Our first day in Bali was spent going to the south part of the island. It was also Nicole’s birthday! She got a surprised birthday cake for breakfast. We all hopped on the bus and drove out for the day. We first went to a market that was well known for selling fruits. They had so much stuff that I couldn’t help but buy souvenirs already. After the market we went to have lunch. It was buffet style; unfortunately, it was not very impressive. I am still waiting to have good Balinese food. After lunch we went to a temple by the beach. Bali, unlike the rest of Indonesia, is more Hindu and Buddhism influenced and so they had Hindi and Buddhist temples. We spent the afternoon at Tanah lot. It is a market place plus Hindu temple next to the ocean. At the temple by the rocks you could get blessed for a small donation. They wet your forehead, pressed rice on it, and gave you a flower behind your ear. Nicole and I did it together. It didn’t mean very much to each of us since we don’t believe in the religion but the entire experience of being there and having them blessed us was very cultural feeling. It was definitely a highlight of the trip to Bali for me. We stayed and watched the sunset there. It was lovely.