Location: Bali, Indonesia
Because it lived in Bali, hahahahaha, no, really, a chicken almost got run over trying to cross the road today. Once upon a time, there was a boat named Argo, and it was anchored in Bali. And on the third day, there was excitement. It all started as a normal day. We woke at 7 for our usual 7:30 breakfast. The deckies shammied and put up the tarps while the gophers gophed, but then all hell broke loose when the cups made a run for it by jumping overboard. Luckily, due to Leah’s valiant efforts and the help of the dinghy, all the cups were safely returned to their cupboard, and the order was returned. Little did we know what would later be called the cup incident was a sneak preview of the excitement that lay ahead. After breakfast, there was class – today was OCB or, for all you landlubbers, Marine Biology. We just finished learning about animals in the phylum Mollusca, and today, we got to do a squid dissection to check them out up close. It was off to town with the tears for our lost comrades. The squids are still in our eyes. Although we were saddened, we knew our squid friends would want us to enjoy the day in their memory and the fun we had. One lucky group, Zoe, Sean, Sam, Hannah, DJ, and Annie, was about to have their world turned upside down. We knew little about the land of Ubud. Some of the travelers were scared. There were rumors it was the land of Giants. The cab driver, fearless as he was, quickly quelled these rumors. The roads were windy and packed; it was a sea of cars. Tis no matter. The cab driver weaved his way through like a thread through a needle. Not wanting us to miss any of the action, the cab driver pulled up to a quiet little shop. Outside, the workers wove the most beautiful patterns into Batik cloth. The travelers were mesmerized. It was like nothing they had seen before. The travelers were overcome with greed and had to have some, so they bought some fabric from the nice store workers and left on their merry way. It was back into the cab among the sea of cars. The travelers started to drift off into a wonderful sleep as the cab meandered its way along the winding, twisting Bali roads. Suddenly, the cab stopped.
Awakened from their daydreams, the travelers gazed upon the most marvelous jungle. It was full of magnificent spices, herbs, and fruits. Best of all, the wild coffee bean-eating Luwak lived among these trees. Intrigued, the travelers set forth to explore. As they entered the jungle, a guide came forth to show them the way and enlighten them about the mysteries of the forest. All the while, the smell of coffee filled their nostrils. The light at the end of the tunnel was getting closer and closer until, finally, we reached the source of the coffee. There the travelers tasted and marveled at 14 of the most flavorful coffees and teas as they tasted succulent chocolate. They could have stayed there forever; it was like heaven. However, they knew they must be going on. Back in the cab, they went in search of food. The cab driver knew just the spot – a restaurant overlooking the rice paddies. There, the travelers had a marvelous lunch with tasty smoothies and interesting foods like crispy duck. Then, they were serenaded with music as a dragon glided past them. After a refreshing lunch, it was off to explore again.
Wanting to see more rice paddies, the travelers drove further along the winding roads until the paddies appeared. There, they ventured once more into the wild, this time without a guide. As they explored the rice fields, the travelers came upon some workers who gladly talked about life on the rice paddies and posed for some pictures. But the travelers were not satisfied, and they hopped into their cab and sped off to see a temple. The cab driver knew just the one. He drove the explorers to his favorite temple, where they ventured in to be enlightened in the holy area. After exploring for a while, the travelers found another kindof tourist, and he gladly offered to take their photograph in front of one of the monuments. By now, the travelers were exhausted from the temple. They headed back home, glad they had made the trek. Once back on the boat, the travelers could not wait to share their adventures with their shipmates, where they learned other groups had visited many of the same places they had at different times. A couple of groups had gone surfing, and one group even saw a volcano. Then after a magnificent meal of ratatouille from Chef Max, the travelers and their shipmates prepared the boat for their upcoming voyage and drifted off into a deep sleep, happy with their day’s accomplishments.