Home Near the Equator

June 2, 2014 at 7:45 pm  •  Posted in Bali, Connecting, Inspiration by

In the early morning light, the vibrant green from the cascading rice paddies surrounding the stone pathway snaking up the ridge has a Wizard of Oz, Technicolor sort of aura. The air is thick with life, and as I arduously run up the spine of Campuhan Ridge, I feel as though I am in the right place at the right time. It’s been a long journey, but after travels half way around the world, I am finally getting back near the equator, where home is currently located.

Man carrying grass bundle was the only traffic on my early morning run

Man carrying grass bundle was the only traffic on my early morning run

Taking a break from Project Equator has been a whirlwind, leaving me with many great experiences, lots of travel and refreshed perspective on our family gap year. The creative energy of entrepreneurship, the collective experiences of world travel, the nourishment of true and rich time with my family, and the self-awareness of starting “the second half” as the half-century milestone passes for me all combine into a stream of possibility and joy that is represented perfectly here in Ubud, Bali.

Rice paddies next to the Camphuan Ridge Trail

Rice paddies next to the Camphuan Ridge Trail

When I arrived at the foot of Penestanan, where over 100 steps looked down on me as I exited Ketut’s car (our host and village Chief), I was beyond excited. Like a flood of brain cells unlocked from 18 years earlier, I had the warm bath of familiarity, returning to the small village within Ubud where Lisa and I honeymooned in 1995. Like one of those dream sequences in a movie, Ketut pointed up the seemingly ancient stone steps and said “head on up and you will find your family.”

The entrance gate to Rumah Cinta

The entrance gate to Rumah Cinta

After weeks of separation, I couldn’t believe I was coming home… and what a magical, mystical purely awesome home it is! At the top of the steps, guarded by stone gods at each terrace, Ketut’s wife Made pointed me down a narrow stone path bordered by an ancient irrigation channel gurgling water to now extinct rice paddies. A series of wooden signs and pinned posters hinted at a myriad of yoga studios, organic restaurants, raw cooking schools, progressive art studios and ads for various assortments of accommodations. With the directions “follow the path and take a left at Intuitive Flow, you’ll be home,” I continued on.

Made, part of the family that is taking care of us, loaded with the morning's offerings on the path outside our villa.

Made, part of the family that is taking care of us, loaded with the morning’s offerings on the path outside our villa.

Upon taking the left, a narrow path adorned with a Hindu alter, fresh offerings and a bright yellow ceremonial umbrella led to a wonderfully elaborate stone and carved wooden gate, with the doors open to embrace me as I entered the compound. A seemingly unreal and exotic tropical garden greeted me, with rich, rubbery greenery, brightly colored flowers, serene statues, a quintessential negative edged pool and a stone villa all hit my senses as I dreamily floated in. That evening, we enjoyed a magical reunion and 50th birthday festivities, serving as my first of many scrumptious organic meals from our neighboring Yellow Flower Cafe delivered to our outdoor teak dining table by the restaurant staff. Like we’d been calling this oasis home for years, I finally reconnected with my family and was swiftly absorbed back into our familiar bubble developed over the months of International travel.

I am dripping with sweat in the swiftly rising temperature, harkened by the rising sun streaming over the surrounding hilltops, as I run past Balinese women cutting rice stalks in the fields on either side of me. The quiet of dawn is slowly transitioning to another peaceful day in the hills above the bustling town of Ubud. I know I should turn around, not wanting to over-work my slowly recovering body from a previous year of stress and work, but I can’t seem to get off the carousel of quixotic, pastoral scenery sliding by. But inevitably, my knees remind me that it is time, just as I come up on a small path that leads to a small temple and offering alter, fresh with the herbal scent of still-burning incense. As I take a breadth and prepare for the reverse run back, I couldn’t feel more at home anywhere else in the world.

Tuck and Jones hiking the Ridge Trail

Tuck and Jones hiking the Ridge Trail

 

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3 Comments

  1. Ashley Sternberg / June 22, 2014 at 8:20 pm /

    This is such a beautiful post. So happy for you all

  2. Mo Vahey / June 23, 2014 at 5:39 am /

    I have happy memories of my time spent with Lisa in Bali! I remember the rice fields, the sky at night, the amazing flowers and being assaulted by monkeys in the forest! Enjoy!

    • Cliff Sharples / June 27, 2014 at 7:47 pm /

      Hey Mo! We were all in the Monkey Forest yesterday and I had a monkey on my head :-)

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