Still in Indonesia

No trip to Indonesia would be complete without ascending a volcano or bathing in a waterfall, so we ventured forth from the Gilis in search of both. Having spent a considerable amount of time in a Buddhist culture (Bhutan) and a few weeks in predominately Muslim Indonesia, we decided to sprinkle in a bit of Hinduism.

So of course… Bali.

                                                         Waterfall and Umbrellas

We traveled by boat from Lombok to Bali, then skipped over the much hyped south coast opting instead for a few days in Ubud- known as the cultural center of the island. We enjoyed great food and explored sandstone temples.

The girls took some art classes (batik and mask painting):

 and we watched a violent shadow puppet show:

A rented car put Willy behind the wheel for the first time in months and gave us the freedom to explore at our own pace.

 Driving in Indonesia takes skill and great nerve- dodging oncoming motorcycles, cows and children on the narrow, windy roads.

Gunung Batur (last erupted in 1994) was our first destination. We celebrated Love Day at exactly 11/11/11 at 11:11 with an amazing view from the outer crater-  marking our 21 years together (15 yrs of marriage, 3 children and endless adventures).

Further north, we found Lovina,  a beautiful spot to spend a few days on the coast. Air Panas hotsprings offered pummelling water massages and a chance to bath with the locals.

A sunrise boat trip with hundreds of dolphins was the highlight of the area- followed closely by the swim-up pool bar serving milkshakes and cold beers.

We then moved on to the mountain areas and chilled out in the village of Munduk. A few  slippery hikes to waterfalls and amazing hour long sunsets over the bright green rice terraces completed our Bali journey.