Bicycling Bali

One of the best ways to experience Bali is by bicycle. We did a tour that took us to Mt. Kitamani and then we rode down through villages and rice paddies. Yes, luckily it was mostly downhill because there are quite some hills on Bali. Helen and Alex rode in the van for part of the way because the hills were too steep. Alex crashed only once. Not bad since they have not ridden bikes since we left Palau.


Our tour started at a coffee plantation. Only some of the coffee is not made the ordinary way. What looks like a mongoose, eats coffee berries and then poops them out. The beans are cleaned(????) and then made into coffee. It is some of the most expensive coffee in the world.






















Mt. Kitamani. Most recent eruption was in 1994.








Entering a traditional Balinese compound. These compounds can house up to 30+ members of the same family. There are several buildings for sleeping, a kitchen, shrines for offerings and it is all surrounded buy a traditional and elaborate wall. The youngest son is the "boss". He is expected to take care of his parents as they grow older. When he marries, his wife comes to live in the compound.

















Somehow we managed to be paired up on our trip with a couple who live about 20 minutes away from my parents in Seattle. Bali is a very long trip from Seattle!!



A Balinese rice paddy.