Entries about alas

We had a full day out today.

First stop, ALAS HARUM where we tried LUWAK COFFEE.

Kopi luwak or civet coffee is a coffee made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet and other related civets, then passed through its digestive tract. Not-really-digested, then pooped out, collected up, cleaned, roasted and ground for our drinking pleasure. A civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. In its stomach, proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Passing through a civet's intestines the beans are then defecated, keeping their shape. After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness, widely noted as the most expensive coffee in the world.

We were not sure how much of the shit was removed from the coffee, cause we all - bar Wendy - thought the coffee tasted like shit! These animals are nocturnal and they are only in the cages during the day while they sleep. They are let out at night into the wild and have be trained to return at dawn to a big feed of red coffee berries, which they love. So during the day they poop out the undigested coffee beans which are then collected to make the Luwak Coffee.

Second stop, TEMPAK SIRING - THE HOLY SPRING WATER TEMPLE - where Miss April and I entered the water and were cleansed under the springs.

Third stop, TEGALALANG RICE TERRACE, the valley of the rice terraces where we stopped to enjoy the view and have a great lunch. Lyn and I ventured down into the rice fields.

Fourth stop, TEGENUNGAN WATERFALL, where Lyn, Miss A and I were the only ones to brave the steps down and swim in the water below.

GREAT DAY OUT!