After the last several weeks of being constantly on the move, we were looking forward to settling into Bali for a while. However, shortly after arriving and unpacking our bags, our gracious host informed us it was time to go to Charles’s chocolate factory. Apparently the swell was the right size and angle for the surf break adjacent to the factory. So there was no choice but to rent a moped with racks and pack up once again, heading for the northeast shore of Bali.

“Settling in” was soon forgotten as the lush green jungle beckoned us onward. The rice paddies whispered secrets of a much different Bali – no traffic, no one trying to sell us anything. The road down to Charles’s was a pothole-ridden dirt road that arrived at a shoreline surrounded by huts looking more like an Ewok homestead than a factory. The factory itself was inside one of the huts. Later, the tour took about two minutes- enough for the worker to show me where the samples were and what was in each of the samples. It consisted of one small air conditioned room (so the chocolate wouldn’t melt) and there were packages of various items for sale.

And the surf was beautiful! And not too many people, at least until about 9 am. After we had enough of the crowd, we decided to explore the area a bit. Sky took us on a ride up a TINY windy, steep “road” (about 2 feet wide) for some killer views, and then onward to the end of another (and thankfully wider) road to a temple at the end. He said from that temple you could hike a few hours to another temple at the very top of the mountain, but we opted to save that for another day. Later, we had some delicious curry at a small restaurant and bungalows surrounded by rice paddies. After feeling like I’d had a good workout surfing for an hour, I felt humbled watching 60+ year old women carrying loads of rice on their heads, walking barefoot up a steep series of steps between the rice fields. Sky says they are a different breed. I guess if you did that your whole life, you would be.

On the way back we stopped by a spring to fill our water bottles, and Sky and Ted took an impromptu bath to cool off. Back at the homestead, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and then meandered off to our little hotel next door for some shuteye. The next day I enjoyed a smaller but still fun session before heading back to the madness of the city. Now we just wait for the next perfect swell so we can go back… and maybe hike that mystic temple trail to the top.