Coral at our traditional Indonesian dinner at the lovely Agung’s home.

Two of my roomies, sisters from other Mr’s and best friends for life, MK and Helen on our way to dinner.

Helen spent the first three years of her life living in Indonesia. Sitting down with traditional Indonesian food cooked by Angung’s wife, it took Heli less than five minutes to well up. Those olfactory senses kicked in. Amazing what the body and mind remembers.

MK drinking one of 100000 coconuts during our stay.

At hotel Jungjugan (bloody beautiful) about 3kms outside of Ubud. Doors opening right onto the rice paddy’s.

Working in the rice paddy’s. The Indonesian farmers rise with the sun and birds at around 5am and work solidly for hours. As you can imagine, they are fierce with resilience.

Offering to the Gods

These stunning orchids grow in a lot of the frangipani tree-trunks.

Mary-Kate

Mastin and his band of awesome ladies. All 30 of us. He is asking us to do the ‘Spock’?

Agung explaining the effects of Monsanto and the genetic rice seends they now have to farm with, which is having huge follow-on effects on the nutritional value that local Balinese receive from the rice. Please buy organic wild rice where possible to support non-GMO rice production.

Flower of life symbol following me everywhere.

Man of the hour, Mastin Kipp, lending a hand. Which is what he did for an entire 11 days while we were ‘schooled’.

Mastin Kipp (master of the retreat) and Mr. Agung. Our guide and host with the most – watching the sun rise over Mt. Agung.

Being washed over by the spring water at the Holy Spring. This water comes straight from the mountain and is untouched by humans when it pours out of the stone spout. We said a prayer at each spout, placed our hands onto the stone and allowed the water to wash over our heads. Once for each 12 spouts. I said a prayer for you too of course.

There are painted mandalas all over Ubud. A mandala is a circular figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. Many of the Indonesian people are Hindu.

My favourite: Fern-tip salad

Helen Padarin

Traditional Indonesian Food

In ‘class’. Helen Padarin.

Traditional Indonesian dinner

Traditional Indonesian dinner

Mastin Kipp

I might preface this photo by saying my Swiss friend Victoria thought she would get white flour ‘pasta’ when she ordered this. NOT raw vegetable pasta as it came. She sucked it up. She’s a brave gal.

raw pasta. The food at Yogabarn was AMAZING.

Raw vegan parmesan cheese with raw pesto ‘pasta’.

Jackfruit

Raw lasagne with cashew cheese

morning dew on wheatgrass

Our daily wheatgrass shot material getting the morning sun.

Agung with THE durian I was desperate to get my hands on. It was on my bucket list to try some. I’m never going back… it was disgusting.

Tyra Fox and Mastin Kipp.

Helen Padarin

Melissa Angelone

Beautiful Tyra.

Tyra Fox

Victoria

Seriously Helen? What a BABE!

Helen Padarin

Helen Padarin

Tracie and Victoria

Thank-you

The swastika is an ancient symbol that has been found worldwide, but it is especially common in India. Its name comes the Sanskrit word svasti (sv = well; asti = is), meaning good fortune, luck and well-being. This original meaning of the swastika is a far cry from Western associations of the symbol, which are largely negative.