Today may rival yesterday for awesomeness. Got up and went to yoga with Sen Sen at 7:30, which was good but crowded and I was at the very edge of the pavilion, so my downward dogs left a bit to be desired. We also tried our luck at laughing yoga towards the end of the practice. That was pretty odd, but Sen Sen’s awesome laugh made it okay. Not sure that I’ll be continuing that in the future, but I feel like my life contains enough laughter that I should be okay.
After we had an AMAZING breakfast. French toast, hard boiled eggs, fried plantains and French fries. I can really feel the toll of so much fried food, but regardless I still enjoy it while I eat, and the French fries here are absolutely delicious.
Then we visited the No. 1 Elementary School of Sudaji and sat in on a 5th and 6th grade class. The students sang, danced and played games with us. The confidence that each kid showed, whether it was singing a solo or proudly belting our their national anthem was inspiring, perhaps it is due to their supportive community?
Then we headed to a waterfall. That’s right, a Balinese waterfall in the jungle. We started off our hike and it was hot hot hot. This was the direct sun heat that I’d been expecting but that we had managed to avoid for the most part until today. All of us were dripping, but soon enough the once slowed down as we entered the jungle. We hopped a few streams, walked in a path next to huge drops and saw some secluded homes with children and dogs coming out to greet us.
After about two hours we arrived at a little shop (why is there always a roadside stand by everything?) and we’re told only 365 short steps and we’d be at the waterfall! Of course the steps were winding down a cliff and slick at times with either a wobbly railing or nothing at all, but the enticing view of two twin waterfalls kept us going. We then forded a river, hiked another little muddy patch of ground, forded the river again a few more times, climbed a pile of rocks and we were there! Taking a shower underneath the waterfall!
We let the water beat down for a while, then went for a swim in the little pool at the base, before heading back to our initial river crossing and being handed a banana leaf package of food! Unwrapped the leaf revealed our standard Balinese fare, which I am still confused by, do they really eat the exact same meal every day? Nevertheless the food was delicious, made even better by the fact that after we were done we just let the leaves float away, cradle to cradle, no waste with this packaging!
The walk back was tiresome and hot again, and instead of returning home to shower as we expected we were led to a middle school to make offerings, dance and play soccer with the kids. Dragging our stinky, sweaty and exhausted selves into the school I doubt we gave off a very good impression if Americans, but the kids were still extremely sweet and excited we were there. The girls I was watching make offerings were extremely deft and before long had whipped out ornate gifts for me, wielding only a palm leaf and old looking knife.
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