Vitamin Lunch

Good Morning!

Going to try and write as much as I can in half an hour. Loving Bali. I'm still in Ubud and leaving today with some new friends to stay near the coast for a few nights in Sanur. I got my luggage just fine and realized that I dont need most of the stuff in there till India anyway so I'm packing my small backpack of what I need to travel around the Bali beaches for a 5 days then I'll be returning to Ubud and will probably stay the rest of the time here cause it's so great.

My first full day here was spent with Wayan Nuriashi. If you've read Eat Pray Love you know who I'm talking about. She's a Balinese healer who has become pretty popular since the book's success. I stopped by her shop just to see what she is all about and ended up signing up for a full Balinese Healing session which ended up being quie an experience. For $85 (which is A LOT of money around here, i wasn't planning on spending that much money on anything but totally worth it) this is what i got: It started with a cup of juice and a cup of tea, a full body scan by (much like a physical), a palm reading, and herbal medicine to take. Then a young Balinese boy wearing a Nirvana t-shirt gave me a hand massage and put some patches on my knees (to make it stronger), and then Wayan reviewed whatever she picked up in her reading. Then I was taken upstairs and sat and in chair for about an hour and got my feet soaked hot water with leaves, my arms and legs scrubbed with those leaves, my scalp rubbed with an aloe leaf, and a facial. Then I was instructed to lie down on a massage table where I got a THREE HOUR balinese massage with another facial, and got my hair washed. Through the massage they used a variety of plants and fruits and veggies over my skin. Then an elderly Balinese woman gave me a shower and I was served an absolutely beautiful meal (the vitamin lunch) with about 10 different preperations, each labled with its benefit. It was so good. Then Wayan presented me with a bag full of goodies- about 10 different kinds of herbal medicines, leaves to eat and make tea with, oils for my skin, and some natural remidies "in case of emergency" for my travels, all included in the price. I was there for about 5 hours and I've felt great ever since. No jet lag, lots of energy..... and I've been doing a lot.

That night I met my next door neighbor at Teba House, a cute Chinese girl from Malysia who is living in Singpore, Mak Xiao Wei. We've been friends ever since and spent the past couple days touring Bali together. I'll write about the two tours we went on later. On our second night at Teba House it happened to be the owner's birthday so the family invited all of the guests (about 11 of us) to celebrate with them in the courtyard. It started with bottles of Balinese iced tea, appetizers, a full homecooked Indonesian seafood dinner, and cake for dessert. The family has been extremely welcoming and great.

Anyway so much more to write about I've done so much in the past few days and now I'm gonna go relax on the beach for few days.