We awoke to a beautiful view over the lake, and while trying to check out made two friends, one was from America the other from Bonaire, the location Mark was reppin’ on his hat. We exchanged information to keep in touch and jumped back on our scooters and set the destination for Mt Batur, the volcano in which we came to spread our father’s ashes. The ride up there was beautiful, passing through some remote towns looking free of tourists, and political flags draped in the streets. We stopped for a scenic view of the volcano from afar and continued to descend into the town below. One of the roads we took down plummeted our elevation, so much so that we witnessed a passenger having to get off their scooter while the driver went alone because it was too steep for the two of them. Apparently the area, Kintamini, was in peak fly season, due to the “chicken shit” (not my phrasing) and the rainy season. We stopped to get some food and people looked at us like we were crazy for being there (always how I know I’ve found the right place) and we ate and swatted away flies. One kid on the back of his friend/brother’s scooter said to us “money money money”, a flashback to the time my brother and I visited a small island as children.
The homestay I crashed at last time was so helpful after I “lost” (Chase is a terrible bank) my debit card, I wanted to go back there. So we plugged in the address, arrived, and just walked in. While sitting on the steps an older woman came out, was very startled, and had to grab her son to come translate. Apparently the homestay was no longer in business after Covid, and we had just wandered into a strangers house. In Texas you would be shot for doing such a thing, but instead they thanked us, repeatedly, for our visit, and sent us to another homestay around the corner. The garden was full of mangos and other delicious flowers and fruits, and it was a delightful place to crash at. We booked a tour to take us to the summit of Batur the next day, and tried to get a good night’s rest as we would have to wake up at 4am the next day. We decided to squeeze in a temple before sunset, where we bought some black lava paintings and rudraksha bracelets.
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