Nancy and Doug Trips

We were in Bali only four days and wanted to get some rest after our busy, hot tourist days in cities; thus Nancy had only scheduled one activity: the "Ubud Bird Walk" with a local Balinese woman named Su. On reviews, it indicated this walk would also provide local insights, information about medicinal plants and the rice farming with Subak irrigation. It would also would keep us off a typical "Bali highlights trip" on the roads. So instead of seeing the UNESCO famed Tegalalang Rice Terrace, tourist "swing" or Monkey Forest we met five others at Murni's Warung (a warung is a roadside restaurant) where we would have lunch. One couple from Holland had retired early and had been in Bali for seven months volunteering at a school for children with disabilities.

Su is a woman in her 50s + and she had binoculars for all of us, we preordered lunch and were on our way by car to the start of our 3 hour walk. The walk took us up and down stairs, along the banks of rice fields and along the concrete edges of the Subak irrigation. Along the way were wonderful views, classic homes with thatched roofs, ducks, flora and fauna. She was enthusiastic and pointed out many things, most of which we don't recall the exact names of but we did get a lot of information and saw what is just beyond the weaving roads in Bali. It did require decent balance and tolerance for the morning heat and humidity; we were glad it was not raining as the stones in areas would have been slippery. Bali clearly is made of many ravines and rushing streams and community agriculture and temple water is organized with everyone's commitment to maintain the Subak water management system (a pulsed ecosystem developed in the 9th century to supply both the rice fields and temple).

After lunch, we walked to Tamarind Spa to confirm out booking for the next day, then through Ubud to the Monkey Forest to catch the shuttle return to the Westin. Both of us have seen monkeys in Costa Rica and at Angkor recently and were less than keen to be surrounded by them. They were swinging from the overhead electric wires outside the Monkey Forest (they often inhabit large temples sites and are considered sacred by the local people). They acted like monkeys!....as we waited for the shuttle one jumped down onto a fellow traveler's backpack and took her sun visor. They know how to open packs and will nab anything shiny or if they think you have food. They feel threatened if you look them directly eye to eye or show your teeth in a smile, we were cautious around them and stayed out of trouble.Read more