It was the last excursion listed on the itinerary — a visit to UluWatu Temple, one scenically perched in Bali on cliffs above the ocean. But the outing included far more.
First, a visit to a “coffee plantation” to taste Kopi sewak, a coffee unique to these islands because it is made from beans which have been ingested and expelled whole by civets. The locals apparently created this “coffee blend” because when the Dutch began growing coffee here the residents could not afford it so they began collecting the droppings of civets who ate the beans and developed a way to process them.
It was like going to a winery – we were served samples of about 15 different kinds of teas and coffee but had to purchase a cup of the much touted Kopi sewak. I sipped it but found it bitter. Ira didn’t like it much either.
On to the temple. We saw an albino monkey on the grounds in a cage, put there to protect him from the troupe which might hurt him because of his different fur color.
The temple was mobbed. Every day, there are two performances of a Kecak fire dance. We went to the 6:00 pm show held in an amphitheater built into one of the cliffs. Instead of instruments, the “music” is provided by a chorus of 70 men. The hour long performance tells a story which involves a prince and princess, an evil king, an old man, a white monkey, a couple of red gorillas, and a bird. I can’t relate the plot in great detail but the couple, separated by the evil king, reunites after the albino monkey escapes a circle of fire and then everyone lives happily ever after.
I have included a few clips – Just click on the links below and they will hopefully load. Be sure to turn on the sound.
