Papayas & General Stores
Treats from my last week in Bali
Welcome to the first edition of Treats of the week.
This format was inspired a little project I started with my partner in an attempt to keep each other in the loop during the two months where one of us would be in Bali and the other in Berlin. Before our goodbyes, we compiled a list of questions on a shared google doc with topics ranging from favourite meal eaten that week, to how we would like to be treated when coming home after a bad day.
Every week, one of us (we alternate) picks three questions from the query bank, and sends an email indicating the chosen questions. Once the seeds have been planted, we each have a week to respond to the questions via email. Sounds a bit silly, but the game has paved way to a new communication channel that feels a bit more intimate than the 23 minute long voice memo that I am guilty of sending.
Cut to today: I’ve chosen three (lighthearted) prompts to wrap a bow on my last week in Bali. I’ll spare you the details on my communication preferences in moments of distress, that’s third date material.
Song I’m listening to as I write this: San Juan Sunset by Deodato (thank you, A for this idea).
Fruit of the week: Papaya (hand sliced by yours truly)
Coming to you post-breakfast-fruit-bowl, this question is a topical one. Papaya ranks quite highly on my scale of favourite fruits, but it’s been some time since I’ve had my fix. Granted, I am living in Berlin, a place that is as far away from tropical (literally and figuratively) as it gets. Maybe one day I’ll find kohlrabi to be as exciting as a papaya, but today is not that day. In Bali, I dive headfirst into breakfast, most likely into a papaya.
My last week I was in only accommodation with a kitchen. The rest of my time, I was without, hence why I was practically frothing at the mouth when I saw that my Airbnb came with a proper knife and cutting board. My domestic tendencies could finally come out to play after laying dormant for too long. There is something beautiful that comes with tasked to chop, slice, or dice something. It’s as if the act casts a spell on me that dissipates everything that led to that moment and everything to come after. It’s just me and my papaya, a love story like no other.
Discovery of the week: Seseh neighbourhood
I spent my last week in Canggu. Canggu is an area in Bali that has a reputation for beach clubs, vape shops, gymshark, and traffic.
So why did I decide to spend my precious last days in Bali here? I suppose it was an exercise in proving my assumptions wrong (I also did my due diligence to ensure that my accommodation was far far away from the Tiesto Beats).
From organic markets, to a great yoga studio, and an amazing Japanese restaurant (thank you, H), a lot lay beneath the surface.
The Japanese restaurant, Bokashi, practically became my second home — I ate a meal window-side at their tatami mat seating once per day. The miso soup tastes like home and the side of mushrooms is always divine.
Keen to branch out, I began to hunt for a new cafe to infiltrate. Instagram had frankly failed me one too many times when trying to find new cafes in Canggu. The thing I learned is that in this side of town, everything looks better online. Not in the mood to be cat-fished, I went old school and pulled up Google Maps. After pinching and pulling in and out of the map, I traveled up and found a pin for a cafe called “Seseh General Store”.
I can’t tell you why, but seeing “General Store” as a suffix for an establishment caught my eye. My mind went to Broome St. General Store, which falls into the category of what I was seeking out: chill cafe with outdoor seating, good coffee but also matcha on the menu, a nice mix of classic and funky pastries on offer, and Monocle magazines on display with some local zines peppered in for patrons to snack on.
So far so good.
I called a car and next thing you know, I was off to Seseh.
Unbeknownst to me, Seseh is the name of a neighbourhood just outside of Canggu proper. After fifteen minutes plugged up in the nostril of congested Canggu traffic, my driver peeled away down an unassuming road. Full speed ahead, we were sandwiched between ripe rice paddies and the Indian ocean winking between palm tree leaves. Moments later, we stopped at a corner and there it was: Seseh General Store. Unsurprisingly, all the boxes were checked with flying colours. I propped down with a turmeric chaga latte (bonus points), a veggie wrap (tortilla was so divine, it may be homemade), and a 2017 Monocle. I couldn’t help but notice how peaceful I felt. Not hearing the sound of motorcycles and trucks scooting down the road was like paradise for my ears. After my sip and snack, I meandered down the road perpendicular to the one I had initially come down. Infatuated by the quiet, I stumbled upon a spa and another coffee shop cum wine bar where I later discovered was home to a very seductive tahini brownie (warmed up).
The days following were peppered with little escapes to Seseh, and each trip granting me a new insight into this slice of life — one that keeps me hungry to return.
Unexpected surprise: That I quite like Canggu.
Granted, I ping ponged back and forth between a short list of establishments (all roads most likely leading to Bokashi), but I’m frankly quite pleased with that. Rather than constantly experiencing new things (which has been much of what the past two months have been), crawling into these pockets of familiarity made home not feel so far away.
Those of you getting the extra juice, look out for a travel guide with my Canggu and other spots to hit in Bali.
Suksama Bali… thank you for holding me in your warm embrace for the past two months. You helped me see beyond my assumptions, because you blew my expectations out of your sparkling waters.
Sampai Jumpa, B.
Dreaming of papaya and paradise!