Balintensity

Most people believe we are having a relaxed life. It couldn't be less true. Days are stuffed with activities, nights are used to either socialize or travel further, our bodies are pushed to the limits. You just can't imagine. A brief week overview.

The diving cruise on the Great Barrier Reef was extremely intense. We did more than 10 dives/snorkels in three days (among which 2 night dives) and we hardly slept for more than 6 hours a night. The day after, we took two taxis and two planes, and we found ourselves in Ubud, on the Bali island of Indonesia. We walked around the village and we stumbled upon a few remarkable highlights. Ever seen a Holy Park with hidden temples in an 'Indiana Jones'-like jungle, invaded by hundreds of monkeys?

Monkeys everywhere! 

A few kilometers out of town, we got into a small alley with, compared to any other street in Bali, statistically way too many scooters, suggesting some kind of event. Under a sail, protecting a cheering crowd against the strong sun, we saw impressive cock fights. A local made us believe those fights became a tradition as they found this way more entertaining than just another ritual offer for their Gods.

A few kilometers out of town 

Cock fight 

That evening we went for a more peaceful ceremony in a temple, with traditional music and dance. We did some planning the next morning. We marked some highlights on the map and we headed out on two scooters for an amazing voyage through stunning green rice fields, black scattering beaches and ever greeting people in the small villages. Since we didn't want to be considered as mainstream tourists, we learned a few Indonesian catchy words. Eventually this helped us in the bargaining processes, resulting in (even more) cheap accommodation, food and... a traditional 'sarong', which we need every time to enter a temple.

Temple ceremony with traditional dancers 

That evening, we decided to triple the adventure level of the trip, and we decided to go for a hike on the highest mountain of the island, Mount Gunung Agung. We slept for 3 hours to be awakened at 11PM. We were pretty scared when, around midnight, a 4x4 arrived at the starting point of the trip, a temple bathing in moonlight. Not because these people were going to harm us, but because they started praying for our safety during the 6h climb and 6h descent! Blessed by the Gods, we hiked (or better: climbed) up to 3050 meters. The climb was extreme, but it was worth it, because we enjoyed an amazing sunrise high above the clouds, drifting around the mountain. It was one of the best experiences we had until now.

Sunset... a warm reward after a cold night trek 

After that adventure, we grabbed our scooters again and headed for the rest of Bali's beauty. Once introduced to us as a "touristy" place, we now consider Bali as one of the most surprising places. "Impossibly green rice terraces, enchanting Hindu temple ceremonies, mesmerizing dance performances and truly charming people." Lonely planet couldn't be more precise.