The other organised activity I had signed up for in Bali was an e-bike ride around Ubud. This was the closest thing I could get to a Segway tour, which I had been made an addict of a couple of years ago on Malta.
I was picked up by the company's van outside the corner café and we were taken to the company's premises outside Ubud. After a um, crash course, we were off. The motor housing is protected by plastic in this photo.
It's a normal bike for pedalling purposes but when you need a boost or want to go faster, you just press a lever under the left thumb and the motor kicks in.
We took the main road and then turned off into the paddy field paths.
There were two guides, one leader and someone at the back to look out for problems. There was also a bike carrier following us in case of bike breakdown.
At this stop, the guide explained the typical Balinese family structure. Plots are often subdivided for the sons in a family so they are often small. Somehow everybody knows where the boundaries are. The gadget in the photo is a mechanical scarecrow.
Bananas growing on the margins.
We stopped at a typical Balinese temple for an explanation of Balinese religion. Apparently there are 40,000 on the island. There are three parts to a temple corresponding to the Hindu trinity: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. When three are complete they may go on to build another three parts. Not necessarily in a different compound but another subdivision.
Bends in the path look like this.
Another photo opportunity stop.
This is a scenic spot chosen by the tourism industry for a stereotypical view of terraced paddy fields. It's very green and lush, you have to admit.
It has a café, of course.
The view to the left.
The final stop of our ride was a coffee roaster, which sold luwak (civet) coffee. It commands a premium because the journey of the beans through the civet's digestive system is supposed to modify the taste. We were offered a tasting paddle of various flavoured coffees but luwak coffee was extra. I decided to pay (about $5) to have a cup. It did taste smoother but it's not something I would hanker after.
Luwaks are called toddy cats but are not felines. They do look like funky cats though.
There is a glass bottom platform for viewing the paddy fields.
And off to one side is a swing where other tourists got their thrills dangling at great height.
After returning the bikes we finished with a dinner (included in the tour) at a local restaurant.
In the morning, after breakfast, I walked down the road to the Monkey Forest. It's where you can get to see lots and lots of crab eating macaques. Despite the name, crab is not the main item in their diet. They are probably the monkeys of my childhood in SEA.
There are a few entrances to the forest. I went for the main entrance where there are statues of Balinese mythical beasts. Bali produces a lot of statuary, many of Hindu derivation but also Buddhist.
I have to say the detail is very elaborate. Architect is a highly regarded profession. On the thousands (yes, you read that right) of temples on Bali you will see bricks set in a stepped pattern creating a edged relief effect.
Famous saying.
Visitors can buy bananas to feed the macaques. They are used to humans thus unafraid to approach or even clamber over you.
There is a list of dos and don'ts posted. One should not carry bags or the macaques may search them for food. They might even search your pockets if they think you have food. When they take the food, one should not hang on to it at the risk of being bitten. Also one should not stare or they may feel threatened. And feeding them junk food is forbidden.
Quite long tails.
Busy eating.
A father saw this and said to his kids, look, a durian. I had to disappoint them, it was actually a jackfruit or possibly a cempedak, a relative. He did know about pungent smell of the durian though.
These macaques are enjoying a water hole.
This one was trying to open a nut by repeatedly hitting it on the ground. Perhaps done in water to help soften the shell. I don't know if it succeeded.
Mother (I assume) and child.
Pura is Balinese for temple.
They spend a lot of time grooming each other.
Ahhh, a little further down, yesss.
A stream flows through the sanctuary.
There was a bit of commotion around the bridge. Apparently a macaque was trying to fish a banana out of a tourist's pocket. A sanctuary worker was shouting, give it to him, give it to him. The tourist could have been scratched or bitten if he had resisted. Here's the culprit with its gains.
Tourists like to pose with macaques on their shoulders, bribed with food, of course.
Yes, that's where it itches.
At the other entrance/exit.
Walking up the very touristy street back to my guesthouse.
