Day 303 - Bali, Indonesia

COUNTRYSIDE BIKE RIDE IN BALI (31/10/09)

With an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast at the hotel we decided it was time for a bit of exercise and booked ourselves a cycling tour. Before setting out on our ride through the countryside we had breakfast in a restaurant high in the Balinese mountains.

Our view at breakfast.

Having fueled up a little it was time to set off. Liz and Adam originally tried out a tandem but it's not as easy as it looks.

The road took us through many fields, mostly rice paddies, almost all of which are still farmed using traditional methods.

Our guide took us to a Balinese home where we had a fascinating look at their garden. It was quite amazing what they managed to grow in what was a relatively small space. Here are some unripe vanilla pods.

These enormous fruits are called Jack Fruits. The inside is yellow and resembles huge corn kernels. The taste, however, is indescribable -it really does not taste like anything we have tried before.

The species of bee bred for honey production in Bali is extremely placid which allows a small hive such as this to be kept right in the living area.

Cocoa beans drying in the sun. These will probably be crushed and made into a bitter drink, much as the Mayas and Incas originally did in South America.

Woo-Hoo!

Fred getting a little over excited.

The beautiful paddy fields stretch for miles.

The staple of all Asia- immature rice grains still on the stalk.

Having a look at traditional rice production techniques in the fields.

Rows of green chilli plants.

One of the many temples of various sizes on our route.

On walls, steps, on the ground, on dashboards of cars- these small offerings to the Hindu Gods are everywhere you look in Bali.

Despite the heat it was a great day out. The guides had chosen the route carefully and it was almost all downhill so we didn't get too sweaty!

The amazing solution to farming the hill sides. These rice paddy terraces work amazingly well, the top step is irrigated and the water runs down providing all the lower terraces with water.

After our tiring four hour ride we were given a delicious selection of Balinese food at our guides house. Dessert was these unusual sweets made primarily of sticky rice squashed into a gelatinous paste and then sweetened and flavoured.

Fred, in adventurous spirit, sampling the Balinese rice sweets. He was not convinced, neither was Jenny, or Liz. Adam saved the day by eating everybody's, yum!