Bali: Part 1

We are now in Bali, Indonesia for a whole month!

First, we went to Ubud, a very wellness-focused city in the center of the island. And wellness we got. From hiking to yoga and massages to eating, I have never been so "well" in my life.

Swinging over the lush forests

Hiking through the hills

Fish spa

Dining out with a view

Daily yoga classes

For less than $30/night we stayed at a villa where they served us delicious breakfast poolside every morning. The morning swimming routine is pretty great.

Wifi is high speed and free at all the restaurants and cafes so Sinead had some pretty amazing working locations.










My daily routine consisted of yoga, full body massages, reading my book, and walks around the rice paddies. It's really rough. My yoga skills are still very novice and I am not a fan of the spirituality aspect, but the PT in me is really into the muscular and stability aspects of it.

We explored beautiful temples and more rice terraces.

In Ubud there is a monkey forest filled with "friendly" but vicious macaques. I wanted the monkeys to come sit on my shoulders at first but regretted it strongly in the end when they were pulling my hair, sneaking a peek down my shirt, and trying to bite me.

The food in Ubud was delicious and you can get everything for dirt cheap. A typical meal is fried rice or noodles, meat or vegetarian satay, and a Bintang (the local beer). Or else my favorite, a yogurt fruit bowl. Sinead is really into all the tempeh here which is prepared amazingly!

After Ubud, we drove up to the northern coast of Bali to a town called Lovina.

On the 3 hour drive from Ubud to Lovina our local hired driver (named Dewa) showed us a water temple. It was cool but we had more fun with the rainbow umbrella he lent us.

We also stopped at a coffee plantation where we learned about the most expensive coffee in the world that comes straight from cat poop (Kopi Luwak). We both opted to not taste it (me out of disgust and Sinead on principal - she thinks it's a made up trap). Sinead opted for her favorite, Kopi Bali, aka the coffee that the locals drink and she drinks every day here, and I opted for lemongrass and ginger teas.

The coffee plant and berries (not ripe yet)

The coffee beans

Hand-roasting the coffee beans

A sleeping Luwak (a cat-like wild animal that eats the coffee berries and poops out whole coffee beans that ferment while being digested and apparently taste better)

Luwak poop. If you zoom in you see the fur and all. Gross.

Besides poop coffee they had an assortment of exotic teas to taste and they were all actually delicious.

In Lovina we went to some sacred cleansing hot springs and a beautiful waterfall. Hot springs aren't exactly a good way to cool of when it's 90 degrees out, but they were certainly pretty.

There is not much to do in Northern Bali but you get to live like queens for very cheap. For $68/night we got a private villa with an infinity pool overlooking the ocean with a sunset view. It's pretty ridiculous, I never wanted to leave.







After a couple days, we upgraded to an even more amazing villa than before (I didn't believe it was possible). It was right on the ocean, had an even more giant pool all to ourselves, and had all the day beds you could dream of.

Our host invited us to view a nearby cremation ceremony and gave us appropriate attire to wear (please note Sinead's Harley Davidson sarong).

Sinead and I both swam laps every day. Also, I was obsessed with flower baths in our outdoor bathroom.

With our host, I learned to cook a traditional Balinese meal called Soto Ayam, a chicken noodle soup with turmeric, garlic, and other spices. It turned out pretty great but I don't think I could reproduce it.

But most importantly in Lovina, Sinead proposed to me! We are officially engaged!!!



Sinead got me a surprise massage at the villa while she prepared everything. During the massage, I was thinking about how this is the happiest and most content I've ever been. I was already so relaxed that I felt guilty for even getting a massage.

Sinead had some of the villa staff help her write out "Marry Me" in colorful flowers surrounded by flower rainbows and prepare a big seafood bbq and mojito bar. She led me out in the yard overlooking the ocean and busted out the ring (that she had been hiding in her backpack the entire trip). Obviously I said yes.

I knew that Sinead and I would be together forever, but I was totally surprised by the proposal. Sinead is one to question societal norms and doesn't think that a marriage is necessary to prove commitment to one another. However, she explained as we ate dinner after the proposal that she is learning that if it makes you happy, maybe you don't need to overcomplicate it and question it so much. She is now ready to work out together what a wedding will look like for us and how we can make it our own in some non-traditional way.

Bali really is the dream. This was a great moment to top off an incredible trip and make it even more memorable. Sinead is now calling this our "engagement trip" as we explore new places together and decide how we'll celebrate getting married.