Day Ten - Mountin Bike Riding Through The Island

  • One of the numerous road-side Warungs » Click to zoom ->

    One of the numerous road-side Warungs

  • A delightful temple set in a small lake » Click to zoom ->

    A delightful temple set in a small lake

  • A Balinese residential compound » Click to zoom ->

    A Balinese residential compound

  • Sangeh Monkey Forest » Click to zoom ->

    Sangeh Monkey Forest

  • A village temple in mid Bali » Click to zoom ->

    A village temple in mid Bali

  • Village rooftops » Click to zoom ->

    Village rooftops

  • Wild road-side growing pineapples » Click to zoom ->

    Wild road-side growing pineapples

  • Rice fields » Click to zoom ->

    Rice fields

  • Terraced rice fields in Northern Bali » Click to zoom ->

    Terraced rice fields in Northern Bali

  • Overlooking Mount Batakau » Click to zoom ->

    Overlooking Mount Batakau

  • Balinese school children » Click to zoom ->

    Balinese school children

  • A local cultivating rice » Click to zoom ->

    A local cultivating rice

Alarm call at 6:30am. Urgh. Can you tell a running theme throughout this that we're not morning people? We're picked up at 7:30am for the one and a half hour journey to the centre of the island, overlooking the second highest mountain in Bali, Batakau. We're taken high up into the mountainous region of the centre of Bali with a stunning view of the surround areas. At lease we're grateful for the fact that we'll largely be riding downhill. I haven't ridden a bike properly since school, and the prospect of riding through the pothole-ridden landscape at speed is somewhat daunting. Thankfully, we're supplied with quality 16-gear mountain bikes and good suspension.

In total, our group is about a dozen, plus a couple of guides. We set off and rapidly begin gathering pace and speed down the rapids and it's, basically, fab. The weather is reasonably cool and overcast, as it always seems to be when we head inland, making for a relaxing experience. I'm particularly happy that the guides make it clear that this is not a race and we can stop at any time to take pictures, rest or just gaze at the intoxicating landscape. We don't all ride together and go at our own pace, meaning occasionally I'm riding through a village on my own, seeing the occupants and observing their daily life.

This is quite positively the best way we've found yet to get around Bali. When driving around, whether in a taxi or touring in a hired bemo, you just don't get the chance to stop along the thin roads. Even more importantly, we're riding along roads that are well of the main streets, and hence going through completely tourist-free villages. Another advantage of this is that we are completely unmolested by hawkers throughout the entirety of our journey. On our last visit to Bali, when being guided up the north of the island, I took chance to preserve the unique rice field with some photos. Almost instantaneously, a motorcycle-riding hawker stopped, trying forcefully to flog me some bone carvings. Seconds later, two others had arrived and all were desperately pressing their wares into my face, shouting various prices loudly at me. It somewhat shattered the peace and tranquillity of my surroundings and their really hard sell unnerved me somewhat.

Thankfully, there's absolutely none of that today, and we are free to peruse warungs and villages without hassle. It's proved to me beyond doubt that the Balinese people are genuinely the friendliest people ever encountered. Almost everyone we pass pauses from their daily routine of harvesting rice, drying coffee beans, or walking along the side of the road, laden basket atop their heads, says hello and beam their ridiculously healthy white teeth at us. Children especially are vigorous in the greetings. Each village contains small primary schools for their children and they are generally out in the playground, gesticulating and hollering gleefully at us, occasionally running over to try and keep pace with us as we cycle past. I must have shouted hello back over one hundred times, each time raising a smile to my face. It can't help but warm the heart of even the most hardened cynic (myself included).

The air in Bali in the country is always incredibly fresh, broken only by the delicious aromas if lemongrass, coconut and chilli wafting through as we ride through another village. I do wonder what some of the locals do for entertainment in the evening. Frequently a small village contains only temples, a school and a dilapidated-looking warung. Perhaps they do things us westerners have forgotten and talk, tell tales into the night. I don't know, but there's certainly no local multiplex for them to catch the latest, god forbid, Adam Sandler film.

On a couple of occasions we off road and ride along the mud tracks in a forest or in-between terraced rice fields, getting to see the workers hard at it in the growing midday sun. This is indeed the finest day out we've had in Bali. The guides are especially good, taking time to ride alongside each of us at times, pointing out various plants growing either side, containing spices we commonly use yet aren't aware of in their natural environment. Cinnamon, coco beans, pineapple, avocado, bananas, coconuts. All these grow freely in the wild, uncultivated or nurtured by man.

After a packed lunch overlooking the Ayung River, we make the last leg of our journey to Sangeh Monkey Forest. This unfortunately requires a bit up of uphill work, but we can't complain when compared to the easy, downhill ride we've enjoyed for the majority of the day.

When we last came to Bali we visited another monkey forest on the outskirts of Ubud. We arrived quite late in the day and found that instead of the ravenous, chaotic, cheeky, erm, monkeys that the travel guides suggested they were, that instead they turned out to be relatively sedate. Not so here. My original theory that they'd stolen and been given enough all day to bore and satiate themselves being proved correct. If these lot see you've got bananas then they'll do whatever they can to get it off you - stalking you, circling you, the lot. At one point I'm wandering alongside the edge of the forest, a lone banana clutched hidden tight in my hand (having wisely given the rest of the bunch I'd bought to my guide for safekeeping) when suddenly I felt something jump on my arm and rip the fruit out of my hand. Cheeky little bugger! Lisa gets one jumping on her and climbing all over her without having and food on her at all. A couple of guys get scratched, and we have to be on our guard at all times. Constantly peering over our shoulders to check we're not being stalked.

If it all sounds a bit of a nightmare, then perhaps it is, but it's worth it. Seeing these dozens and dozens of monkeys in their natural habitat, looking after their young, playing, climbing, clambering over the temples in the middle of the forest and fighting even, is, as bizarre as it may seem, very relaxing. I could sit and watch these monkeys for hours. It is, however, time to leave and take the long journey back home to Nusa Dua.

It's been a fantastic trip, and one to really lodge in the memory that I can't recommend enough. The trip we took was with the Bali Adventures excursion group who provided an exemplary service all round. Top day.

So that's it. Snooze time which turns into a sleep before a meal and an early night. Tomorrow, more sun.