One of the first things we did on arriving in Bali was to sign up for the Batur cycling tour. Little did I know what I was getting into. Done with the booking formalities, we were told to be ready in the hotel lobby at around 9am on the appointed day. We were taken in a minivan along with a Japanese family - a husband, wife and two young children, both below 10 years on a longish drive.
The drive itself was enjoyable - we took winding roads through Balinese villages, listened to streams gurgling and cut through lush tropical forests and green rice fields. On our way, we passed villages that sold Balinese handicrafts - masks, wind chimes, statues and figurines, batik and ikat (yes, Bali has a flourishing Ikat industry and the woven material looks like the Sambalpuri material that we see in India) and all kinds of knick knacks.....
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| Mount Batur at a distance - don't miss the black lava! |
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| Lake Batur in the background |
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The drive took us to a hotel which gave us a panoramic view of the volcano, Mount Batur and the adjoining Batur Lake. You can feel a nip in the air at the hotel. Mount Batur is over 5000 feet high and you can clearly see signs of its last eruption, which happened in 2000, in the form of a river of black lava right along the slope of the volcano. It periodically shows volcanic activity and such activity is constantly monitored.You can trek up the volcano if you are adventurous enough. Lake Batur on the other hand, exudes serenity. It is considered a good source of fish and you notice indigenous fishing apparatus near the shores of the lake. What stands out is the greenery all around the volcano and the lake and I must admit, it is a treat to the eyes. We were treated to a light breakfast of Balinese items - many of which reminded me of old Kerala snacks eaten many years ago and since forgotten. Refreshed after sipping flavourful Balinese coffee, we were ready for our adventure. We were introduced to our guide who went by the name "Skinny" and had a cheerful and happy air about himself. He gave us our initial instructions and led us to the minivan which was to take us to the starting point of the cycling tour. Back in the van, I felt a churn of emotions as we were led closer to what could end up as a test for my fitness and endurance.
At the starting point, we were greeted by a line of cycles in different sizes. The guide helped us to our own bikes, helmets, riding gloves and water bottles. He gave us the riding and safety instructions to follow for the trip, repeating some of them for added emphasis. I was surprised to see the two Japanese children all kitted for the 26 km ride along with their parents. How many Indian parents would allow this?
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| Ready, steady, go...... |
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The 26 kilometer long ride was mostly downhill and or on flat plains. It felt easy and nice as we went on village roads, mostly well covered with tarmac and a few, potholed. We jostled with hens and stray dogs for space on narrow paths. We passed by lush green paddy fields, waiting to be harvested. We crossed groups of school children walking to school in the villages and on mobikes in the towns. The workers in the paddy fields were mostly elderly men and women. Villagers of all age groups sitting by the roadside, waved and cheered us along. The sound of gushing water in the streams that border the rice fields was music to the ears.
We made a few stops during the tour. The first one was on a bamboo plantation where the guide explained to us about the varieties and the ways in which this grass was used extensively in Bali. So, it was bamboo leaves for making offering baskets, bamboo poles as scaffolding, bamboo for construction, young bamboo shoots in cooking and so on..... Then, we took a dirt road which led us to a Balinese farm - small areas which had mixed crops - pepper vines, cocoa bushes, papaya trees, orange bushes, arecanut palms - all growing side by side in no particular order. The farm also had a few cows. I was left wondering how similar the Balinese fields were to the ones in Kerala, in terms of the size of the farm as well as in terms of the crops grown. The next stop was by the side of a village temple. It was one of the larger ones that I had seen in Bali - but similar in terms of architecture and layout. We could not enter the temple since we were not appropriately dressed. Our next stopover was a typical Balinese house - complete with its own temple, a house for the grandparents (pretty dilapidated), the parents' home (much used) and the new and fancy house for the younger occupants (swanky, ornate and somewhat tastelessly done). We could see the animal barns on the rear side of the house as well as the wood fired kitchen still in use. We were treated to some freshly made sticky rice crisps and they tasted yummy. The house obviously belonged to a rich man and it had a rice granary to show for his prosperity.
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| Balinese coffee plant and beans |
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| Entrance to a village Pura (temple) |
The last stretch of the adventure turned out to be the most difficult - there were some six uphill climbs to negotiate. The first one was difficult but the remaining ones turned out to be easier as the technique to maneuver them became obvious. The cycling expedition ended with lunch where we were treated to items from local Balinese cuisine in a restaurant overlooking a paddy field.
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| Entrance to a Balinese home |
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| Lush green paddy fields..... |
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| Bicycle carrier! |
The bicycle ride turned out to be very memorable. Besides opening up to me unknown facets of Balinese life, it got me to appreciate local values and beliefs. It gave me a glimpse of day to day living on the island as it exists now or perhaps, how it existed many years ago. For someone like me who can be considered minimally fit, it was a fitting outdoor adventure. Sore and painful legs and a sunburnt body notwithstanding, it is a trip that I would recommend to all my friends who are eager to take in Bali - in the raw. At the end of the tour, it didn't seem like the twenty six kilometers that it claimed to be. And, what better motivation than to have two young ladies cycle the entire distance, without a whimper.
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| Rice fields, again..... |
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