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Booked a driver to take us up to the 'Mother Temple' at Besakih and to the volcano. On the way to the temple we stopped at a place that produces Luwak coffee. This coffee is named after the 'kopi luwak' a small squirrel like animal that likes to eat a particular coffee bean grown here. After passing through its digestive tract its 'poo' is collected, washed and turned into coffee which is very expensive and highly prized. Of course we were expected to try some (at 50,000 rp a cup) One cup was enough and we shared it amongst us. Mmmn! On to the Mother Temple. This place was a real tourist rip off joint. Firstly, they slug you 65,000 rp just to park then you have to run the gauntlet of hundreds of hawkers selling postcards and trinkets and either rent or buy a sarong as your legs must be covered. They also told us that we needed a sash as well. After the total was tallied it came to 380,000 rp (a bit over $40.00) and we had brought with us 3 sarongs kindly lent to us by some fellow travellers at the resort. Once inside we didn't see too many others with sashes needless to say. Then it's another 150,000 for the guide, which was good actually as he explained the significance of things. Then his hand goes out for a tip at the end. Looks like another trip to the ATM! On to the rim of the caldera of Mt Batur. Hawkers swarming like bee's to honey. They wouldn't take no for an answer and even tried throwing tee shirts into the car and asking us to pay. We threw them back! Lunch at the restaurant overlooking the caldera was a buffet style and very nice. (100,000 pr each) Someone had told us that they had paid 200,000! It was a bit misty up there and the views weren't quite as good as hoped. Back to Candidassa and a swim to cool off then dinner at Vincent's with a female jazz singer which was excellent.
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Chris Waller Great stuff. Had a good chuckle at a couple of your comments!!
Kerry Lots of chuckling as I read too!! Loving the photos too.