May 10: Bali

Bali is Bali. This is a common saying among the locals on the island to describe how beautiful and unique the island is, and we were able to experience a small part of that beauty today. We began today by going to a local market full of trinkets, clothing, and souvenirs for us to browse and purchase. Many members of the choir took advantage of this opportunity to purchase batik, a traditional style of clothing for the Indonesian people.

Once we finished shopping, we traveled to one of the most anticipated locations of the tour for many members of the choir—the monkey forest. This forest is an area with sidewalks that tourists can walk through while monkeys are crawling around them. Many monkeys sit in the walkways while they groom each other, and others casually watch the passing tourists. The monkeys are not timid with the people walking within their home and are even very comfortable jumping onto people’s shoulders. It made for a very memorable experience!

After our visit to the monkey forest, we were then taken to a beautiful restaurant surrounded by rice fields. The view was spectacular and the food was incredible as well. While at the restaurant, we gave a small present to our tour guides Roy, Patrick, and Harry. They have been so friendly to us throughout our time in Indonesia and it will be very sad to part ways tomorrow morning when we leave to begin our Vietnam leg of this international tour. We feel very blessed to have met them.

Once we finished lunch, we then got back on the buses and returned to our hotel. We were given the evening to ourselves to enjoy Bali and the amenities surrounding the hotel. Many members of the choir went to the beach about five minutes away to enjoy the very warm, refreshing water and while some spent their evening at the hotel’s pool. Others went shopping in the nearby stores where they were able to practice their bartering skills. Bali is an island we will not soon forget—Bali is Bali!