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!