Christmas Tree decorations

Our Balinese team and our international volunteers from France, Spain, Japan, Austria and Germany decorated our Christmas tree. We are hanging some lovely ornaments on the Frangipani tree at the entrance of the dining area. We hope the strong rains will leave our beautiful decorations hanging 🙂

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All our nations together

It is absolutely amazing how people from all over the world are coming together at Jiwa Damai, in the heart of Bali!

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Garden Creature

 Look carefully between the green leaves and you’ll see this beautiful, nearly unrecognizable, lizard climbing in the Jiwa Damai garden. It has a wonderfully long tail and can jump from branch to branch.

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North Bali Vineyards

Growing grapes in Bali has started at the beginning of the 20th Century but it is only a few decades ago, after multiple trials and errors, survival to parasites and other vine diseases, that the grapes were grown with satisfaction on a commercial scale and found in markets all over the archipelago. The final choice was a black table grape variety of French origin called ‘Alphonse Lavallée’.

The vines in North Bali’s vineyards are trained into an overhead trellis called Pergola, where the posts consist of small trees, which are regularly pruned. Besides keeping the workers cool, the pergola system reduces the risk of diseases and sunburn on the grapes, all contributing to a better fruit quality.

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Unique Bali Grapes

In our land in the hills of Bali, at Awan Damai, in Gunung Sari, we began to plant local Balinese grapes. about 500 pieces. The area is about 700 m in altitude and exposed to the North of the island.

However, since we are only a few degrees below the equator, the sun comes straight overhead and thegrapes are exposed to the tropical sunshine. At the moment we are feeding some of the vines with EM, effective micro organisms and the others are being left without. We wish to see if the nutrients and bacteria in the EM does make a difference in growth.

Our grapes are surrounded by miles and miles of clove trees which are harvested in September and dried. 

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Volunteering at Jiwa Damai

We are very grateful for the work of our volunteers at Jiwa Damai, in Bali. We appreciate their help and we hope that they also enjoy the beauty and the peace of our place. Here are the thoughts of Zane Leadley on the volunteer program. 

“I was a volunteer at Jiwa Damai for two months from September – October 2015. Jiwa Damai is a special place that fosters learning, creativity, and inner growth. In addition to working in the garden, teaching English, and promoting Jiwa Damai’s internships, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work on my own aquaponics project. I am very grateful for the opportunity. The food is delicious, the people are fantastic and the place is idyllic.”

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Grapes and Health

Grapes are a natural source of beneficial antioxidants and other polyphenols. Current research suggests that grapes may help maintain a healthy heart, and may also help to defend your cells against a number of age-related illnesses. Scientists are also working to uncover more links between grapes and eye health, brain health, joint health, and more. At just 90 calories per 3/4 cup serving, grapes are a sensible, delicious snack with no fat or cholesterol

According to research from the University of Connecticut, funded by the California Table Grape Commission, eating grapes may help protect heart health in men with metabolic syndrome. In the study, men with metabolic syndrome who consumed grapes lowered their key risk factors for heart disease.

 

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