Entries about connection

My friend Trey and I journeyed down to the Bukit Penninsula in search of some surf.
The ride down was a bit tough with my stomach still aching from the day before but later in the afternoon is settled down.
Trey knew a driver who took us down the coast and we found a nice place to stay in Padang Padang. A very nice place , with my own room no longer dorm style bunks! Our own bathroom, beautiful gardens and a gorgeous clean very private pool. All for about 8$ a night. We don't have A/C but I have a fan, and there's a nice outside shower too.

Right down the road is a yummy cafe called Buddha Soul with an amazing amazing chic pea feta salad but the first day I couldn't eat any solid food yet so I ordered some fresh green tea kombucha and iced ginger tea drink. The perfect hangover or sickness cure.

I thought Valentines Day was a commercial Americanized Holiday but right across the street from us the restaurants are decked out. We decided to explore the area and rented a motor bike and get away from all that nonsense. This area of Bali is much more spread out than Sanur and Seminyak and Trey knows his way on a bike so I put my helmet on and trusted him and all is well.

The first day we explored Pendawa Beach Balis best kept secret. It actually had some good surf, epic views, and lime stone statues everywhere of Hindu Gods. Throughout our stay in this area we found an awesome cheap local Warung to eat at (Warung means 'place to eat' but usually means a place with authentic local indonesian food for very very cheap) .
Throughout the week we surfed another beach right next to Pendawa, Padang Padang, and Uluwatu. I didn't think I was going to surf any of these areas but this week the swell is pretty small for Bali and I woke up every day and checked it and didn't count myself out. I even surfed at Uluwatu and all we had was a 6'2 tiny short board (which I never ever ride) and I went out there in a super crowded line up and hung in. I know to some of you surfers I sound like a total dork right now, but I'm very proud of my willingness and progress in my surfing abilities . But more surf and time in the water means more sun, and sometimes my body is too burnt and worn out to be as fully dedicated to my yoga practice as I should be. I am brushing it off because the last two weeks of my trip should be yoga non stop.
One day was pretty small and we rented a SUP to surf and do some yoga on and did some snorkeling.
I like to challenge my practice on the SUP because poses that normally I take for granted and can always do are suddenly so much harder. Head stand was quickly accessible for me, forearm stand took a while longer but I am now comfortable with, and I am still getting used to the handstand. But it's still quite scary because if you drop back into wheel you can slip and slam your back on the board, which I've done and it hurts. But fear does not prevent death it prevents life! Right? So I kept trying And that day I did catch more hang time on the SUP than I ever have. My falls are getting more graceful, but I did take one that some limbs landed on the board and that's when I called it a day haha.

In this area you can get caught up in the single surfer almost club like scene and spend a whole lot of money or you can motor bike around and find the chill surfer vibe. After paying for a watermelon mixed drink at the Single Fin Uluwatu that cost more than the place I am staying, we decided to stick with the Warungs.

Haven't done much yoga in the past few days because I am so sun burnt from surfing, but I must say this area has been my favorite thus far.
One of our last nights here We put on our purple sarongs to cover our knees in the sweltering heat and caught a beautiful sunset at the infamous Uluwatu Temple. This temple was smaller than Tanahlot but it was more about the view, a long walk on giant cliffs over the ocean. If the breath taking view wasn't enough this temple gets its character from those meditating around it and the little monkeys running around that look and act so human it reminds you how much we are all connected. We shared some quiet moments with the monkeys as we all watched the sun the energy source that supports us all, lower over the Indian Ocean.
I said thanks to the sun for all the energy I am given, for growing our food and providing us warmth and light. Feeling so grateful for the life I am given but also proud of myself for choosing to live it. For choosing to go out in the water, to come to Asia alone, to follow a spiritual path and sometimes dare to be different than the average. Because life is not happening to us, it's responding to us, and only I can create the life I want to live. I must be true to myself and what I want. And respect others and what they want to do. Because in the end we are all connected by the same sun that warms us all and the same love that we all seek.