Highlights from Indonesia Part I (Ubud, Bali > Canggu, Bali > Gili Asahan > Gili Trawangan > Sengiggi, Lombok)

Sunrise Hike of Mount Batur

We didn’t waste any time, starting off our trip in full force with a 2:30am pick up at our Air B&B to the base of Mount Batur. We headed up the surprisingly strenuous hike with flash lights and our very entertaining guide who joyfully told us, “Americans sweat a lot.” After an 8 mile hike in the starlight night to approx. 6,000 feet in elevation, we arrived at the top, spread out a blanket, and watched the sun come up. It was breath taking. We were able to rejuvenate ourselves after having a couple eggs and bananas cooked in the active volcano’s hot spring. Followed by a good laugh triggered by a surprise visit from some local monkeys in search of our food. As we made our way down the mountain, we were all proud of what we had accomplished after seeing the steep hike in the light of day.

Harmony Between Mind, Body, & Spirit

Spiritual Healer:

The four of us heard about a renowned healer in Ubud, called Tjokorda Gde Rai, through a local we met and decided to pay him a visit. He worked on each of us individually and shared different observations by leveraging different energy points on the body. He told me not to worry so much. He told me to look in the mirror and laugh, take my laugh and place it on my tongue, taste my laugh, and swallow my laugh so it is within. Then when things come up for me throughout the day, remember that my laugh is within me and smile and laugh. This encounter with Tjokorda Gde Rai triggered a significant amount of reflection for our tight nit group. Overall we walked away knowing we are healthy, connected, and can achieve anything. We want to continue to reflect while also taking joy in every moment.

Yoga

Another way we created alignment was through yoga. We took many different types of yoga classes, some more physical and some more spiritual. We thought it was very interesting that here 75% of our instructors were men which from my experience back in the US is quite the opposite. We also thought it was interesting that 50% of the classes we took were taught by locals vs. foreigners (aka white westerners). I don’t know if this is true but it seems that Eastern world yoga is a private practice and that Westerners have taken it and made it more of a social/communal practice. In Ubud I noticed there is a significant expat community of Westerners who come together around yoga.

Gili Asahan:

One of our favorite experiences was spending a few days in Gili Asahan, a remote island with few inhabitants. We stayed in an eco lodge that had no hot water and hosted a maximum of 22 people. Shannon and I slept in a traditional bale open hut falling asleep each night to a symphony of wildlife sounds. I spent that time disconnected from the internet, walking around the island, snorkeling, and watching the sun rise and set. It was extremely satisfying and one of my favorite experiences.

Interesting Observations

• Everything is outside, meaning we have only been in a closed room a handful of times. Restaurants have no walls, all living spaces (with the exception of some bedrooms) had no walls – this was so liberating. Living in Indonesia definitely brought us closer to nature.
• Check your shoes at the door – most restaurants and homes require that you take your shoes off. One of the restaurants we went to in Ubud actually had a shoe check!
• Menstruating? – In the Western world that is none of your business…can you imagine not being able to participate in certain activities because “it’s that time of the month?” Well in Indonesia, you can’t enter temples or participate in certain activities like…hike Mount Batur if you are menstruating.
• Skin Color – In the places we visited we noticed that there is an ever-present obsession with white skin. Although the women here are brown all the mannequins we saw in the stores are white and some women buy whitening lotion to make there skin fairer. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly the privileges of having white skin extend far beyond the United States…

Travel is just one way for us to create space for internal growth. I am so grateful to have started my journey with these three women. Shannon and I were sad to see our two friends leave at the two week mark but alas our adventure continues. And then there were two…stay tuned for Highlights from Indonesia Part II  🙂