September 22–23, 2024 / Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
I checked out of my hotel in Legian
and headed to Ubud.
Before leaving, I had a meal at a Vietnamese restaurant in Kuta.
For some reason, Vietnamese food in Bali.
It was exactly my kind of taste.
After that, I stopped by a Starbucks
and did a bit of work.
The name on my cup was “EHIG.”
No idea why.
The atmosphere there was relaxed though,
and it was easy enough to work.
A small detour on the way to Ubud
I took a Grab to my hotel in Ubud.
The driver was very friendly,
and we talked along the way.
At some point, he asked:
“Do you like coffee?”
He said his family runs a place
and asked if I wanted to stop by.
“It’s free, just go take a look.”
I didn’t really have a reason to say no,
so I agreed.
To be honest,
I thought it might be one of those tourist traps.
When he told me to leave my backpack in the car,
I said no.
Luwak coffee
When we arrived,
it was much bigger than I expected.
Not a small café,
but a full coffee plantation:
Lumbungsari Coffee Kengetan.
The staff guided me around,
and I got to try different kinds of coffee and chocolate for free.
They also explained Luwak coffee—
coffee made from beans that have passed through a civet.
I saw how it was made,
and even saw the civets themselves.
At the end, they said
I didn’t have to buy anything.
Still, I bought a few things.
Whether it really was “family-run”
or just a well-designed system for tourists,
I’m still not sure.
But I’m glad I went.
The driver was waiting with a smile
when I came back.
Garden View Ubud
I arrived at my hotel,
Garden View Ubud.
It had a calm atmosphere,
and the view from the balcony was full of greenery.
Very much Bali.
After a short rest,
I started unpacking.
Then I noticed something.
The screen of my external monitor was cracked.
I don’t remember hitting it.
Maybe this is what I get
for not leaving my backpack in the car.
I gave up on it.
In the evening,
I walked to the Monkey Forest.
Took some photos of monkeys,
and on the way back,
stopped at Bali Bohemia to eat and do a bit of work.
I returned to the hotel after it got dark.
An unexpected coincidence
The next morning,
I worked on the balcony for a while
and then went out for a walk.
Passing the Monkey Forest,
I was looking for a cafe—
when I saw something.
“Oh… ivy?”
It was Ivy Cafe.
My brand name is ivy web.
And my parents used to run a place called
Cafe Grill & Bar IVY.
It felt like a small coincidence.
Inside,
there were quite a few staff members,
but everyone was smiling,
and it felt comfortable.
I had a meal,
and worked there for a while.
To be continued →
Update
After writing this article, MeowSnap was released on November 13, 2025.It’s a small app that lets you quietly keep track of the cats you meet while traveling on a map.
