Bali ... off topic

Bali is beautiful ... even the way they grow rice is beautiful.

I had a couple other experiences in Bali worth sharing that really didn't have anything to do with fabric or fashion.

Actually both are animal related.

First one: Our guide suggested we visit a coffee plantation one day on the way to the beach.  I and everyone else loved the idea. And this coffee plantation had more than just coffee.  They also had all sort of spices growing that I had never seen on a tree such as cloves and nutmegs. Just the spices alone were reason enough to go to this place.

But, the coffee turned out to much more interesting that I imagined. What I didn't realize until we got there, this wasn't ordinary coffee. This was animal coffee.  And what that means is ... well ... it is coffee that has passed through an animal, a civet to be exact.

This is a civet, a kind of weasel. They LOVE to eat coffee berries! They eat the entire berry ... bean and all.

Here I am looking at some of the cute little civets in their cages.

And if you look closely at the bottom of the cages you will find what's left of the coffee beans after they've passed through the civet.

The "droppings" of the civet are collected and THOROUGHLY washed, roasted, ground and brewed into coffee ... 

They then offered an array of spiced teas and coffees to try for free, but if you wanted to try the animal coffee (and I did) it was $5 a cup, which is a lot in Bali.

It is a very smooth tasting and coffee and naturally caffeine free because the civets absorb all the caffeine when they eat the beans.  My friend thinks that is why they are nocturnal ... ha ha

They call it the most expensive coffee in world and it is.  I bought the smallest bag they had, less than 1/4 pound and it was $37.  But I wanted to bring some back for my sons and daughter-in-law to try.

I'm told that in "The Bucket List", drinking this animal coffee is one of things that the guys in the movie want to do before they die.  Well, I can chalk that one up!

The other interesting thing that happened to me was in the Monkey Forest.

In Ubud, in town, there is a Monkey Forest, where there is a huge protected population of long-tailed macaques. They are so cute, especially the babies. The monkeys are sacred to the Balinese and there are ladies who sell bananas to feed them. 

And even though I didn't buy any bananas because I wasn't eager to have monkeys jumping on me, that's exactly what happened! 

I kind of panicked and stopped taking photos. But I found a photo that shows exactly what I must have looked like.

EEEEK!  is all I have to say ...

Anyway, back to sewing topics tomorrow.  I'm working on a blog all about interfacings.  I've learned something writing it.  I hope you will find it interesting to read.