After two incredible weeks in Raja Ampat it was time to return to Bali. After two weeks of fish and rice it was time to eat well in Bali. After two weeks with little or no internet it was time to get caught up in Bali. Heather and I had discussed and planned our first couple meals upon our return. We had a list of things to accomplish online – our tax return had to be completed and filed; travel plans for our upcoming trip to Singapore and Penang had to be researched and reservations made; a friend had written seeking travel advice for their upcoming trip to Bali; a blog post, or two, had to be written. After landing in Denpasar we arranged for a ride to our guesthouse in Canggu, dreading the rush hour traffic that would certainly slow our trip. But we made amazing time through the empty streets. Most of the shops had already closed for the day. It was weird. It was Nyepi.

The Balinese are the only folks who celebrate their new year in March. Anyway, Nyepi is a day for introspection. Families urge the evil spirits to leave their homes the night before Nyepi by banging pots and pans. Then they observe a day of silence, doing no work and using no electricity, hoping those same spirits won’t return in order to ensure the family has an entire year of good luck. And they really take this seriously! The airport shuts down for twenty-four hours. TV service is suspended. All movement outside the home is forbidden (guards patrol the streets to ensure no one ventures outside). Worst of all, for us at least, internet service is suspended. So we wouldn’t be checking any items off our to-do list this day. We wouldn’t get that meal we were craving. We would, however, read a hell of a lot. And play cards. And take naps. And pat ourselves on the back for getting out to the grocery store the night before and stocking the room with beer and wine. 

Following the Day of Silence, we did get to our to-do list, and had a chance to explore Canggu, which is a hipster surf town. To get away from the motorcycle-riding man-buns and the emaciated-yoga-chick crowd we ventured up to Tanah Lot, a Hindu temple built on the rocky shoreline a few miles north. Even visiting before the Instagramming selfie-taking hordes who flock here at sunset, it was still really busy and, we felt, a bit overblown. So much so that Heather didn’t even take photos!