Wow! Two days in a row....don’t get too used to it. :-)
After the crazy downpour yesterday and all through the night, today’s dry spell has been a reprieve. What a treat to not have to try to dodge the puddles and find that an impossible task. In truth....after the first few minutes of trying to dodge puddles/virtual creeks running down the road you just give in to the reality that you’re going to get wet....very very wet. Perhaps that is one of the reasons locals all wear flip flops all of the time....it doesn’t really matter how wet they get, they’re just rubber.
This morning Barb and I decided today felt like a sound healing kind of day and so arrangements were made for Jati (driver) to pick us up at 10:30 out front. So after another great breakfast (on our patio) of omelet and fresh fruit we were off to the Pyramids of Chi - one of my favourite places to visit.
Today’s session was led by Didi. Peter started us off with a short lesson on pyramids, the instruments used (gongs and drums for the most part), and the premise behind sound healing. From there we headed to the pyramid of the sun (they have two pyramids on site). This pyramid is an exact replica at 1/16 scale of the great pyramid at Giza. Barb and I each located a mat that called to us and within minutes we were deeply immersed in a vibrational therapy that is compounded by the power of the pyramids. An hour later we emerged to discover that the rain was still holding off and so we were able to take our time wandering back inside along the path that leads past the ponds surrounding the pyramids.
Once inside we found a table and settled in for a delicious lunch and some herbal tea. Some time later Jati returned and joined us inside for a coffee and a special treat. The chef at the Pyramids of Chi is pastry trained and it shows in their display case! His treats are both works of art and tasty little bites of sweet sugary goodness perfect to finish off any meal or accompany a great cup of coffee. Bali has no shortage of great coffee so it’s pretty hard to say no to the lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas that seem to be everywhere. Not that I’m complaining mind you. :-)
After the pyramids we decided to take a small detour along a very small road that weaves it’s way through the middle of a fairly large area that is virtually filled with rice fields. Most of the fields in this area had just been planted in the past couple of weeks so it was interesting to see them in this state....very different than what you usually see in pictures when they’re fully grown and nearing harvest time. Rice takes 3-6 months to mature depending on the type. The slower ripening one is the traditional type here but it is rarely grown any longer as they’re wanting to earn as much revenue from the land as they can. If you are able to find the longer ripening type....it will be much more expensive BUT not twice as expensive so.....the grower is better off financially to grow the fast growing type. We watched a few farmers working their fields. I can’t imagine doing that job! They’re mid-calf deep in water and mud all day long and bent over at the waist regardless of whether they’re planting or harvesting. As well, their work day is long and they’ve got to show up regardless of hot hot sun or torrential rains. The only shade/protection they have is what they carry with them and it usually takes the form of a hat. Yes, not a job I’d want to do!
While in the rice fields we came across a restaurant called GreenKubu. We parked the car and walked through the rice terraces to check it out. Did I ever wish I was hungry! The aromas coming out of that kitchen were divine and when I looked at the menu I was shocked to discover the incredibly reasonable prices. This is definitely a place I will return to....perhaps it will be a perfect excuse to hire a couple of bikes to go for a ride through the terraces with a planned stop for lunch. Yummy!
Speaking of hiring a couple of bikes....both Barb and I had considered renting bikes while here this time but in truth with the weather we’ve had to date there is no way that either of us want to be on a bike at all. At least on the back of a Balinese drivers bike we know that they’re uber competent.
From the rice terraces we took a little detour through a nearby village (Petulu) that is home to tens of thousands of white herons. They are the birds that you see in the rice fields every day and each night they all fly in to roost at this little village for some reason. It was Barbs first time to see them in Petulu and so her camera was working overtime as there are plenty of opportunities for great photos when there is that much wildlife in such a small space!
Tonight after our return to Rumah Kita we received visitors. Jati and Made (Paseks nephew who works at Julie’s) stopped by as Made (pronounced Maday) wanted to learn some English. I guess word travelled from our visit here last year! LOL. We were happy to do it though and so Barb brought out a couple of the books she’d purchased for the school visit we will make in February and in no time Made was reading the words under each of the pictures. It is so wonderful to see the enthusiasm they enter into the learning with. They’re so focused and try so hard to form the sounds that they need to in order to learn the English words. By the end of the night Made had a pretty good handle on at least a dozen new words that I’m certain he will continue to practice all through the night and in his dreams. Once we’d had enough of ‘English class’ we talked Jati and Made into taking a bike down to the gas station where there are a couple of street vendors. Barb and I are now waiting patiently for their return as they’ll be bringing chicken satay with rice, grilled corn on the cob, and a treat for dessert that is some kind of egg thingy with chocolate and peanut in it. The two boys will be joining us for dinner and the total bill for all of the food will be about $10 CAD. Can’t complain about that! :-)
Better sign off for now as dinner will be arriving soon so......till next time,
Lorrie and Barb
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