Yoga with Jim in Bali

I love the Village in Tembok, and I can’t stop thinking about returning next year.  I have been thinking about organizing my own yoga tour.  It would not be a whirlwind tour of everything.  I think I would rather spend ten days in Tembok.  I would do it over Thanksgiving or over the Christmas holidays.  I spoke with Miss Sharon about it.  She said they are planning to build a yoga shala next year – a new building next to the ocean just for yoga.  She is putting together a price package for me.  My consideration is that I don’t know if I could find ten to fifteen people that would make a commitment.  I teach only two classes a week, and don’t have a large following like Doron or Mark.  But I’m putting out my intention.

Tembok to the Airport

Saturday, December 4

Our time in paradise passed all too quickly.  In the morning we had a last dip in the ocean, a swim in the pool, breakfast, and checked out.  Some of the staff came to the reception area to see us off. 

Our driver picked us up at 10:00 and we headed off over the mountains to the airport.  We took a more direct route to the Denpasar.  The drive took 3 ½ hours, but I wasn’t bored one minute.  We drove through rugged mountains

Past rice paddies

Remote villages.  This is a typical Balinese village gas station.

Yes, the gasoline is in those bottles.  I loved watching the motor bikes.  It was common to see a family of three or even four on one motorbike.

I was just amazed at what these people carry on their motorbikes. 

 Many people seemed to make a living from the store on their motorbike.

We had our box lunch prepared by the Village staff on the way.  At the airport, we were met by staff from the Village to take our luggage and escort us to checkin.  They think of everything!

Village Staff

We loved the staff.  All of them knew us by name  – I’m sorry to say I was not as good. 

They were genuinely friendly, and Barbara formed a special bond her favorite, Mini. 

They always looked me in the eye, and I felt like they really saw me.  With the exception of Wayan, the yoga instructor, every staff member we spoke to lives in the village.  Our two massage therapists were friends and neighbors and had worked there for years.  They love their work and their community.

Internet

When we first arrived, wireless was available in the lobby, but it was down the next morning and stayed down until we left.  It was kind of a relief to be free of it.

Bugs and Critters

We did not see a single mosquito during our stay at Tembok.  This was a welcome surprise.  There were other bugs. 

At dinner one evening Barbara thought she felt raindrops.  It turned out to be grasshoppers, and we moved to another table.  There were grasshoppers in our room that evening because the housekeeping staff had left the door open while cleaning.  Barbara sheepishly explained to the staff that she broke two items while bludgeoning grasshoppers.  Miss Sharon said that this had never happened before, and that it was due to the extra rain this year.

Geckos were ubiquitous.   In the evening we could see them zipping across the exterior walls.  They were shy, lightning fast, and difficult to photograph.

Every evening I could see one or two hiding behind our porch light waiting to ambush a bug. 

I did not realize how many sounds they made or how loud they could be.  Our first morning I was awakened at 5:00 AM by a loud noise.  I thought it might be a smoke alarm or a weird telephone ring.  I picked up the phone, but no one was there.  Much later, in yoga class, I heard the familiar gecko call followed by this other sound and realized my wakeup call had been a gecko.

We could hear the frogs every night.  One evening, I had to avoid stepping on one on the way to dinner.

On the way back from dinner we often stopped to say hello to the frog hiding in a hole next to our steps. 

They were usually very shy, but Barbara captured this couple in back of our room. 

They were in the same position for two hours!

Balinese Dance

Friday, December 3, 2010

From our balcony we could see the staff moving all the tables from the dining area to the lawn in front of the pool.  What was happening?  It turned out our last dinner was accompanied by a Balinese dance performance.  Our performers were young students from the village.  I was totally swept away by their dazzling performance.  The movements of their eyes, head, neck and fingers are controlled, precise and amazingly coordinated.  The dance is jumpy, shifting and jerky, and the music has abrupt changes in tempo with dramatic contrasts between crashing sounds and silence.

Herbal Rejuvination

Friday, December 3, 2010

We had our last spa treatment in the afternoon.  The herbal rejuvenation begins with a fragrant combination of fresh basil, mint, neem and lime to exfoliate the skin. 

It sure puts a smile on your face!

Then we took a shower to remove the herbs.  I had trouble getting the herbs out of my body hair, especially on my legs.  I left with less hair on my legs, but much softer skin!

Boreh

Friday, December 3, 2010

Our two lovely hostesses taught us how to make a body scrub called boreh, used for the Penganten Mulukat Body Treatment.  The ingredients are 50 gr ginger, 50 gr galangal (a root) 250 gr clove, and 100 gr soaked rice.

The whole mixture is ground up with mortar and pestle to make a paste.

Then the paste is placed in a banana-leaf bowel.

Then I took the mixture back to my room and rubbed it on my body (most of it – the face and tender parts must be avoided).  Then I waited ten minutes while my body heated up like a hot chili pepper, and finally washed it off in the shower.  My skin has never felt so soft and smooth!