Much of my trip to Bali was a series of "firsts." While I have seen volcanic rock, and I've seen Mt. Saint Helen's in the United States from afar, never have I seen an active volcano surrounded by a lake and certainly not as I lunched on a restaurant (albeit a buffet tourist spot) terrace overlooking a beautiful landscape. One bonus of having a meal here was that I was able to set up my tripod right there on the terrace. I was more interested in the photography opportunity than the food or the souvenir shops just inside the building. I did enjoy some fried spinach (almost like tempura, but crispier) and fish with a very typical topping made of onions, lemongrass, and red chili peppers. Oh, the sauces of Bali!!
This volcano, Mount Batur, and its lake are located in Kintamani in the northern area of of Bali. The air is crisp and cool as a stark contrast to the humid, warm air near the beaches of Seminyak where I was staying.
As I stood on the balcony of the restaurant, I tried to channel my 365 landscape photographer friends' skills, but alas, I can see that the majority of my shots really either used the wrong ISO or they did not appropriately place the subject in the "rule of thirds," which I rarely rely on as a way of framing my subjects. But this one stood out to me as an ok attempt. I think it's a bit too heavily edited, but I like the blue sky and the clouds just above the crater of the volcano as if it is actually emitting smoke.
The day was very cloudy at some points and then clear spots would appear--it would affect my camera setting choices, and I was nervous oddly.
After leaving the restaurant, and making our way through the sea of souvenir vendors--being careful to say "Tida Terima Kasih" (no thank you) each time--my friend and I joined our driver Edy for another adventure to taste the famous Lowak Coffee of Bali (more on that later). As we drove down the windy road to our next stop, fruit vendors lined the streets with the area's signature Kintamani orange and other colorful fruit. Each morning, Linda and Kadek (they work at the villa) made us fresh juice from these popular fruit! Snake fruit was also available, but I think the one I tried later from the restaurant offering was not very ripe--actually the smell was not very good, but the taste did not actually match the odd smell. I am sure I would have enjoyed a much more ripe one, but I loved how the skins of the fruit really mimicked that of a snake's.
You had to be up high here to catch a glimpse of the blue lake! Great to hear about it all and what you are experiencing. There is a fruit called Durian which is banned in some places because of its bad smell!
