Apart from the daily eating, the other activity that we enjoyed the most during this trip was the 2-hour walk across the padi fields encircling the Chedi Club's compound and through a local village that was next to the compound.
Two staff from the Chedi Club brought us on this "guided walking tour", explaining the rice planting and harvesting cycle and local village customs as well as pointing out to us the various plants and vegetables that were grown in the area, some of which feature in the daily meals at the resort.
Rice planting is back-breaking work. We were also told that it is very laborious for the farmers to chase away the birds which descend on the fields in droves, pecking at the rice grains. To scare the birds, the farmers put up scarecrows, hang up large pieces of coloured cloths which flutter in the wind, construct rudimentary-looking contraptions which produce loud, clanking noises as well as personally roaming in the padi fields making eagle-like screeches from time to time.
Left: Glutinous rice. Right: White rice.
Cocoa trees! This is the first time that I have seen a real cocoa fruit and I was so excited! There were a few cocoa fruits hanging on the trees and I asked the guides if I could pluck one. I wanted to break open the fruit and see what it looked like inside. My husband glared at me when I voiced my suggestion and well, that was the end of it.
And we saw coffee berries too! Reminded me of the delicious Luwak coffee I tried in Jakarta, but no, civet cats do not live in Bali.
Oh, we saw an avocado tree with many fruits on our way up to Bedugul too!