While at Villa Maia in Ubud we ate at Indus. The food as always was excellent, the service amazing and the prices were reasonable. We also ate at Nomad which was also excellent, great food at great prices.
On our second morning we decided to take a walk in the rice fields. We were told that the walk was two kilmometers long and to just follow the track and we would come out on the road to the Villa. We were walking slowly through the paddies admiring the ducks as they clamoured through the mud, watching the ladies threshing the rice, when from nowhere came a motorbike. The guy riding the bike was very friendly, he looked like a farmer, but no he was a property deveoper, he wanted to sell us land, he assured us he would do a great deal and that we could build a resort and make lots of money. We told him no thank you, we were very happy to simply walk in the rice fields. He gave us a huge smile as we stood aside and let him go ahead of us on the narrow track. A little further along and we hear "hello, hello" from the side of the track. We peer over the edge and find... wait for it... the local shop. In the middle of the rice fields far from anything, no houses no people just ducks and cows and rice is a family and their small shop. We were all amazed too amazed to do anything but look. We later thought we should have purchased all their small plastic bags of goodies. It became extremely hot towards the end of our treck, we finally reached the end of the track and did indeed come out on the rough old road to the Villa.
We walked on through the edge of a small village stopping to chat with the local people as we went. The language barrier was not a problem as we laughed and gestured, making ourselves understood. Our first timers were loving the experience. There was a sign for the Villas which read 200 meters, N says that last 200 meters was the longest of her life. The sun was out in full force by now. We were finding all those sore spots on our feet that the first long walk in Bali will always find. We got to a turn in the road and thought surely we have come 200 mtrs by now, another 200 mtrs and another turn and we see the Villas in the distance. We were later told by our driver that they keep moving the sign, he told us this with a huge smile and hearty laugh.
We also took a walk through what is currently left of Ubud markets. It was a great experience to watch our first timers interacting and bargaining for the first time. Many a laugh was had by all including the sellers.
Next was the Monkey Forest with a strong suggestion that they carry no food. We were really pleased that they decided not too. One small girl ran screaming to her parents after a monkey scratched her, obviously they had let her have food to feed the monkeys. A large monkey was resting on a pillar in such a way that you couldn't help but laugh at him. He seemed to be saying "okay, come on take my photo, hurry up you silly humans"
Next we travel via Kintamani to lovely Lovina where we have great food, a wonderful Villa in a jungle like setting and some mishaps...
coco