Hi Gram,

I woke up excited today because we finally got to the day of my planned biking excursion! After a quick morning routine, we headed out the door and walked to our meetup point. We all met at Teras, the restaurant in front of the Plataran hotel. I enjoyed hugging friends that I hadn’t yet seen in Bali, as well as those that I had, and meeting some of my new friends that I had spoken with online but hadn’t yet met in person.

Soon, the driver arrived and we took a short bus ride to breakfast at Green Kubu. We were led through a lush walkway to a patio overlooking a terraced landscape of grass, ponds, and rice. Everyone gathered around the table, then headed to a buffet table with a good spread of fruit, pancakes, eggs, and fried rice. After breakfast and posing for some pictures, we reloaded the bus and rode up to the starting point.

While the tour leaders set up the bikes, a few of us took the opportunity to learn about and use the rustic local squat toilets, basically a hole in the floor with kind-of a toilet seat. Some lively discussion followed as each person emerged from the bathroom, then we mounted the bikes and rode out.

Single file, we streamed out onto the road and followed the leader. A scooter or car would pass every now and then, but not nearly as hectic as in town. Locals waved as we rode past, and soon we came to our first stop at a family compound. Our guides made sure we were all accounted for, then led us in and explained the structure and intent of the family compound. A Hindu society, the Balinese are very family-oriented. The dominant building that foreigners can see is the house of their god, a temple where many ceremonies such as funerals and weddings are performed. At a slightly lower elevation, the patriarch has a home with intricate carvings and artwork befitting their stature. The next building we were shown was a step lower to show respect to the patriarch, and was where the children slept. A kitchen was off to the side as well as some other buildings. Through a gate, we could see some of the family shrine where they hold ceremonies and honor their ancestors.

The guides explained much of this and took our photos, then led us back to the bikes to continue our tour. The bikes were a little uncomfortable, a bit of a “one size fits none” situation, which led a few people to opt out and enjoy the tour from the comfort of the van. As we continued downhill, our guides did a great job of leading from the front, pacing in the middle, and sweeping up behind to make sure we didn’t leave any stragglers. Before each turn, a couple of them would race ahead, stop traffic, and indicate to us where to go.

We saw terraced rice paddies, villages, and jungle as we rode along, stopping at a temple for a history lesson in one town, and a pavilion in the middle of nowhere for fresh coconuts and a snack. It was exciting watching the host hack away at the coconuts, drill a hole, and hand it to us with a straw. Refreshed with our snacks, we thanked our hosts and continued on through some narrow forest paths, wound through a rice field, and emerged mostly unscathed – Rachel did find a muddy rice field to sink into, but she treated it all with good humor and gave us all one more memory for the trip.

After one more stop at a rice field for some good pictures, we arrived at our destination and said goodbye to the bikes. Back in the bus, we exchanged stories and memories while they carted us back to the Green Kubu for lunch. Our second meal of the day was just as delicious as our first, and after some more great food and photos, they hauled us back to the Plataran to end our tour.

We said our goodbyes and everyone scattered back to their hotels or off to lunch. David, Chris and I decided to walk up the leg of the “9” and see what we could find. We hadn’t walked far when we stopped at one of the many spas and treated ourselves to yet another massage. An hour later, with everyone’s head in a cloud, we wandered on, dodging traffic. We cut over into the heart of the “9” to get away from traffic and learned a little more about each other as we walked. Next thing we knew, we were sitting in a shop eating coconut ice cream and recounting our days. Tired from all the bike riding, coconuts, massages and ice cream, we parted ways and headed home. I got a shower and spent the rest of the day vegging out and relaxing.