Rice doesn't come from a box?

One of the more interesting things we did that also ended in another wonderful eating experience, :) was taking a beautiful walk to a restaurant located in the middle of the rice fields of Ubud. Sari Organik is reached by walking along a very narrow and sometimes slightly treacherous path that wanders through many rice paddies.

I never thought much about it before, but rice is pretty cool looking when it grows. The fertile volcanic soil of Bali has made rice a central dietary staple. The island's steep terrain resulted in an intricate irrigation system locally called subak which manages water storage and drainage for the terraces. The sounds of the water running along the ditches breaks the stillness of the evening. We pass a number of small shrines where offerings are placed to ensure a good outcome of rice yields.

Earlier in the day we had seen a rice paddy filled with ducks. They are very prominent in the rice fields and are of importance for a successful rice yield. Every day farmers lead their ducks into their rice fields so they can eat the pests. The ducks also provide a natural fertilizer with their droppings.

Along the way we have to step to the side to let a passing motor bike, or ten,  share the path, tricky...interesting coconut heads adorn a fence like scarecrows or jungle Gods guarding the rice fields against something I don't want to know about.

We reached the restaurant in time to watch the sunset.  Dinner was great, and we shared a delicious rice wine that was light and not overly sweet. The walk home was by moonlight, and the stars were amazing!  My camera could only get the simplest shot of the moon through the palm trees, but you could still make out the stars, sort of.....

As we reached the end of the path, the sounds of a Gamelan performance was somewhere close by.  I laughed because it reminded me of the Blue Man Group, the sound was so familiar, and so strange to hear Blue Man music in such an exotic place.  I will never think of them in quite the same way ever again...