Hi Gram,
I was planning to have a down day today – I would just hang out at the house, read a book, catch up on some calls and messages, maybe order food to be delivered. I snoozed the alarm a few times, then got up and started my morning routine and looked at my list of what to do. I heard Dash stirring downstairs, so I walked down to see what they were up to. We cut up the star fruit that I bought a few days ago and each had a taste. It’s kind of sweet, sour and a little crunchy like biting bubble wrap. Neither of them wanted to finish it, so I polished it off with some yogurt for breakfast while we talked about their Uno deck and David reminded me that he was driving out to his silent retreat today. I thought it would be a fun chance to take the scooter out for a ride and explore some area outside the congested hub of Ubud where we were staying, so we decided to leave around noon. I headed upstairs to get some stuff on the computer done while they headed to breakfast down the road. I fell into a zone of being able to focus and get things done and next thing I knew, it was time to leave.

Ashley saw us off as we mounted our iron stallions and pointed them towards destiny. Okay, they’re mostly plastic and electronics… and with our adorable helmets and phone mounts so we could follow our maps, we probably didn’t look very tough, but we felt dangerous. Not that we were a danger to anyone else – we just acknowledged that we were headed into some dangerous traffic. We started down our favorite secret path that led between houses with brick walls on either side – it would have been a sidewalk back home but apparently it was a motorbike route here. Except this time we were the ones on the motor scooters instead of the pedestrians dodging them like we were used to. Once the pathway dumped us onto the street, we navigated through traffic until we we had left the congestion behind, sweeping between rice fields with a breeze blowing in our faces. I felt excited to expand my world, seeing new areas and changing landscapes. The road seemed to alternate between rice fields and clusters of homes and shops, changing from city to farm to village as the road curved and dipped below our tires.

About halfway to the retreat center, the road slowed and rounded the corner as it showed us a bridge ahead. We were crossing the bridge, passing a stopped minivan, when we looked to either side and saw a deep valley cutting through the land like a knife had passed through the island’s flesh. David pulled over as soon as we crossed so we could park and walk back to inspect the valley. A narrow sidewalk ran along each side of the bridge, separating us a little from the small but steady stream of traffic passing in each direction. Pictures can never do this sort of scenery justice, but I try every time regardless. We looked to see if there was a safe way down, but didn’t find anything that wouldn’t require a rescue crew to save our inexperienced selves. Sanity prevailed, convincing us to head back to our hogs and motor on. We passed through another village and came to a spot where the GPS said to keep going straight but “straight” was a sidewalk with posts and “DO NOT ENTER” signs on either side. We turned left before we remembered that Bali sees sidewalks in the same way cats see boxes – if I fit, I’m going there. I told David that I was going to turn around and head back, and we looped around the block.

I followed the GPS this time, rolling down the narrow alleyway and back onto the road from whence we came. The ride back was a little more confident, having seen it before and having spent a little time riding the scooter and brushing off some of the rust from my riding skills. I was hungry and decided to stop for lunch at one of the roadside cafes, where I could sit at a table, sip a cool drink, and watch traffic go by. Unfortunately, my attention was divided between normal traffic attention, watching for oncoming traffic in my lane (a common practice when a scooter wants to pass a car), following the GPS, and looking for a cafe. This means I saw a number of cafes as I passed and kept thinking “okay, well I’ll go to the next one.” Traffic thickened as we got closer to Ubud and I was finally going slow enough to dip into a parking lot before passing it.

I parked my chopper and was greeted warmly at the door by a smiling waitress (this happens every time – and every time I think it’s so cool) who showed me to a table. I took a deep breath, thanked the universe for this amazing life, and browsed the menu. After I placed my order, I looked at my phone and realized that I was down to 6% battery! This concerned me a little because I’m a typical American addicted to my phone but mostly because I didn’t know the way home and needed my map. I asked the waitress if she had a way for me to charge my phone. She, of course, solved my problem with a smile. She got a cable and power adapter from one of the cooks, then plugged it in at the bar. It gave me a chance to pay attention to the wonderful world around me, watch traffic and people, and admire the furniture and architecture around me. Lunch was perfect, but that’s not news. Soon I was staring at a clean plate wishing I could enjoy more of that flavor without filling my belly further. I finished my beverage, then motioned to the waitress to bring my check. She brought my check and phone, which I found was only up to 16%. After paying my bill, I asked her to plug it back in for a bit and sat back to enjoy some people watching while I gave it a chance to get over 20%. Fifteen minutes later, we checked it again and considered it good enough at 24%.

I thanked her for helping me, gave her a tip, and headed back out to my sled to saddle up and mosey on down the road to check out the Plataran’s location. After going past, making a U-turn and some hair raising maneuvers, I pulled in and was greeted by a security gate. The guard let me pull through and turn around, but I wasn’t able to investigate any further. I look forward to next week when I can tell the guard that I belong here and whisking right past him.

For now, though, I pulled back out and melted into traffic so I could get back to the house. The rest of the ride was stimulating but uneventful. I quickly found myself parking the bike and heading in the house for the relaxation that I had been planning. I spent much of the rest of the afternoon reading my book and relaxing, trying not to nap in an effort to reinforce my hours of awake and sleep. Ashley got home in the evening and we headed out to grab a bite to eat. I really like that we can just walk down the street and find a good place with the ambience and menu of a world class joint. Tonight was no different, we found a small place that looked great from the street. The host asked if we minded eating in the garden, then led us through a hallway away from the noise of the street.

We stepped into a gorgeous garden with two young men playing xylophones in the corner and linens on the tables. It’s hard to top what we’ve had before but The Legend Restaurant and Garden did just that. They stepped it all up a notch with service, food quality, ambience. I mean where else can you sit at a table under a vine covered gazebo with fine linens on the table and xylophone players in the courtyard, where you eat a delicious, flavorful, colorful, expertly plated meal, all for $12USD? Our minds were blown once again and we vowed to come back and bring David so he could experience this slice of paradise. We headed back to the house, and as has become our tradition, each headed off to snooze away and relive our experiences in our dreams.