“No, we don’t need more sleep. It’s our souls that are tired, not our bodies. We need nature. We need magic. We need adventure. We need freedom. We need truth. We need stillness. We don’t need more sleep, we need to wake up and live.” – Brooke Hampton
Last week, Made (Ma-Day) my Airbnb host (definitely check out his place if you are staying in Ubud), took me on a fun scooter ride around Bali to check out some waterfalls, and try his favorite local cuisine, tilapia with tons of spices and seasonings. I love when people want to show me their favorite things…life seems to light up just a little brighter for all of us.
We left Ubud around 2 pm. A little late start but I had yoga class, laundry, and a writing project to do first. Responsibilities before play, even on the road. Made planned the entire outing so I had no idea where we were going but I’m always up for a new adventure.
I rented a scooter for the day from my new buddy, Kadek, for 50,000 rupiahs ($3.28) plus $2 in gas. For a Westerner, this is obviously very inexpensive but it is not lost on me that this kind of expense is not cheap for the locals.
Our first stop after a fairly short ride, about 30-40 min outside of Ubud, was Tibumana Waterfall. It was gorgeous. It costs 20,000 rupiahs ($1.31) to enter. The walk down to the falls was stunning. The long steep stairs were lined with beautiful flowers and surrounded by a breathtaking jungle landscape. We saw a few smaller waterfalls and crossed some bamboo footbridges along the way.
It was a little crowded near the waterfall while we were there so we didn’t stay too long. Made managed to snap a few photos without the masses in the background. He loves to take photos of his guests for souvenirs. Check out his Instagram page! @madebelogajum is his username.
I was not only mesmerized by the beautiful nature surrounding us and the sound of the water falling but I couldn’t take my eyes off some local guys building a stone retaining wall. I know that sounds silly but the Balinese are incredibly hard workers…and not only in the rice fields – which is back-breaking work. I was asking Made about the materials and where they would have come from. He explained that they would have bought the stones from a quarry and people would have loaded them in buckets and carried them on their heads down those steep steps, walked along the stream, and down more steps to the landing area. The guys we saw working were using basic tools – nothing automated. Shovels to make the “concrete mix,” buckets to haul it by hand up and down the steps, string and wood stakes to measure, level, and align the wall. They were true artists. I could have watched them all day.
Our next stop was a little bit farther away. Made took a video of me riding the scooter on the way (more souvenirs). We drove on side roads through the jungle with rice fields on either side. It was stunning. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
The next stop was the Tukad Cepung waterfall. It was challenging to access once we reached the ground level (after a ton of steep steps and a path that curved along a lovely stream) but totally worth the hike barefoot (on the rocky bottom, ouch!) through the river to reach it. Made said it was more powerful (and loud) than he had ever seen before. Thankfully, there were not any other tourists while we were there so we could really enjoy the full effect. We walked around the area, got a little soaked, and had some fun laughs taking selfies.
After we were finished chasing waterfalls and playing in the streams, Made took me to one of his favorite Warungs (small shop/restaurant) in Bangli, where they serve tilapia…grilled, fried, or boiled with tons of seasonings and spices. I asked for the “not so spicy” dish and what they brought out was delicious. It came with a bowl of rice, steamed veggies, and some sort of fermented veggies (these were amazing!), with a bean and veggie soup on the side. Made ordered “spicy” and his filet was COVERED in seasoning – I could feel the heat across the table. I really enjoyed the meal, and our conversation, and loved that Made wanted to share parts of his culture with me.
All in all, it was a fun and special day. But the biggest “aha” moment for me happened on the drive home. Sadly, I don’t have photos of this experience but it will be forever etched in my mind. The drive home from Bangli to Ubud was about an hour. Fifteen minutes into our ride it started to sprinkle so Made pulled over and we both got out our “rain gear.” These folks are used to driving in the rain and crazy weather, so they have extremely durable gortex-looking rain ponchos. I on the other hand bought mine randomly at the grocery store checkout “last minute grab” section – just in case of that rainy day on a scooter. My poncho was thinner than a trash bag with a hood and sleeves. It was translucent, red almost pink in color with white polka dots. A fashion statement if I’ve ever made one. So I pulled my ultra sheer poncho over my head, hood up and put my helmet back on for the ride. At this point, it’s only lightly sprinkling…a “happy rain” as Made called it. So we each got back on our bikes and headed back into the heavy flow of traffic. By this time, it’s about 7 pm and pitch black outside except for the headlights of the cars and scooters and the glow from the stores lining the streets. The rain began to fall harder…and harder…and harder. I’ve clocked about 4 or 5 hours total on this scooter so I’m still slightly nervous about driving in all the traffic in the dark and now it is a torrential downpour. Yikes!
Made is a cautious driver and always made sure to keep an eye on me…because if I would have fallen behind, I would have been completely lost. I had zero clue where we were on the map. I digress. Point is, I was able to keep up. The rain is coming down really hard now. The other scooters and cars are flipping water on me as they zoom by. Then this little piece of sh&t poncho starts blowing up like a dress, higher and higher around my waist. I have to keep pulling it down so as to not get completely soaked. Finally, I tuck it between my knees to keep it in one place.
Next, I notice my left eye is burning, I mean, it’s on fire. I cannot for the life of me think of what is happening, then I realize, crap, I put sunscreen all over my face earlier in the day, and now with all the rain, it was running in my eye. So here I am, a not seasoned scooter driver, driving in the pouring down rain with my left eye closed, knees together tightly to hold the poncho that has now accumulated so much water it is running down between my legs and it feels like I’m peeing myself. I know, it sounds awful, but I was having the time of my life. I thought this is what it must feel like to really be alive. It’s like freedom and magic and all kinds of wonderful. This must be what they say about truly living in the moment. All my senses are stimulated and there is a fear of death on the horizon – come on now, one random chicken crossing the road at the inopportune time and I’d be a goner and he’d be chicken satay. But I was so genuinely happy. My soul was singing and my heart was laughing.
I looked around at the other riders speeding past me who appeared annoyed because they had to drive during yet another rainy evening. This was a typical day for them so, of course, they were missing all this excitement. But for me, someone who doesn’t experience this sort of thing on a regular basis, it was thrilling. I was actually laughing out loud at the absurdity of driving a scooter with my left eye closed because of burning due to sunscreen…I was still nursing a sunburn from the weekend before, I definitely wasn’t going to let it happen again. So for about 45 minutes of my life, I was totally and completely in the moment. No other thoughts or worries about the future or the past filled my brain. It was pure bliss. Magic.
So, yes, Brooke Hampton you are right, “we don’t need more sleep, we need to wake up and live.” And feel the magic and freedom of being alive.
And with that, I’m actually headed to bed. Ha! I’ve had a long two days of travel without much sleep but a lot of living.
Goodnight and much love from Bali…actually Australia. 🇮🇩🇦🇺 I’m a little behind in my posting but more good things to come. Peace.
