I died and went to heaven at breakfast this morning after ordering some Canteen Cafe pancakes. They were incredible and came with a coconut honey drizzle on them. They were dressed with a side of tropical fruit although I could of happily substituted that for more pancakes. I will soon be their best customer…
Coconut honey drizzle…
Fruity
Berry smoothie bowl
After filling up for breakfast we set about looking for a gym to workout during our stay in Bali. It was important for us to maintain a healthy diet whilst in Bali which is easy to do however finding a good gym was much more of a challenge. Bali is definitely not short of gyms however each one seems to be vastly different from one another. After searching around 4 or 5 different locations, we finally thought we had nailed it with a perfect location, good equipment and a good vibe until we were told it was a women only gym – not so great for Gary haha! So it was back to the drawing board.
Searching for a gym became kinda dull so we set off again on the scooter eager to explore some of classic Bali. We ended up heading north to visit Tanah Lot, a well-known temple sitting on a huge offshore rock that we’d seen on lot’s of the touristy websites. The temple sits on a rock formation that’s been continuously shaped over the years by the ocean tide.
It’s quite the spectacle and the views are amazing, although much of the structure has actually been restored and it’s quite difficult to distinguish the old from the new. You also have to pay to enter the surrounding area so it sort of commercialises the whole thing a bit. There are lots of locals trading nearby and the temples are very crowded so it’s wise to perhaps go mid-week to get the best pictures. If you just want a nice day out though I’d still recommend a visit, there are hundreds of market stalls leading up to Tanah Lot and many restaurants to choose from so you can really make a day of it!
Ocean view
Which way?
Gates to temple
Pano view
View from rocks
Tanah Lot
Yes I do see it
Tanah Lot
As we strolled around the market maze, we were startled to see an open coffee shop with what turned out to be Wild Civets (look how cute they are!) sprawled over the tables just chilling in the sun. Rather unconventionally they had a massive bat hanging upside down at the entrance. The staff were very welcoming and allowed us to take photos and pet the civets. They went on to explain how the Luwak coffee is made from collecting the seeds of the coffee berries from the feces of the civets after they have been eaten and digested – disgusting I know.
The manufactures believe the civets choose the best berries to eat containing better beans and that digestion will improve the flavour. The downside is there is a lot of ethical concern surrounding this trade with the civets living in horrendous battery farmed conditions being force fed beans. From what we saw however, this particular coffee house owned their collection of civets who were free to roam around making it a far greater environment for them. Despite finding them adorable, we decided not to try the coffee. It was a definite case of mind over matter and the mind won!
Is this a bat or a squirrel… or both?
Sleepy
Chilled
We carried on through the market and picked ourselves up some street food in the form of Gary’s favourite, grilled corn with chilli. You can pretty much pick up grilled corn cobs anywhere in the market territories and I have to agree what a great snack it is for only 10,000 IDR (47p). After returning to Canggu, we tasted our first selection of proper street food from an old lady on the beach, we kept it simple and chose grilled chicken on skewers and sat and watched the waves. We were then swiftly joined by one of the locals who managed to wedge his way in-between us while we ate. So naturally we had to get a selfie…
So basic.. yet so good
But first…
After a long day of exploring it was back to our favourite Betelnut for dinner where I decided a treat was in order as I’d been eyeing up the delicious selection of cheesecakes for days.
I choose a banana and Nutella slice which was mouthwateringly sensational (I get very excited when it comes to deserts!). Such a mistake on my part as I have no other choice now but to try every other kind! We better hurry up and find that gym!
Thanks for reading, see you all soon. Comment and share…
Lots of Love
Xx
