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"Don't plan it all. Let life surprise you a little." -- Julia Alvarez

272--Bali: Life as a Rice Farmer @ CherieSpotting     Jan 12 2005 - 09:43 PST cherie writes: It’s time to take the pulse of a new country—Indonesia. Margaret and I are based out of Ubud, a magical mountain town where we wake up to the sweet scent of incense and dewy smell of rice fields in the morning. Our alarm is the coo of birds and babbling of fountains. But Margaret might say our alarm is the annoying howl of the local rooster. Rice farmers bring splashes of color—orange, purple and yellow—to the brilliant green rice fields surrounding Ubud. There are many rewards in Bali for early risers. Watching Ubud come to life in the morning, is like watching an infant take her first breath. Ubud is like a sanctuary, and we have taken refuge here. Margaret and I rented a bright yellow VW “Thing” with a Balinese man named Nyomen and took a glimpse of the magnificent temples surrounding Ubud. In the Hindu religion, statues often represent gods, and the stone works-of-art are treated as such. In fact, some statues are treated as if they were human. Every day the dedicated Balinese dress the statues in clothes, shade the stone-gods from the sun with parasols, and give them daily offerings of food. On the way back to Ubud, Margaret and I stopped and met some local rice-farmers. I got a quick (but unforgettable) taste of what life would be like, had I been born a Balinese farmer. Click on each picture to see it full size. read comments (1) | write comment| views: 5027    | rated: 0.0    printer-friendly version   Cherie and Margaret in the terraced rice fields near Ubud, Bali. Farming is back-breaking work. Balinese rice-paddies. Children huddle around Margaret. They are drawn by her blonde hair and tourist dollars. Cherie and Margaret. The farmers offer a splash of color to the fields of green. Rice-fields flow down the hill like a grassy waterfall. Margaret with Balinese children. Cherie helps a boy lift the cattle-food. *Photo by Margaret. A darling Balinese girl. *Photo by Margaret. I'm a natural at this! Being a farmer requires a lot of sweat. Margaret and Nyomen at the "Elephant Cave" or Goa Gajah. Our Balinese guide. And you thought your local water delivery guy had it tough. Cherie and Margaret in Ubud's version of the "Fountain of Youth." Margaret washing her face in the cleansing waters. I feel younger already! In just a few minutes we felt 10-years younger! *Photo by Margaret. Traditional and non-traditional Balinese men. Making an offering. Cherie and Margaret at the Elephant Cave Temple. Praying. The Elephant Cave Temple dates to the 11th century. A welcoming Balinese smile is on almost every face in Ubud. Making new friends. Taking the chickens out for a walk. Taking the breakfast out for a walk? Who wants to try stinky-fruit? Nyomen can't wait to sink his teeth into that thing! Look what's inside! More funky fruit. Cruising around in our yellow VW Thing. Guys hanging out. The Temple Entrance Rules. The Temple. Rice-paddy noise-maker. Fields of green. Cherie and Margaret. Balinese shadow-puppets. Now that's balance. One strong head. Margaret effortlessly blends into the Balinese culture. Amazing temples. Cherie and Margaret. Beauty everywhere we turn. I have an agreement with spiders. I don't come in their webs; they don't come in my house. Margaret on a bridge. Crazy guy. Who is your dentist? I'm almost ready, I just have to brush my hair. Terraced rice-paddy near Ubud. Children scampering home. Nyomen and Margaret. Cherie in the rice fields. Excuse me, are you aware that you have a live pig on your head? That's one way to bring home the bacon. *Photo by Margaret. A darling Balinese baby. The holy springs of Tirta Empul. Taking a bath here is a family affair. The Balinese stop under each spout to bathe. The water at the temple is believed to have magical powers. An interesting statue. Is that sunscreen he has on? Praying at the temple. Kneeling in prayer. The pure spring water flows straight from the earth. *Photo by Margaret. The water looks clean enough to drink. *Photo by Margaret. Cherie and Margaret. The volcano. You can't ask for a better view than that. Did someone loose his hat? Nyomen collects pins...how did you guess? Cherie and Margaret by the volcano.