Follow the leader

Road to the mountains taken from our car

A lot of concentration is needed when driving in Bali. As well as the overloaded trucks and the bakso carts there are thousands of scooters. Passing in all directions. An intersection is an intricate dance that requires patience and skill. Last week we were told, seriously, to drive carefully, especially on steep, windy roads. If a motorcyclist is coming around the bend on the wrong side of the road, and you collect them, and they die, you must pay for the funeral or go to jail. It's always your fault. Said very matter of factly, but there was no escaping the meaning. Deadly, in every sense, serious.

So imagine adding to the normal stresses of the road, trying to follow another driver to a destination. Separated at one of those intersections, trying to guess which direction he might have gone at crossroads, every vehicle ahead suddenly all silver Suzukis, nowhere for him to pull over and wait. Well, we did it and we lived to tell the tale.

Our Balinese friend was planning to take some Japanese visitors up to see the World Heritage terraced rice paddies and subak watering system of Jatiluwih. There was no room in the car for us, but now that we had our own transport, would we like to follow? Certainly we would.

First we needed fuel, and managed to lose him less than a kilometre from home. Somehow we found the service station with our friend waiting, but it was out of fuel and closed. So off we headed again, and as we turned off main roads down narrower streets, the following became easier and the condition of the roads worse. Of course he knew where he was going, we thought; we found fuel and set off again. Soon we were beginning to doubt his navigational skills, but it turned out to be more Balinese hospitality. By going the long way, the very long way, we enjoyed unspoiled countryside, lovely villages and roads that hadn't seen any maintenance in decades. When we reached the main road again it was the relief of the old joke - how good it feels when you stop banging your head against the brick wall.

Jatiluwih was indeed beautiful with the backdrop of the mountains, the terraces stretched in all directions and the rice at different stages of the cycle. This is not the standard high yield GM rice, but Bali asli, the original rice of the island. Unlike the terraces at Tegallalang, closer to Ubud, this area is not overrun with visitors and stalls, but there are several warungs to cater for those that come, and the banjar wisely charges Rp 15000 per person to drive through. It was a little overcast and on a fine, clear day would be stunning. Another lovely, unexpected day out and well worth the bone-juddering trip to get there. Coming home it was straight down the Denpasar-Singaraja road - a much less interesting and much faster journey.