Leaving

Lotus and Bee

Home again- Om again

A long long day of travel. Leaving our sweet space in Ubud, dear friends gathered for a final good by. Riding silently in the back seat memorizing the sights that are so unique to Bali. Check in a breeze, not even a glance askew at our four check-in bags. No weight issues. The flight to Taipei was turbulent and seemed long. Bumpy landing. Waiting another two hours in the airport, hobbling around in search of a coffee. At one time Ron had me sit in the pushcart meant for luggage but we got repriminded by a security person so I had to hop off and limp along. Check in was easy, lots of security. The plane was new and comfortable. Paying more for elite economy turned out to be really worth the cost. Seats were wider and there was a lot more leg room. Service was excellent, food pretty good. The headphones were crappy, and eventually they made some garbled announcement which I couldn't make out and all the screens went black. Just as well because mostly everyone went to sleep. We took ambien and closed our eyes and somehow 4 hours disappeared. Because of tailwinds our flight was a total of ten hours. Going the opposite direction it was 14 hours from LA to Taipei. Smooth flight, no turbulence which I was eternally grateful for. LAX was easy and we got to Avis an hour later and got our rental car and took off. First stop, Starbucks for a strong vente coffee, a cookie and a bottle of water. Made it to the house in an hour and a half. Rewarded with our soft mattress and cocoon of down pillows. That is one of the worst things about traveling, crummy mattresses and rock hard oversized pillows. This morning we awoke and went straight away to Pete's for coffee. Bought some food at Traders and went home to fix the dead battery in Ron's truck and the broken lock on the front door. Our dear friend Ron Metheny was watching over our house and garden while we were away, and he did an awesome job. Orchids are flowering, mail neatly stacked, essential bills paid. How could we go without the help of others?! Tomarrow I have to find a doctor to remove my stitches, convince Cox cable to give me the deal of the century, and start working our way through a ton of mail and phone messages. We're back!

Last dance

With a heavy heart we spend our last night here in Ubud. We've become contented here. Made friends. Felt like we became a tiny bit of the community. It will be hard to leave this small sweet neighborhood. We've embraced a few of the Balinese customs and made them ours. Like having more patience, and not being so fast to place blame or judgement. They have a graceful way of gliding through life and taking things as they come, good and bad. Women and men are always holding babies, ecstatic in their embrace. And the babies hardly ever cry, so loved and cared for that they don't need to. A flower placed on your doorstep, a quiet offering. The driver who takes you home and understands your jokes. An old woman who walks with dignity and grace while carrying a heavy load of bricks on her head. These people take my breath away. I have much to be thankful for. A wonderfully loving traveling companion, enlightened old friends, generous new friends we've met along the way. Charming little places to stay reminiscent of years ago when things were simpler and easier. The opportunity to wander and experience something new each day. It's not all easy. The romance sometimes grinds to a halt when you don't feel well, can't sleep for the rock hard mattress and the bulky neck wrenching pillows, musty smells, mosquitos, ants, loud music, and exhaust fumes that are so heavy you feel dizzy. These are normal in your world. You can't control everything around you. You have to concede ownership to any place even though you like to think the table you eat at each day is "yours", it's not. You take what is placed before you and make the best of it because that is what you do. I want to thank my friend Robert Sommers, master blogger, who generously helped me conceive and design this blog. He came to our house before we left, sat at our computer and worked through my thousand and one questions and we got Rice is Sacred started. He has been my administrator and has enlarged every photo and spell checked each blog. He encouraged me to write every few days and told me not to embarrass myself starting something and not following through. Here is an example of an email I sent him one especially difficult night: Hi Robert.  Another blog, be it ever so frustrating... I am besides myself when I make a fatal error.  It takes so long to do anything on the iPad.  I tried to delete a word in the title of a photo and the photo was gone from the blog in a matter of seconds, not to be retrieved.  I was cussing up a storm.  Ron braves my wrath and takes a levelheaded approach to fixing it and works his way through the puzzle.  I meanwhile am fuming and freaking....  So you can dress up the photos.  I guess I could have cropped out the blue plastic cloth in the second photo, but I didn't... Thanks for your attention to detail.  Lena xoxo This has been a very fun and enjoyable experience for me. I used to write postcards and letters to my friends but this is a million times more creative. Photos really help, and comments from friends thrill me. Looking at the live feed and seeing who has read the blog is exciting. Having this iPad has changed everything. It is the single most wonderful new toy I have experienced. So much fun to lay in bed and write, google news, read letters, play solitaire. I love it. Tomorrow is hurry and wait day. Morning with friends. Last breakfast, final goodbyes. Driver at noon, return to Denpasar and the airport. Check in, pay departure tax, wait several hours, then it's off to Taipei and then LA. The party is over... Until next time.

6:50 AM

Motorcycle Mishap

Well, all good things must end. Just when I was getting much more comfortable riding on the cycle, enjoying the cool breeze on my skin and the views of the outlying villages, we had a minor mishap two days ago. Fortunately, Ron and I are fine. Grateful we didn't break anything. So many people came to our aid. A hand from behind me kept passing over small antibacterial tissues. Never saw their face. Another man picked up our cycle and moved it out of the street. And a most kind driver helped me into his taxi and drove us to the small clinic just up the street. He waited with my shopping bags in his car for over an hour, drove me home and refused any payment for his time. Such kindness! The doctor there, Dr. Made, is a daughter-in-law of the owner of our guest house. I had a pretty nasty gash on my leg. Needed cleaning and a few stitches. She was kind and gentle. Ron just had some scratches. We both felt so lucky that we were not hurt bad. So I am hobbling around and visiting the clinic every other day to change the bandages. No more swimming sadly, and no more riding the cycle for me. Everyone staying here has been so kind and checking up on us. Our friends Allan and Issac brought me their computer and for the first time ever on our travels we laid in bed and watched a movie. Felt so weird. You can buy bootleg DVD's here for a couple of bucks, so there are all the new movies I hadn't seen With Indonesian subtitles. Today was Nyepi. Dewa came to our room early, about 6:30, with our coffee and tea. We sat on our porch and watched the sun brighten up everything after the night's rain, and then a beautiful rainbow. It was such a nice way to start the "new year". Most everyone tried to be respectful of the traditions today. No loud talking or noise. Stayed in our rooms or gardens. They make allowances for tourist, fed us breakfast, but other than that we fended for ourselves. Had some food, ice in a cooler. Simple stuff. Since I have been forced to keep my leg elevated and not walking much, this was easy for me. Read my book, played on the iPad and had a few conversations quietly with friends leaving tomarrow for Bhutan. The electricity has been turned off. Ron is reading with his headlamp and it is getting hot in here with no air con or fan. Overall, it has been interesting to experience Nyepi. In the silence any sound was magnified. The most noise came from the doves and the roosters. Even the dogs were quiet!

Temple

Temple carving

Silent Day

Once a year, people in Bali celebrate Nyepi day. Nyepi means silent. For 24 hours all people stop their activities and the island becomes quiet, calm and peaceful. People fast and ponder their regrets on their mistakes during the year. The day is dedicated to meditation and silence. The airport closes, no cars or motorcycles drive on the streets and no one walks on the streets. There is no electricity used, no work or cooking of food. Essentially everything shuts down. We have to gather our food the day before and can wander around our compound and swim in the pool, but in quiet. The weeks before Nyepi are busy with the construction of ogre-ogre. These are large statues made out of wire, paper mâché and painted vivid colors. They are paraded through the streets the night before Nyepi to help ward off the demons that might be passing through. Then on Nyepi all is silent, hoping to fool the marauding demons into thinking no one is around and they will continue along and not cause trouble. There is an ogre ogre being built at our cottages. All the boys take part and often we hear the kids laughing and carrying on way into the night while they sculpt and paint. There have been celebrations every evening this week. We have been listening to gamalan and drumming late into the night from the nearby temple. The locals are dressed in their best ceremonial sarongs, women often with tall offerings balanced on their heads, pyramids of colorful fruit and flowers. Tonight is the parade of all the ogre-ogre. Tomarrow we will be quiet and enjoy a day of silent meditation, celebrate nature, and the coming of the new year here in Bali.

Blessings

Another typically magic day

Each day now is precious and dear. Time slipping through my fingers like sand. We took a long hike along the path on the ridge following the river Sunday. Maybe we ventured out a little too late, 10 am, because the sun took its toll on us. We carried water but sweated so much that we were both dehydrated and weak on our return, just an hour and a half later. We took a swim and fell asleep in our chaise exhausted. Awoke famished and somewhat hypoglycemic, so we dressed and rushed down our drive to the small Japanese deli across the street. We barged in, butted in front of another couple pondering the menu and pointed out our choices of food. WE NEEDED FOOD NOW!!! Felt a little guilty but really didn't have a choice. After lunch we felt much better. The heat and humidity take a toll. Today we rode our cycle to Mas, the woodcarvers village. We checked up on the slab of wood we bought and are having made into a dining table. Many details to correct, shape of the legs, choice of wood, curve of the edges. You really can't leave anything to chance. This is our fourth trip to the factory. Won't be our last. Rode back as a drizzle of rain started so we stopped at Moka Cafe for a cappuccino and an almond croissant. Our treat to ourselves. Then we rode further to Threads of Life. This small shop supports local women in all the islands who weave fine cloth in the old methods. Each island, such as Java, Sumba, Timor and Flores, have a style that is uniquely their own. So, if you look at a weaving you can recognize its orgin. They display how threads are dyed with natural colors, photos of weaving patterns and techniques. I lusted for each piece; sarongs, ikats, wall hangings, pillows. Each label listed the name of the weaver, the dyer of the threads, and the village she lived in. Prices were high, but then you were supporting this cooperative helping women maintain the old traditions and quality of weavings. Such beauty takes a long time and a passion passed down for generations. We couldn't resist buying a few small pieces. Later we walked over to the village of Penestannan where we found the Vespa Cafe and TingTing Gallery. Our friends, Tony and Elizabeth, live behind TingTing in a beautiful house surrounded by 12 Rai of land, which is quite a large area. We've known Tony and Elizabeth for about 20 years. We met in Chaing Mai, Thailand and have run into them each time we have been on Koh Samui island. They are from Alaska and leave every winter for warm climates. This time we ran into them on the beach and they told us they sold their house 6 years ago, bought Apple stock, and moved to Bali. They were in Thailand on a visa run and taking a break from the rainy weather. So we stayed in touch and made a plan to met up this evening. Their home is really nice and has the most wonderful pool and surrounding gardens. Really big vista of trees and flowering plants as far as you could see. Really private. Yet walking distance to most anything you would need. We had a great time catching up on each others lives and sipping wine that Tony makes. We haven't had a glass of wine in almost three months so that was really a treat. Friends of theirs arrived, we sipped vino well beyond sunset, stories were exchanged and rain once again came down softly for a couple of hours. In a lull from the showers, we borrowed a flash light and walked back to our side of the stream, down the little wet trails and pathways, stopping at BuBu's for dinner. Now we are home, the rain finished, air cool and gamalam music from the temple beyond the stream competing with the symphony of frogs and crickets singing in the paddies. Not a bad day!

Tegallalang Terraces

You like Durian?

Buffalo Bike

Riding with Wayan

We hired a driver yesterday named, what else, Wayan, and took a short drive out of town to see the most dramatic views of the rice terracing. I say "what else" because in a major sect of Balinese people the first child is named Wayan, the second Made, the third Nyoman, and the fourth Ketut. If there is a fifth child or more, then the names repeat. Therefore a huge number of people, men and women, are named Wayan. So anyway, our Wayan took a nice slow circuitous route on tiny narrow roads through lovely countryside, rice fields and small towns. He comes from a family of rice farmers and speaks English well so he was able to answer a lot of our questions. There are usually 2 rice crops a year unless they sneak a Monsanto third crop in. Sadly, altered rice is creeping in to the area because people are so desparate to make a living. Some farmers grow black rice and red rice, but they take a longer growing season so there is less and less. It is back breaking work, start to finish. But so beautiful when the stalks are tall and bright green and waving gracefully in the breeze. After they turn golden, they are ready for harvesting. I have literally watched the rice grow in the paddy near our cottages, about a foot since we've been here. We worked up an appetite riding in the car, so after we returned and took a swim, we happen to find a wonderful tiny new place just down our path which is more Japanese than Indonesian. They had about a half dozen platters of prepared foods and you just pointed out what you wanted from each, and they totaled up what you owed. We had agedashi tofu with a tiny mound of freshly grated radish, lightly stir fried bean sproats and green beans, and a couple of medallions of panko crusted fried chicken breast. It was light and simple, delicious and fresh. We drank homemade iced ginger and lemon with a honey sweeter. Unbelievable how good freshly squeezed ginger can taste. I haven't written as much about food since leaving Thailand because, frankly, food in Bali is less inspired. Fewer spices, less variation, much blander. But, there are a lot of places opening that serve natural healthy "western" foods, and they are really really good. So there is some degree of satisfaction in having something different to choose from. I am always amazed to see these long menus offering numerous complicated dishes in the tiniest places with the smallest kitchens. I will miss being able to have such fresh foods cooked for me anytime I want it. It has been a real treat!

Joglo house with alang alang roof

Garden view

Hanging out space

Bali bath

Wall of the old Joglo

Alejandra

Bali Magic

In the early evening after the intensity of the afternoon sun, ron and I walked over to Alejandra's project to see if she finished the house on time. As we walked down the path we had to sidestep to make room for two men carrying a small wooden table on their heads walking up the path. I knew they must be from the Joglo. As we approached, we could see Ali and her friend moving around putting the finishing touches on the placement of the furniture and the lamps. The transformation in three days time was amazing!! Even the muddy area surrounding the house was transplanted with a border of plants and ground cover. The house was magical. Filled with antique day beds, simple wooden tables, mismatched wooden chairs that she had sanded down to a fresh warm patina of smooth teak. Very charming. Another friend happened by and we were the lucky party of five celebrating her success. We drank brem, which is a sweet rice wine. We danced to Al Green and Sade on the newly polished cement floors, and we excitedly went from one room to another taking photos, and enjoying the views as the light changed from day to evening. We hated to leave but we had no flashlights with us and you can not walk the paths at night without one. So we took our leave in the last of the lingering light, and at the top of the path paused to look back and see the pale warm glow of the Joglo house floating in the peace and serenity of the paddies.

Through the paddies

Along the Path

My Spunk has turned to Funk

Awoke this morning and did not feel so fine. Just off somewhat, no energy, a little stomach rebellion. Went in the pool and couldn't swim much, but enjoyed the cooling effect. Rain easing off now, very hot and humid. As per directions from our friend Alejandra, we walked the other afternoon down the trail, past Yellowflower cafe, made a left at Londo's and then followed a very narrow path between rice paddies to her building site. Everything was wet and muddy from the rains. Slippery. Ron and I have fake Crocs which are great for walking here in the mud and rain, but I think we look like Mickey and Mini Mouse in them. The house Alejandra is building incorporates an old Joglo which she salvaged in Java. Essentially Joglo's are old teak houses some with elaborate carving and thick doors. She has used this one as the bedroom and has built a small open house around it with concrete floors and a woven alang alang roof. Open plan with sitting area, kitchen, and semi enclosed bathroom with carved cement bathtub and a separate shower. Everything exposed to the outdoors, overlooking a small rice paddy and some other houses nearby. Work was going full tilt by a crew of about eight because her first clients were coming to rent the house in three days time. I intend to walk over again today or tomarrow to see how it has evolved. She had a long way to go. They were grinding and polishing the floors and countertops, putting in the bathroom tiles, electricity had just gotten hooked up the day before. I admire her stamina as it is hard to get things done here especially in the heat and the rain. A lot of xpats live here very basically. No air con, no walls on much of their spaces, little luxuries. Sadly, there are so many people looking to live here now that the bucolic nature of the area has changed into a kind of building frenzy, and the beauty of the rice paddies which is what brought us here in the first place is turning into houses and lodging. Since three years time I was saddened to see all the changes. I wonder how the Balinese feel!

Offerings

Everyone's got a cell phone

Woman's fashion

Sunny afternoon

There's always a ceremony somewhere happening in Bali. Last week we heard gamelan music long into the night coming from the temple across the stream, in the next village a five minute walk away. Today we learned that there was to be another ceremony with a procession and offerings and thought we would go. Which means you have to dress appropriately. Both men and woman wear sarongs and colorful sashes. Men also wear white collared shirts or something similar. Girls cover their arms. Most Balinese women wear sheer lace jackets over their fitted tops. Can be very pretty. We actually missed the procession but wandered around the small streets and watched the locals patiently waiting for the priest to finish their sing song prayers. Kids were dressed as miniature adults and were adorable. Everyone playful and having a good time. I tried not to be too offensive taking photos, and managed to sneak in a good one or two. Wasn't sure how much of an intrusion that would be during their ceremony. It actually got sunny for a while this afternoon after a morning of rain. So it felt wonderful to stroll around and observe the sights and sounds. Later about ten of us were in the pool telling traveler's tales. A nice group of people staying here at Melati. Alan, a retired dentist from Toronto introduced me to an American woman who has lived in Bali ten years. She produces hand painted scarves and clothing. We walked over to her compound where there was a small building where her painters were hard at work. Each painter sat on a mat in front of a bamboo stretcher with a long length of silk stretched across it and literally free handed painted the designs. Her house was nearby through a glorious garden. Three stories of elegant Bali style open living. Nice art, and comfortable furnishings. Every window offered a view of tropical plants and flowers. I could understand how you wouldn't want to leave the sanctuary of this home. Nice to get a peek into the possibilities of what you can do here if you have taste and time. As it happens, Alan also knows another woman he wants to introduce me to. When he began a description of her it turned out to be someone I know. An architect from Del Mar. So it really is a small world.

Bali rain

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Flying dragons

Kites

Rain rain rain

Bali rain is like no other rain that you have experienced. It comes down in sheets with drops the size of huge pearls. They come down so hard they bounce off the road. Within an hour the water is reaching your ankles and the earth is saturated. Rivers of water flow down the streets. Tonight we made our way down our narrow curving street to a tiny Japanese restaurant. We were fooled by the clearing sky of the afternoons rain. By the time we barely ate our tofu and pickled vegetables, the rain had returned in earnest. We didn't think to bring the huge umbrella we bought our first day. We waited. And waited. The rain visible in the headlights of the cars and motorcycles circling past. Finally, we just gave in, rolled up our pants and walked into the pouring rain. The worst part was the narrow road twist and turns and crazy drivers race past you inches from your body, disregarding the conditions and the dark. Too much traffic on these tiny roads. But the rain was actually refreshing, we didn't have very far to go, and we were laughing by the time we arrived drenched back in our room. What else to do? We have a nice new motorcycle now, a black Honda Vario. Complete with a black Darth Vader helmet, a more petite white one and one rain poncho. We try to stay on the edge of the roads driving "hati hati" or slowly slowly. This is really a little scary, but also exciting. We can see some of the country roads and sights we would never get to see otherwise. The breeze is cooling and there is definitely a sense of exhilaration. Since it rains most afternoons we try to not get caught in the deluge. But the other day we went to see our artist friend who has painted some of the art in our house. He was happy to see us and of course we immediately saw a couple of large paintings we liked. Such things take time and while we were admiring his work, the heavens let loose with thunder and lighting so loud and stunning it was shocking. It is difficult to explain the amount of water that comes down in Asia. We just finally had to run across the street to a cafe and the three of us had a cappechino and waited. We spend a lot of time waiting, watching the rain. Finally it was a drizzle and so we got on the bike, ron in the poncho and me behind and off we cautiously road home. You really rejoice when you make it. At least we do. Yesterday we rode over to monkey forest and took the small motorcycle trail through the forest. Lots of monkeys hanging around. We went to the Three Monkeys restaurant which we used to eat breakfast at on our last trip. Still lovely as always. We sat in the back beside the small koi pond and relaxed with a fresh coffee and fruit. Then when I went in the back to take a photo I noticed several tables filled with dishes of food all laid out in a glorious colorful array. Turns out the owner was changing the menu and was having a tasting and visual display of all the new foods. We started talking and she graciously gave us a dish filled with roasted veggies, grilled strips of cheese and toasted home made crostini. A reduced balsamic vinegar dressing delicately dressed the veggies. We were so happy to eat such a treat. After a month of wonderful Thai foods this was a taste of home. I would have loved to work my way through a few of the other dishes they looked so beautiful. There are so many fantastic restaurants and so many shops filled with lovely clothing and colorful textiles in such a small area. Shopping here is much more fun and also so frustrating. First of all, you have to constantly be watching your step as the side walks are deadly. Uneven, broken cement. Huge missing sections where you could fall in. Sometimes they stick a palm leaf in the hole as a warning. It is so frustrating because you want to look in the shop windows but you could get hurt if you are not paying attention at all times. Still, we manage. our room has taken on more color as we drape new sarongs over our bed and chairs. The girls, Wayan and Made, come in the mornings to clean and leave flowers on our bed. It is all so easy. We traded in three of our books from home today at the wonderful Ganesh book store. They gave us 90000 Rupiah which is worth about $8. We bought two used books for 160000 Rupiah which we can read and return for half their value back. Not a bad deal really. And it was fun to browse the shelves in English and see what people have read, look at the hard bound new books she had to offer and all the postcards and few art supplies on hand. A really great store. Next door is Bali Buddha, a small health food shop and adjoining restaurant. We bought some natural mosquito repellent called "bug begone". Smells nice. Around the corner is a very tiny warang which is what they call a locals restaurant. Simple homemade foods, plain wooden tables, a few pictures on the walls and two very sweet woman serving you with a calm peacefulness. The food was so delicious and fresh. They made their own sambal, tomato hot sauce, which really gave my curry a rich flavor as well as a zing. We ate well for less than $8 and I can't wait to go back. So our days are full, swimming, walking, riding the motorcycle, shopping, eating, talking to other travelers, reading, writing, watching the rice grow. And it is still raining...