Update

on 2016-09-06 12:16 by Sarah

Early 7am start in paradise with a lovely breakfast, ready for our 8.30am pick up at hotel to meet our guide and get fitted out with bicycles for our tour around Ubud today. We really had no idea of how the day would pan out….

On we hopped with Lucky, our guide, and out on to the crazy Bali roads! A little tense but happy to see Lucky turn off down a back street fairly quickly.

We rode through streets of residential houses, temples, artists studios and furniture makers - so cool to see people randomly at work. After a few twists and turns we turned a corner and all we could see was rice fields. Confession - I actually got a little teary, realizing this was exactly the experience I was hoping for the boys and that they were taking in the beauty of this very special place.

Lucky taught us all about how the rice grows, the irrigation and how the land is being sold off to foreigners to build villas. Very sad.

We stopped by a local house and were told about how thee houses are strategically planned with the specific areas for playing, cooking, sleeping etc. A great way to live.The boys discovered their new favorite local snack of banana and coconut.

Another stop to sample animal pooh coffee - Lawak. Not my thing but apparently a bit of a delicacy and a hit. The animal eats the coffee beans, poops them out and the they use those beans to make the coffee. Goodness knows how they discovered this?!

A nice buffet lunch before being taken back to the hotel for pool time, massages and 'cultural night' at the hotel.