Wednesday March 8

We began with an all-natural breakfast of tapas including moringa scrambled eggs, floral yogurt, and plenty of fresh local fruits. Afterwards, we were split into groups, and were sent on a scavenger hunt through the streets that entailed tasks including taking a picture with a stone statue, getting the signatures of three people named Made (which means second born child), and obtaining a local business card. Many groups inexplicably ended up at the same lunch spots, including at Black Sheep café where students came together to celebrate Sophia’s birthday. In addition, while on the adventure with her group, Hannah encountered a particularly friendly monkey who proceeded to jump on her and steal an avocado out of her hands. When all groups had returned to Swasti, we shared songs we had written to learn how to count in traditional Balinese language and in Indonesian (Bahasa), and numerous photos from our excursions. During our brief period of afternoon downtime, many of us flocked to the pool to seek refreshment, and others relaxed in our cabins to prepare for the night ahead. Before dinner, we gathered to participate in team-building activities, including a game of Steal Mel’s Fish and the seemingly daunting feat of lifting a lacrosse stick with each of us only having one fingertip resting underneath it. Dinner consisted of a traditional Balinese buffet and each of our places at the tables were adorned with handmade name tags crafted from banana leaves. While we ate, we enjoyed uplifting performances of You Raise Me Up, You Are My Sunshine, and many more songs by a group of local children from the Bali Orphan Day Centre. Each student was paired with a child, and they were all kind and patient enough to teach us how to play their instrument. At the conclusion of our delicious and nourishing meal, we boarded two buses for transit into central Ubud, specifically, the Ubud Palace. Circling the Monkey Forest and weaving through many busier streets packed with mopeads, we had the opportunity to see a new and more urbanized side of Bali. We reached the theatre and sat to watch a traditional Legong and Barong dance performance that concentrated on the story of two brother kings who seeked to conquer heaven, but their plans were interrupted by the Bidadaris (nymphs) and the goddess Niatama. Worn-out from the day’s activities, we enjoyed some ice cream on the steps of Ubud Palace, and finally hopped back onto our buses. After our typical evening Groton cheer, we were sent off to bed and fell almost instantly into a deep slumber.