cracking open the gin purchased at the airport.

We chatted over a late dinner making plans for the days to come.

High on list of ‘must do’ is a massage.

Tomorrow!

Heading back to our rooms ready for a good sleep.