We couldn’t wait for daylight to check out our surroundings. We were up far earlier than I had hoped but not having clocks out yet, we just told the kids they could get up when the sun was up and that’s just what they did. With barely four hours of sleep, we were ready to explore. The hammock on the porch thrilled the kids and is a favorite place for them to play. We found the pool down a stone path below the house and it called our names at first light. The house is perched about half way down the side of hill. The house faces another hill just as steep. The hillside on our side is filled with palm trees and huge tropical plants. Hibiscus flowers of all colors are in bloom and the birds of paradise plants are gigantic. These are plants that we try to grow in our houses in small pots that grow like the lilac bushes in Illinois. Brilliant blue king fisher birds swoop between the incredibly tall palm trees filled with coconuts. Charlie is fascinated and wants to know how to get a coconut down from way up there. I think people actually climb the trees, so we hope to get to see that at some point. The hillside across from us must be the sunny side. There are very steep terraced rice fields that are fed by natural spring waterfalls. The sounds of the birds and the waterfalls are enough to lower anyone’s blood pressure to healthy numbers. The photos of the view are disappointing though. Somehow the depth and lushness seem lost. We will try video to see if it captures it better.
We decide to go for a walk to get some local money and get our bearings. We couldn’t place this house on a map so we weren’t sure which direction from the main part of Ubud we were. We got to see the path up to the road that we stumbled down at 2 in the morning last night. We are fairly remote – five minutes up a steep hill to where any cars can go. The less traveled road also really gets us in touch with the wildlife. We crossed paths with a five foot long black snake heading into the bushes. There are several types of geckos and lizards running around, along with random chickens that wander in front of the back porch.
Charlie’s first obsession: get a coconut from the trees. We placated him by buying a local drink of a fresh young coconut. It was bigger than his head and he didn’t really like it, but at least that got him off of the subject for a little while. The mango lassi’s (blended yogurt drinks) were as good as we remembered, as were the cool breezes and amazing views from the cafes.
After our short walk, the kids were so hot that we headed back to the house to the pool. We had already swam before breakfast, and the water felt a little cool. But after the walk, it was so refreshing. The pool is constantly fed by spring water so it’s fresh from the ground and doesn’t get a chance to be warmed by the sun. By the afternoon swim, the water was still cold but we were so hot that it was incredibly refreshing.
The Balinese family who live next door take care of the house. We first met Made (pronounced Mah-day), a 45-ish man who met the house owner when he was 16. Made seems to be a gentle soul, and likes the peace and quiet of the place. His father is Papak, who we met while was out picking flowers for the morning offerings. He had a broad smile and greeted us all so warmly, even though I think he doesn’t speak any English. Ketut is Made’s wife, married when she was about 16. They have grandkids about the same age as our children already. Ketut brought over lots of fresh fruit and made banana pancakes for breakfast. She really wants us to be happy with whatever she cooks and tried to figure out good meals that the kids would eat. More to follow on this I'm sure. I have high expectations that the kids will eat more adventurously when sufficiently hungry and without the typical choices at home, but we'll see.
Jim ran out to get sandwiches from Casa Luna bakery for lunch, then Ketut cooked chicken and fried noodles for dinner. The kids were so tired they didn’t eat much, and they were in bed shortly after 7. Maybe we'll try to get them to nap tomorrow.
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