Once fitted with our bicycles (including a very safe child seat on the back of Dad's bike) the van took us for breakfast overlooking a volcano. Our Bali Eco Cycling guide, Winn explained about Mt Batur's last eruption (1963) and the sacred crater lake which formed.
Next stop was morning tea at a tropical plantation (above) - Winn pointed out how they grow traditional medicinal herbs, tea, different types of coffee, and exotic fruits, such as snakefruit, dragonfruit, passionfruit, tamarillo and mangosteen. The kids eyes widened upon seeing the civet cat and learning how it eats the coffee beans, which come out the other end whole and are roasted to make gourmet coffee, called Luwak. Yes, we all sampled cat poo coffee, but I preferred the hot chocolate myself.
The van pulled into a school yard where our bikes were patiently awaiting their riders and off we rolled through the rice paddies. The guides were super attentive with the kids (mine had only just learnt to ride) - making a human buffer every time a car or bike came the other way.
Along the way, we were welcomed into a traditional family compound. They were farming Bali's three sacred crops - rice, bananas and coconuts - a great combination. The sow had just birthed 12 piglets, so they were quite a hit. We westerners were humbled by the sight of the tiny shared kitchen with its open fire and poor ventilation. We stopped at a Sacred Banyan Tree at the village temple for bananas and a short rest.
After all that riding, we were more than ready for the lunch banquet - oodles of smoked duck, vegetable noodles, rice, gado gado, sate chicken, and tropical fruit salad. It was a fun day and a unique way to experience rural Bali.
Bumi Sehat means "Gentle Mother Earth" and the non-profit, village run clinic offers free pre and post natal care to Balinese women who are unable to afford hospital care. The Clinic in Nyuh Kuning Village, Ubud, is run by a dedicated team of volunteers, operating entirely on donations and sponsorship from generous individuals.
So far this year, they have delivered 259 babies and have consulted with 2 287 mums and 245 children in the paediatric clinic. Please see the website for donation/volunteer information and the wish list if you are interested to support this worthy cause.
Every Saturday, there is a free acupuncture clinic offering treatments to the general public for all types of conditions. This year, they have treated 1 714 patients and I hand delivered some well needed acupuncture supplies (special thanks go to Acupuncture Australia for donating many needles) and new born baby clothes (special thanks to Our Little Earth Playgroup mums!).
As an acupuncturist, I was also interested to observe how the community clinic was run. The open air clinic has 6 beds - they were very busy on the day I was there and used a LOT of needles and a LOT of moxa!! There were quite a few local and international volunteers with varying levels of expertise, but plenty of love flowing around.
From my brief visit, Yayasan Bumi Sehat seemed to be fulfilling their goal: peace building - one baby, one mother, one family at a time.
Swasti Eco Cottages was the perfect base for our family in Ubud. For us, it became a haven of tranquility and wonder for children and parents alike. By day, it was quiet with many birds and butterflies visiting the abundant flowers. By night, bamboo lanterns lit our way along the path to our cottage - Damai, which means "peace".
Our home was a 100 year old teak "gladak" house with a cosy annex for the children and semi outdoor bathroom with rock shower. We all loved the white cotton mosquito nets - not really necessary though as it was the dry season.
Every day delicate flower offerings were left on our beds, verandah, and bathroom floor to make us smile and feel very loved. We all frequented the Swasti Spa - super relaxing massages and interesting choices for body scrubs (coffee, cacao, turmeric, seaweed, coconut, cinnamon etc)
My girls loved visiting the organic farm and checking to see if the rabbit (her urine is "caught" and used as natural insecticide) had given birth yet. They loved interacting with the ducks, sheep and goats (one gave birth while we were there, which was rather special).
Every morning we ate crepes and eggs for breakfast in Swasti Eco Restaurant. Seated on cushions overlooking the tropical garden and lotus pond, while someone else prepared tea, was my idea of heaven. 85% of the food in the restaurant is grown onsite and every bite just tasted so alive and fresh. For snacks, we tried quite a few of the ice creams too - my favorite was Swasti Special (home grown mint, coconut, lime and honey sorbet - wow).
We had a fun night at the Swasti Traditional Balinese Banquet - from carved piggy coconuts to steamed chicken parcels, everything was presented on natural materials - banana leaf plates, dipping bowls, bamboo straws, and we ate with our fingers too. 8 talented young girls from the local school performed Legong dances and then all the staff invited us all to dance the night away. Lots of laughing and a great way for kids to discover Balinese dance.
