Ketut Liyer

“All I have for sure is his name- Ketut Liyer- and the memory that he lives in a village just outside the town of Ubud…. What might his address be? “Medicine Man, On His Porch, Bali, Indonesia”?- Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat, Pray, Love, written Elizabeth Gilbert, is one of my favorite books if not my absolute favorite. I will never forget going to see the movie with my aunt and mother. As an avid traveler I fell in love with Liz’s story instantly. Years later after seeing the movie I decided to read the book while in New Dehli on a volunteer mission. While embarking to Indonesia it never crossed my mind that I would be able to visit Ketut’s family home.
Let me back track for those who have not had the opportunity to get to know Elizabeth Gilbert’s story. The short of it is she was a journalist who traveled to Bali to write an article on yoga retreats. Along her journeys she met a medicine man named Ketut who read her palm and prophesied about her life. Anyhoo, what started out to be a trip to the market changed quickly into a journey to Ketut’s, as a conversation with fellow yogis (I use this word lightly), mentioned in the book Eat, Pray, Love.
The driver got extremely excited and said he knew where the medicine man lived and wanted to take us immediately. I am not sure I was excited when he initially mentioned it but pulling up to the property that emotion quickly adjusted. I was suddenly elated! Not elated enough to pay 300,000ir ($25) for a palm reading given by Ketut’s son when I know Jesus Christ is the only one who can truly direct my path, but still elated enough to say the least. Pictures of Ketut flooded the walls which warmed my heart to say the least. If you are in Bali or an avid Eat, Pray and Love admirer like myself, I would recommend paying a visit to Ketut’s home. They also have a homestay so if your are looking for a place to stay they are very hospitable individuals.