It’s our second day off. We have a couple of ideas for today, such as an elephant safari. But we find out it costs $68 for only a thirty minute ride. So Max and I go with taking a motorbike ride to a nearby waterfall called Tegenungan.

We take pictures of google maps before heading out. It looks pretty simple. There aren’t really street names so we just have to count the streets to make our turns – no problem.

We immediately get lost. We find ourselves driving through a farming neighborhood headed straight towards an open field. Pretty sure we’re not supposed to drive into a field… So we turn around and head back towards the main road. We pull over and take a look at our google maps picture again. Right away, a young Balinese guy with an earring and sunglasses pulls over and asks if we need help. We tell him we’re headed to the waterfall and he proceeds to give us directions. He then asks where we’re from. “California!” He responds with a big grin, “I’m from Bali!” I love the Balinese.

Max and I seem to get our bearings again. But then as we get to a round about on a main road, we’re unsure of where to turn. We pull over and walk into a store to ask for directions. There’s a young girl of about 12 behind the desk. She’s so cute, she starts to try to explain us directions, then pauses and takes out her phone to translate into English, right and left. Once again, we’re on our way.

Thankfully this time we spot a big sign with an arrow pointing towards “Tegenungan Waterfall.” We park in front of a mini market that sits on the cliff and looks out at the waterfall. It’s gorgeous. We follow these concrete stairs all the way down until we reach the water, which is lined by huge boulders. Ropes are set up so you can scale the cliff wall and stay out of the water. In the center there’s a little island of rocks where people lounge. I notice only a few tourists. For the most part, the waterfall is inhabited by locals. A handful of Balinese guys jump off the cliff in front of us and swim in swim trunks or boxer briefs. Max is stoked to finally use his GoPro.

I start swimming in the water and notice right away that it’s shallow and rocky on the bottom. This makes me nervous for cliff jumping. Thankfully, a nice Balinese guy comes over and asks Max and I if we’d like to jump. He’s more than willing to show us how, like it’s his job. The guy has a friendly presence, a funny half-hoop nipple piercing and pretty much runs the place, taking care of all the tourists who want to jump. He leads Max and I up slippery rocks where more ropes are set up to help you up. He shows us two spots to jump from. One is lower and closer to the deeper part of the water, whereas the other is right over the waterfall. So you’d basically jump right into the plunging water. We both go for the lower cliff spot for our first jump. The Balinese guy points out where I should jump to avoid the shallow water, then jumps in front of me to demonstrate. I take a deep breath, count to three, and leap forward into what I hope is a deeper pool of water. That is my one and only jump for the day since I get an unpleasant shoot of water up my ass. I guess I need to work on my cliff jumping skills.

Max jumps behind me with his GoPro strapped to his head. As he breaks the surface the GoPro flies off his head and into the water. I guess the universe decides to let him keep his precious GoPro because Max happens to catch it with his hand right before it sank into the watery depths. From then on, I’m in charge of taking pictures with the GoPro while Max is led up to the higher jumping spot above the waterfall. I continue to tread in the cool, fresh water until I notice some Balinese guys swimming behind the waterfall. I decide to check it out. But getting back there is harder than I thought. The current from the waterfall makes it hard for me to swim, so I find myself clinging to the slippery, cave-like walls while scaling along the rocky edge. Water is spraying everywhere so I blindly make my way to the pool behind the waterfall. I felt like I’m on a mission in Indiana Jones again and I can’t help but laugh. When I get my bearings, I make my way under the waterfall and quickly dip my head under, squealing at the funny sensation of buckets dumping down on me.

Our growling stomachs tell us it’s time to go find lunch. Max and I begin to dry off on the little rock island. While drying off, I notice a group of Balinese school girls in their uniforms hanging out and giggling. They catch me looking over at them and smile and wave back at me. Max and I get dressed and start to head out, but as we head towards our exit, the girls stop us and ask if they can take a picture with me. I’ve heard from the yoga girls at Jiwa Damai that this is a common occurance among the Balinese. They love to take pictures with white people. I have to admit I’m delighted. I kind of feel like a celebrity. One of the girls takes the photos on her phone and snaps a couple, with the girls popping different poses for each one. I can’t help but laugh at how cute they are. I ask Max to take a picture on my camera. I want to remember this too.

We start the trek back up the steep stairs. The ascent has me huffing and puffing. I find out later from Margret that this is why the Tegenungan Falls are less populated by tourists. For me, it’s definitely worth the sweat. When I reach the top, I’m bombarded by little Balinese kids asking where I’m from and offering me fans to purchase. Out of breath, I keep repeating, “California,” and “no, thank you,” trying to politely get away. They had spoken the same words when Max and I first arrived. Max and I snap on our helmets and get ready to hop back on our bike when the kids come scampering over again, all chanting at once, “Where are you from? Where are you from?” We answer and they automatically offer us fans again. Max tells me that they’re very well rehearsed. It becomes clear that they have no idea what they’re saying and probably don’t understand us either.

So we’re off to Ubud. We have no idea how to get there so we’re back to asking for directions. Eventually we figure it out. We’re so hungry that instead of searching for a place to eat, we bee-line for Kafe again. The food is great but Balinese food would’ve been preferred and cheaper. No matter, I discover a cute little vegan shop across the street and order banana sorbet and cashew gelato, which is amazing. I’m fully satisfied. Max and I wander around a bit, purchase some snacks to take back to Jiwa Damai and decide to head back home to take showers before dinner.

It’s the yoga group’s last night here. Dinner is early and everyone comes still dressed up from their closing ceremony. It’s different seeing everyone in dresses and makeup. They all look so beautiful. Since it’s their last night here, Margret suggests we all go out to a bar in Ubud. I’m surprised Margret proposes the idea, but elated at the thought that we can all have one last night together. Margret orders a couple of drivers for us and tells us to have a good night. We’re dropped off at CP Lounge and tell the drivers to come back for us at 11:30pm since there was a final yoga review at 7am in the morning. Of course, we end up staying later.

The lounge bar has a cool vibe to it and provides open, outdoor seating.  All fourteen of us throw some couches together and sit down, all ordering a large Bintang to cheers in the middle (Bintang is the Balinese beer). Everyone is so happy to be having a drink – the yoga girls haven’t had a sip of alcohol for 24 days. We all get to chatting, and I begin talking to Emily, a sweet, energetic, freckled girl from Oregon. I didn’t realize she was only 20 years old, the youngest in the yoga retreat. Emily and I talk about sending positive messages to the universe. She shares with me how one time, while driving with her friend to move to a new town, she said she wanted to take of kids while being able to travel. Two weeks later, she got a job as a nanny for a wealthy family who took her with them whenever they went on vacation, such as Hawaii or Europe. It’s all about projecting those dreams out into the universe and acting on them.

I tell Emily about my dreams of being a travel writer and novelist. This is something I’ve been wanting to do since I was a little 5th grader. But sometimes I have doubts that I can do it, that I can accomplish it. Emily tells me to never doubt myself. That we can do whatever we set our minds to. It is up to us to make that decision. I know she is right. I’ve always had my mind set on being a world traveler. And now, here I am, having traveled to over ten countries within the past three years. I’ve done this because I’ve set my mind to it and worked for it. Anything is possible.

As we are getting to our second large Bintang, hookah is ordered for the table and a live band begins to play. The band is actually really good. They play classics like Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones, having us all jiving and singing along. Catherine remarks that, with their bushy hair-do’s, the band members all look like Balinese Jimi Hendrix’s. By this point we know that we’re not going to leave at 11:30. Some of our group walks out to inform the drivers while others walk to the bar for a round of tequila shots (me included). We make a dance party in front of the live band and let the night take us. Then a DJ room opens up with some funkier tunes and our dance party migrates. We dance our hearts out to the point of sweating and reluctantly drag ourselves out of the bar when our drivers return for the second time.

On the car ride home some of the girls beg the driver to take us to get pizza, or anything else that was open at one in the morning. Unfortunately, we are in Bali, where such a thing didn’t exist. Culture shock. We end up going into the volunteer area back at Jiwa Damai and raid the mini fridge where volunteers and guests store snacks. I’m surprised by how tired I am, not used to staying up late anymore after my switch into the Jiwa Damai daily lifestyle. I realize what an amazing day I’ve had. Again. Goodnight, Bali.