I Was Lost But Now I'm Found

After a wonderful nights sleep at The Bamboo Cottage, I opened the curtains as instructed, which would be a cue,  that I was ready for breakfast.   Moments later,  Ketut appeared and breakfast was being whipped up in my villa.

A wonderful tropical fruit smoothie to start, a bowl of fresh mango, pineapple, banana, melons, toast and tea.  Once I was finished, she was back to clean up after me.

Leaving the villa, was, once again, difficult.

It was a beautiful morning, I opened up the windows and let the breeze from the rice fields fill the villa.  I was on Bali time now, so no need to rush.  I finished my tea on the day bed, looked out to the fields, watched a gecko trying to capture a bug and felt very relaxed and content.

This being my only full day in one spot, I struggled with the decision to go out or stay in.  I lazed about the pool, read some of my birthday present; The Most Beautiful Walk In The World and finally ventured out.

Checking with Janny on directions, I took a walk she recommended with warungs and cafes at the end of my journey, this would be a good lunch break.

Snapping photos along the way:

A Petrol Station

A fruit and vegetable warung

Brooms

Roosters

The next shot, an open doorway, into a private residence, beautiful, colourful flowers, peeping through the entrance.

Adjusting the camera, under the shade of a tree,  I felt a bite.  When I looked down,  a colony of red ants were trying to make a feast of me. Too engrossed to realise,  I was standing directly on a nest.  On lookers thought it quite amusing,  as I was jumping around, stamping my feet and pulling up my trousers to find,  some had managed to get up into my pants and leaving a stinging bite!

A little further down, the road,  I came across a bead shop, and I bought some pieces from them.  As I sat on the floor with the owners, still feeling the sting, as they hand threaded beads onto beautiful artifacts,   I told them of my ant experience, which, at least, they were concerned.

Continuing on my journey, a temple

A man setting up a mobile stand for hungry passes by

Janny told me I would come to a cobbled intersection, with a bale, where people congregate, I should turn right here.  Did I turn right or was it left?

She said I will go down steps,

come across the river

enter the rice fields, this was good, just as she said, I was on track, and it seemed on the right track.

I followed men walking along the track, only to discover they were going to work in the fields and I came to a dead end.

Back along the path, through the rice fields, down the steps, over the bridge, back up the steps, I turn right, walk for a bit, another dead end!

Back tracking, once again, I find another path.  That must be the one I was meant to take, I continued on
this was great.

I remember being in the very same field, two years ago, completely lost

but this time I was confident, I now knew,  where I was going, I had instructions.

But the next path way, only narrow enough for a walker or one bike, had another detour, I didn't remember this as part of the plan.

When I approached one of the men in the field and asked him where the Campuhan Steps were down to Ubud, he looked confused and me even more so - when I realised I had completely taken the wrong route, yet again and I had miles to walk back in the heat.  How ironic, lost again in the same rice field!

Perhaps he read the disappointment on my face, or maybe he decided it was quicker to take me there, than try to explain.   Once again, I was nowhere near where I wanted to be.  He offered me a lift on the back of his bike.  Not a taksi ride, no money asked for, just helping a damsal in distress.

At first, I was nervous, the last time I was on a bike was in Vietnam and had a nasty fall.  But hey - the heat and humidity, which was starting to take its toll, was now replaced by a beautiful cool breeze as we flew along the extremely narrow path, amongst the rice fields.  This was good, this was fun!

After, heading down steps, through rice fields, just like Janny told me, except, it was different steps and different rice fields, I arrived at my intended destination.  I didn't want to embarrass the kind man by offering him money but I did want to show some gratitude.  So apart from grovelling to him and thanking him both in English and Bahasa, I offered money, not for him, but for petrol.  Finally, he accepted.

Now,  at the top of the Campuhan Steps, after, taking the 'long' route, I would have been there hours earlier but would not have had such a wonderful experience.

Lunch was in order and maybe by chance, maybe by smell, I was drawn to the very first warung at the top of the stairs.  Ibu Putu's Warung, I later learned,  from talking to the owner, was the very first warung here.  40 years ago,  when she first set up shop.  20 years later, she added the verandah that overlooks the flowing river and now she is adding a room,  for her two grand children.  She produced, photos to show me when she was 20 years younger and so was the building.  Sitting there, drinking a Bintang, watching the men slurry cement for the addition, I felt like I had made the right choice, when my fried chicken with sambal mutah arrived, I knew I had made the right decision.  Sambal matah wasn't even on the menu but I asked and it was delivered.

I sat there,  chatted to the owner of 40 years and watched the tourists, hot, bothered and panting, as they reached the top of the Campuhan Stairs, not realising she had a good story, served good food and provided a welcoming cool breeze.  They paused for a moment to catch their breath and trodded on.

Even although, she offered a complimentary platter of fruit, I could not fit another bite in.  She offered for me to take it home but I knew by the time I got home, it would be good for no one.

Refreshed, tummy full and feeling better for the experience, I climbed down the Campuhan Stairs and headed for Ubud central.  When someone offered a lift for 20,000 rp., it was too good to pass up.

After a spot of shopping, I called Nick, my good mate and driver to pick me up and take me back to my villa. ( He can be contacted on kadek_nick@yahoo.com) or on his mobile 08523 754 5885.

Earlier in the day, I asked him to drive me to the famous Ibu Oka, for suckling pig but he was on his way to Denpassar to drop off tourists at the airport.

When we were driving back, he offered to take me to a market in Gianyar, 30 minutes out of town and promised not a tourist in sight, he was right.

A fabulous local night market, serving food and selling all kinds of things, with local prices.

The array of food was amazing, from chicken, done almost anyway, skewers to eat on the run and of course, babi guling or suckling pig!

We walked around until we found the warung we wanted to eat at, surrounded by every day Balinese locals and their families, we sat and had a huge feast, with a big chunk of crackling for a mere 30,000 rp., and I think it was that expensive because we were greedy and asked for more crackling.

Bloated and tired we chatted about everything and anything on the journey home. He thanked me for some business and I thanked him for a delicious babi gouling and an even better, wonderful experience.

It was nice to see him again and catch up with memories of my last visit to Bali.  Even although I did get lost today, I found so much more.  The kindness of the Balinese people.