Bali: Day 2

Today Matt got up early just after rainstorm to catch some waves while the rest of the world slept. Later we met up for breakfast to plan our day. Matt and Kurt were going to rent some motorbikes (the local preferred mode of transport) and take them for a spin to get used to them. Once they had the bikes, we grabbed some lunch. Our first Indonesian lunch consisted of a dish called Gado Gado. It was steamed vegetables (called salad) served with a sliced hard boiled egg and fried tofu all topped with peanut sauce. Yum.

After we were fed, we decided to take the bikes out to get petrol, (which was purchased by the roadside out of Absolute Vodka bottles). We also purchased some helmets as those that came with the rentals were more for novelty than protection. After we were properly outfitted, we went back to the hotel were our new friend Jeni was going to meet us for a trip to Tanah Lot, a nearby coastal temple which we hoped to catch a sunset.

The ride was about an hour, but due to the overcast nature of the day, we did not have much of a sunset once we arrived. We did get to enjoy our first taste of the countryside and rice fields getting out of the city finally. Arriving during low tide meant we were able to walk up to the base of the Temple. At high tide it is surrounded by water. This Temple is not open to the public, but we were able to appreciate the view from the base and walk along the nearby cliffs that jutted out parallel to it.

As it was getting dark, we hit the road to make it back to Legian before dark and rain set in. We accomplished neither. Fortunately we made it back unscathed and only took a couple wrong turns. For dinner we met Esi at one of Jeni's favorite Warungs, a kind of like a buffet restaurant. Jeni and Esi helped us pick out some of their favorite foods, as well as some local specialties. Another delicious try at Indonesian food.