Parts Of My Life: Ubud Greenfields hotel, rice field walk

We spent three nights at Greenfields Hotel in Ubud the first night was just our family, on the 2nd night our friends met up with us for the remainder of our trip. Elly and Con have both travelled a lot, their children had never been overseas before so it was pretty exciting.

On past visits to Ubud I had wandered around Greenfields and looked at rooms, so I knew it was nice. Our rooms ( Bale Sukat) were basic, but very Balinese. They had that certain air and grace that areas around Ubud seem to exude.

During the night we saw fireflies almost skipping along the very tips of the green shoots. See that little tree in the middle of the field? the fireflies would congregate around it, I think they must live in it.

The distance jungle is the monkey forest. I tried really hard to see trees moving, but there were no monkeys to be seen:(

View from the down stairs rooms

around the pool

Stunning pool

View from our upstairs room

Our day bed upstairs room number 203

a visitor in the garden

eating around Ubud:)

My favourite dessert 'black bottom tart' from Kafe

We tried a new restaurant, just up the street from Greenfields, walk to road and turn left... best food! I have the name somewhere something like 'The Lilly Pad' ? I'll look it up.

Our friends turn up we go from four to nine and life gets even busier!!

Lots of thongs off at dinner time, funny how many white pairs, we often got in a muddle:)

Bali Zoo

feeding the tigers

saying hi to the lions we feed them later but I have video not photos

The Ricefield Walk

Behind the Museum in Ubud is a rice field walk I have wanted to do for years. It started off with a cement path and although it was very pretty I was disappointed that we weren't really in amongst it. I needn't have worried, by the end of the walk we were well and truly amongst the water and mud:)

It was long walk maybe three hours.

One of Cons thongs couldn't handle the mud sucking, it broke. So funny... about twenty steps on he found a replacement, the right size, correct foot, almost the same colour!

It was a very hot day so the kids and I sit down to cool off our feet.

We were tired and all we had to carry was water, lazy Aussies!!

Somewhere along here we had to climb up a grassy incline, past a man with a cow.

"Selamat Pagi" we call out one by one as we climbed past him. He doesn't smile and watches us quite seriously as we walk around his little patch of baby rice plants, they are fenced off with netting.

I wonder at his lack of reaction and think that a) maybe he couldn't understand what we said? we all speak our few Indonesian words with what I'm sure are terrible accents b) he is worried that we will hurt his plant nursery.

Behind me I hear Elly say " Hi how are you?" there is a big pause, then a nervous little... " nice cow".

I look back at her and laugh "nice cow?"

Elly laughs " What? he looked so cranky, I was trying to be nice. But I don't think he understood me. Maybe I insulted him and his cow?"

I guess you had to be there but it was hot, we were tired and the casual comment of "nice cow" had us in hysterics. Whenever we walked past a cow from then on the call was.... "hey look, nice cow"

Giant snail

This guy has a little hut in the middle of the fields selling paintings, beautiful work and a lovely memento.I bought Tannalee a little painting from here for her birthday.

Elly having a chat with the artist... "nice painting".