Planting Rice It’s back-breaking work, planting rice, but Balinese farmers still have a smile for visitors.
Rice is absolutely central to Balinese society.
In Bahasa Indonesia, the lingua franca in Bali,nasi, the word for rice, also means “meal”. But in Bali, rice is so much more than that: the whole process of growing and harvesting rice is at the very core of the island’s religion and culture.
Rice cultivation in Bali happens in a continuous cycle, with neighbouring fields often at different stages of maturity. Balinese farmers always plant new fields before harvesting all the ripened ones (see: A Ride through the Rice Fields). The Balinese are the most prolific rice growers in the Indonesian archipelago; this, and their community-based egalitarian farming practices and equal distribution of resources, has allowed them to spend time in artistic and cultural pursuits.
Any time of day or year, you will find rice in the fields, and people tending it.
My husband and I were walking on a main road towards Ubud on a January afternoon when a Balinese man approached us and offered to take us for a walk through the rice terraces. This is the sort of thing that happens in Bali: strangers will offer to take tourists places, and it is usually ok …
Impossibly Green: New Rice Around the hills of Ubud, houses and boutique hotels border the rice terraces.
Green and Yellow : Starting to Ripen Every rice paddy is at a different stage of growth.
A Giant Wood Spider (Nephila Maculata/Nephila Pilipes) Nephilacomes from the Ancient Greek for “fond of spinning”: a tribute to the the lovely, delicate webs that golden silk orb-weavers make.
Working the Fields Rice planting, transplanting, and harvesting is time-consuming work. Men do the planting and transplanting, while women do the harvesting.
I Nyomen We know that our impromptu guide – Nyomen – was a third-born child. By Balinese convention, children are given one of four main names according to their birth order. The “I” in front of his name indicates male gender (females often have “Ni” as a prefix) When they are older, children get a personal name, but these names are not so commonly used.
Flooded Sawah Rice fields – or sawah – are flooded at regular intervals to soften the ground for planting and to nurture the new growth. The controlled flooding uses water diverted from streams and man-made water channels.
Ducks in the Rice Field After the harvest, ducks are allowed into the sawah. They clear the fallow fields of eels, bugs, left-over grains of rice, and emerging weeds.
Working the Rice Fields
Ducks in the Rice Terraces As well as cleaning the fallow paddies, ducks fertilise them as they are herded through.
Rice Terraces
Break Time Rice is seeded in small fenced off areas, where it stays until the seedlings sprout and grow.
Reflections in the Rice Fields
Transplanting Rice When rice seedlings are big enough, they are transplanted by hand into a flooded rice paddy. This happens with remarkable speed and precision, resulting in neatly spaced rows.
Shrine in the Rice Shrines to Sri, the Rice Goddess, are dotted around the rice paddies.
Ripening Rice
Green Rice
From the Water Up
Ducks in the Rice Although the demands of tourism have resulted in new development, including guest houses amid the sawah, the fields around Ubud still feature a lot of traditional farm buildings.
Butterfly
Ducklings As we picked our way carefully between the paddies, I could hear the most incredible noise. Some kind of old farm machinery? I asked Nyoman. He laughed, and took us up a small rise to a shed, where the up-and-coming crop of ducks were quacking a right racket!
Rice Paddies Grassy hillocks separate the different layers of rice fields. They make for slippery walking!
Sheds in the Rice Paddies Even though houses sit on the edges of the rice fields, shelters or sheds are shattered around.
Little Spice Finch – Lonchura Punctulata Commonly known as nutmeg finch, scaly-breasted munia, or spotted munia, tiny little finch hop all over the ripening rice.
Giant Wood Spider (Nephila Maculata/Nephila Pilipes) A healthy environment is host to a range of species; wood spiders are non-aggressive members of the golden orb-web spider genus.
After a long walk through the peaceful greens, we came back out onto a bustling main street near Ubud, just as our new friend I Nyomen had promised.
The Indonesian government has tried to further increase rice production: by introducing new varieties, by deregulating the subak irrigation system and ignoring the rest periods and irrigation schedules, and by promoting artificial pesticides and fertilisers.
Unfortunately, these more aggressive agricultural practices – and the demand for land for tourism – have put a unique system, one that has prospered for over a thousand years, under threat. I can’t help but wonder how much longer those fields, in their countless shades of green, will last.
I only hope the Balinese can protect their beautiful terraces and sustainable farming practices – for the benefit of all of us!
Tufted Daisies (Brachyscome Scapigera) on the Hill The start of the Porcupine Rocks walking track affords lovely views back over the lodges across the road from the Perisher Mountain Ski Resort in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia.
Is there anything more restorative than mountain air in summer?
Australia’s Snowy Mountains are a wonderful place for summer walking. The bonus of being in the Antipodes is that the height of summer falls across the Christmas – New Year break. It is my chance to take time out to reflect on the old year, and plan for the new …
Whenever we can, my husband and I (with assorted family and friends) spend the New Year period in the Snowy Mountains, enjoying the walks – long and short, the unique flora, and the fresh air.
This year, we took the opportunity to revisit one one my favourite walks: from the Perisher Valley Reservoir to Porcupine Rocks – a large granite outcrop on a ridge south of Perisher Valley.Its a short, but moderately challenging walk with a suggested time of 2.5 hours return. I think it always takes me more than that: the 214m rise in elevation slows me down!
But it is sufficiently rewarding. The wildflowers are in abundance from early January, the rocks and terrain are visually interesting and the views from the top make the last steep climb worth it.
Join us for a summer walk.
The Main Range We always start our mountain sojourn with a drive up to Charlotte Pass and a short walk on the Snow Gums Boardwalk to have a look over Kosciuszko National Park’s Main Range.
Silver Snow Daisies – Celmisia Astelifolia We are at about 1,850 metres (6,070 ft) here, so the alpine flowers bloom a little later than in the more protected valleys further down the hill.
Ghost Snow Gums – Charlotte Pass A bushfire passed through here many years ago; the dead skeletons of old snow gums stand like eerie ghost sentinels on the hill.
Winter Ski Lodges Although Kosciuszko National Park has an increasing number of summer visitors, many of the ski lodges are only open in winter. Our walk the next day starts on Water Supply Storage Road past empty chalets and continues along Rock Creek.
Tufted Daisies – Brachyscome Scapigera The grasslands around us – which are under snow in winter – are scattered with cheerful patches of daisies and buttercups.
The Path Up Were glad of our walking sticks and sturdy boot! Parts of the track resemble a dried creek bed.
Alpine Mint Bush – Prostanthera Cuneata – on the Rocks The Snowy Mountains were under the ocean some 450 million years ago. Today, the effects of millennia of pressure that metamorphosed the sedimentary rocks – and the subsequent erosion of these rocks, has left a roughly hewn landscape with the harder granite boulders protruding.
Grass Trigger-plant – Stylidium Sp. The ground either side of the path (and sometimes on it) is boggy and wet.
Golden Hillside The hillside is yellow with gorse blooms: in this instance, it is probably the Common Shaggy Pea (Oxylobium ellipticum).
Burned Out Snow Gums I love the delicate colours of the heath and the granite …
Signeage … as we reach the three-way intersection with Porcupine Link Track. In winter, this is cross-country terrain.
Carpet Heath
Alpine Mint Bush – Prostanthera Cuneata The smells all around us – especially the Alpine Mint – are fresh and glorious.
Granite Outcrop As we got close to the top of the hill, …
Granite Outcrop … the granite outcrops became more dramatic.
Silver Snow Daisies – Celmisia Astelifolia
Porcupine Rocks Finally we reached our target: the ancient, craggy granite outcrop at the top of the ridge.
Looking Over Lake Crackenback There are good views over the resort at Lake Crackenback from the ridge. Those willing to clamber to the top of the rocks get clear views of Perisher Valley, Mt Duncan, Thredbo River Valley and Bullocks Flat. We, however, played it safe and stayed lower down.
Granite Buttercups – Ranunculus Graniticola As we work our way back down, we stop to admire the buttercups.
Snow Gums and Gorse
Perisher in Sight When the ski resort comes back into view, we know we are almost finished.
Find the Fish! We cross back over Rock Creek and make our way back to the car.
It was a lovely way to end the old year and start the one; I’ll be back in the mountains again when this year turns over.
[…] have my favourite walking tracks that I return to regularly (eg: Rennix Walk; Kosciuszko Lookout; Porcupine Rocks; Mount Kosciuszko Summit; Mount Stillwell; Seaman’s Hut; Waterfall Track; Rainbow […]ReplyCancel
Waratah (Telopea Speciosissima) Flowers Red and green together always make me think of Christmas. Of course, in Australia,Christmas is in the middle of summer. Waratahs are a spring flower, and the magnificent flowers we came across on our walk in the Blue Mountains National Park near Leura early October made me think of the holiday season ahead.
You never know what you will come across on a walk in the Australian bush!
In October, my husband and I had a brief interlude in Katoomba, the principal town in the Blue Mountains, just a ninety-minute drive from Sydney. Our charming 1930s guesthouse gave us access to the myriad of local arts, boutiques, coffee shops and bistros, as well as endless walking tracks. We opted for a short walk to the Three Sisters land formation in the morning (see: Echo Point), and after a delicious lunch of genuine Brittany crêpes, we set off in the car for the five minute drive to the neighbouring town of Leura to the trail-head of a short walk.
We had decided on the Pool of Siloam and Lyrebird Dell Walking Track circuit simply because it looked easy, and we hadn’t done it before.
It was a delightful two kilometres of up-and-down: through rainforest and bird song; past waterfalls and Aboriginal heritage sites. The blooming waratahs and other flora were a magnificent bonus.
Do come along!
Pool of Siloam Track From the Gordon Falls Reserve in Leura, it is a short and well-marked walk down to the Pool of Siloam.
Seed Pods The Australian bush is full of subtle colours and rough textures.
Banksia Serrata
Leaf in the Dark As the track continues down to the base of this cliff, it gets darker, and the plant-life changes.
Pool of Siloam Land features in Blue Mountains often have names with biblical references (e.g.: The Temple of Baal Cave, Jenolan).
Under the Falls This lovely, shaded pool gets its name from Birkhat Hashiloah (Pool of Siloam) in the City of David, where Jesus sent a man to heal his blindness.
Pool of Siloam Stepping stones lead through the ferny glen, across the trickling Gordon Creek, …
Path out of the Pool of Siloam … and up the other side.
Gorse Bitter Pea (Daviesia Ulicifolia) The vegetation changes again, as we rise up out of the glen.
Blue Mountains Ash (Eucalyptus Oreades) Reaching up to 40m tall, the beautiful straight trunks of the Blue Mountains ash rise up to the sky around us.
Down to Gordon Creek We climb back down towards the creek, under overhangs of weathered sandstone.
Lyrebird Dell We cross the creek again at Lyrebird Dell – hoping (and failing) to see one of these long-tailed Australian birds as we pass.
Wild Lilies There is plenty of interesting flora in the damp shadows.
Edges of the National Park Back up towards street level, we are once again among the eucalypts: this one with a fabulously gnarly trunk.
Grevillea Aspleniifolia There are about 360 species of evergreen flowering plants in the grevillea genus – most with unusual-looking, bird-attracting flowers.
Banksia Named for botanist Sir Joseph Banks (1743- 1820 ), banksia is another genus of plants unique to Australia, with around 170 species.
Into the Woods We walked back through the woods full of birdsong, to return to our car.
Now, as we head into the holiday season, I’m reminded of the sublime red and green waratahs, and I think how lucky I am to have access to such magnificent wild places.
Here’s wishing you and all your family a wonderful Christmas – or a Happy Whatever-you Might-be-Celebrating this festive season – and a Happy New Year.
Motu Woman Corrugated iron, fibrocement, wire fencing – and smiles – are the chief components of “modern” Motu villages in Papua New Guinea.
We were trapped!
Eleven photo-enthusiasts, photographer Karl Grobl, a couple of local guides and a bus driver – all trapped.
We had been warned: Papua New Guinea is not the safest place to travel. But, it was not tribal conflict, or spill-over from the recent election upheavals, or even tourist-targeting raskols (bandits) that had us stuck in a hot bus.
It was children!
It was if they had been wound up for weeks and fed sugar and red cordial all day before our arrival: from the moment we turned in towards the Motu village, they cheered and laughed and jumped all over our bus like mad things. It seemed unwise to try to work our way through an overly-enthusiastic crowd of sticky fingers and runny noses with our camera gear. We decided to try again the next morning, when – hopefully – everyone would be a bit calmer. Just getting the bus back out of the parking lot without running several youngsters over looked challenging.
I was glad we had more luck the next day, because these villages are fascinating and unique.
The Motu, long-ago descendants of Polynesian people, are traditionally sea-goers who are thought to have arrived in Papua New Guinea about 2000 years ago. They settled across the Port Moresby area and much of the eastern tip of the country, building their villages on stilts over the water to keep them safe from black magic and bad spirits (see: Koki Fish Market).
Hanuabada, which means “big village” in Motu, is the oldest and largest of the remaining stilt-villages. The original wood and thatch houses were destroyed by fire during WWII, and subsequently rebuilt (under the Australian administration of the day) from corrugated iron and fibrocement, on wooden pylons.
My Lonely Plant guide (2012) points out that you need an invitation to be allowed into the village; we were able to visit thanks to our two local guides who had relatives here. These women were fascinating to talk with. Although marriage within the village was preferred traditionally, obviously today’s social networks spread much more broadly: these women were educated, worldly, and had extended familial connections with Indigenous communities in Northern Australia and the Torres Strait Islands. They spoke good English, as well as Motu, and “Hiri Motu”, the local lingua franca.
The village itself was – shall we say -“rustic”: simple houses built over the waters of Moresby Harbour, connected to the land and each other by elevated and swaying wooden paths. And therein lay the challenge for me: while I was a mountain goat in my youth, these days I get vertigo easily. Even with the patient assistance of local villagers, my cameras and I could not make it too far out onto the rickety, uneven walkways of timber planks.
It was a bit embarrassing: the locals didn’t mind the loose steps or missing pieces as they casually walked around eight-to-ten feet above litter and refuse-filled waters. According to Wikipedia, more than half of the Papua New Guinea national cricket team comes from Hanuabada; I guess running around on these perilous raised passageways improves their sporting performance!
Crazy Kids! The children went wild the first time we tried to pull into a Motu village.
Kids on the Stage Those youngsters who weren’t banging on the bus, climbed a temporary stage …
Girls on the Hustings … and vied for our attention, as we made pictures through the bus windows.
Village People When we finally made our way out through the sea of children, the women waved us off.
Gabi Hanuabada Village The next morning we were able to stop our bus at some dusty roadworks …
Gabi Hanuabada Village … to get a sense of the size of the village in the harbour, and its unique construction.
Walkway From terra fima, the walkways looks easy enough to negotiate, as they rise up over the mud …
Houses on Stilts … and towards the tightly-knit network of simple houses.
Face in a Window
On Daddy’s Back
Houses and Walkways
Motu Man in a Doorway Warm and welcoming smiles are everywhere – as are the signs of betel nut chewing, which is technically illegal.
Woman on her Hanuabada Village Porch
Motu Woman
A Gaggle of Children Once I was back on solid ground, it didn’t take long for the children to find me …
Trio of Kids … and – without my coaching – push each other into posed positions.
“The Look”
Happy Couple There is very little work in Hanuabada Village itself – most Motu men and many of the women work full-time in Port Moresby. Our visit was on a Saturday – so there were plenty of adults around.
Spontaneous Family Group
Yo! All the children seem to favour hand gestures.
Mum and Bub Like young mothers everywhere, this one was happy to show off her baby.
Children in the Yard Papua New Guinea has a youthful population: more than half the people are under 25.
Old Woman Weaving Some of the houses are over dry land rather than water; in the shade under one of these, an elderly woman sits weaving mats.
Kids in the Carpark As we are boarding our bus to leave, more children – with their smiles and hand gestures – crowd in to see us off.
Traditionally, Motu grew some of their own produce in garden plots near their villages, the men fished, and the women gathered shellfish and crabs. They still do some fishing – although the villagers told me the fish was less plentiful – but they buy their produce from the local shops.
So, life changes.
There were few apparent resources in the village for the children, and the dusty car park seemed to be the only play area. Many of the children were chewing mouthfuls of betel nut. They had sores, runny noses, and dental decay.
One has to wonder what the future prospects are for those who don’t become members of the national cricket team. In the absence of toys, the children clearly have to rely on their own imaginations for entertainment.
Perhaps that is why they were so excited to see us.
As usual Ursula, with pictures and words you easily transport me back to far off places we have been together.
I remain impressed and dazzled by the history lesson you always provide, making me wish I had read your Weekly Wanders episode before going. You always delight and amaze.
And we too send warm Christmas and New Year greetings to you and Gabe.ReplyCancel
Thanks so much for your lovely comments, Jan! It is always a pleasure sharing trails with you and Lew. 😀ReplyCancel
Karl Grobl -December 18, 2017 - 1:10 am
As always Ursula, you’ve done a wonderful job of combining images and text to inform, enlighten and remind us all of places and experiences that we’ve shared. Thank you!ReplyCancel
[…] country – two weeks across four main locations: Port Moresby (see: A Slice of Life and Life on the Edge); Milne Bay (see: Portraits from the Dance and Innocent Eyes and Head Hunters); the Middle […]ReplyCancel
Red Pigface on Tabarca A native to South Africa, the Ice Plant (carpobrotus edulis) is a colourful – if invasive – addition to the rocky coastal views over the islet of Tabarca in the Mediterranean Sea.
Is there anything that says “Mediterranean” more than bright sun bouncing off blue waters and old white-washed walls? Add fresh seafood and salads bathed in rich olive oil, and the picture is complete.
The tiny islet of Tabarca, just off the coast of Alicante in Southern Spain, is the real deal.
The island was originally known as Illa de Sant Pau – Saint Paul’s Island – because it was believed that Paul the Apostle had disembarked there, or Illa Plana – Flat Island – because of its level surface.
Originally uninhabited, the islet, which is just 5 nautical miles (9 km) off the SpanishMediterranean coast from Santa Pola, was a refuge for Barbary pirates on their raids from North Africa. In 1760, to protect against these raids, Charles III of Spain ordered that the islet be fortified and populated. A Spanish garrison, and a number of Genoese sailors who had been shipwrecked near the coast of Tunisia, were settled on the island. The sailors named it Nueva Tabarca (‘New Tabarca’), after their original home near the Tunisian town of Tabarka, which was a part of the Republic of Genoa until 1741.
Today, Tabarca is the smallest permanently-inhabited islet in Spain, with about 60 year-round residents. The islet incorporates a marine reserve (Reserva marina de la Isla de Tabarca), and tourism – especially in summer – is the main source of income.
My husband and I were staying in nearby Albir, and decided to visit Tabarca as part of day-long boat trip from Benidorm.
Do join us!
Taxi Service to Tabarca The islet is just 8 nautical miles (15 km) from Alicante and 5 nautical miles (9 km) from Santa Pola, and relies on a number of boat services. Looking rather plain from the sea, the Church of St Peter and St Paul was finished in 1779.
Boatman on the Deck We travelled to the islet on a large tourist boat from Benidorm: about a two-hour cruise along the Costa Blanca.
Tourist Boats at Tabarca Once we finally arrive, we have to wait as a queue of tourist boats in front of us move in and out of Tabarca’s small dock.
Boatman and Tourists It is nearly high-noon, and the sun bounces off the deck of the boat where tourists wait to disembark. One of the staff members watches on.
Boatman Our boatman watches carefully, still waiting for our turn at the dock.
Southeast to the Lighthouse Our first stop, once we are off the boat, is an outdoor restaurant with a view. We were ready for a fresh seafood lunch of local specialities. It is mid-May: weeks away from the height of tourist season, …
Southeast to the Lighthouse … so the beach is quiet as we look southeast, over the neatly stacked and empty chairs, to the Faro de Tabarca, the island’s lighthouse.
Rugged Coast In the other direction, we can see southwest to the fortified walls designed in the mid-1700s by military engineer Fernando Méndez Ras.
Cova del Llop Marí – Sea Lion Caves With the crystal clear waters around the island, stunning volcanic rock and limestone cliffs, and a glorious Mediterranean climate, it is no surprise that Tabarca is popular with tourists. In summer, the villas in town are full.
Portal on the Mediterranean Most of the residences on the islet are empty when we visit; in 2013, Tabarca had only 59 year-round inhabitants. Ten-times this number stay here in summer.
Cala del Llop Marí As we walk around the island, we have views east, back across Sea Lion Cove, …
Lilies on the Cliff … west across the Cala del Francés, …
La Cantera and the Old Fortifications … and across the low-lying rocks of the neighbouring island to the mainland.
Platja de Birros Sun-bakers take advantage of the beautiful weather.
Jesus on a White Wall The light bounces off the white stucco walls of the quiet houses.
Light and Shadows and Murals Painted murals add to the tidy charm of the orderly streets, while birds fill the blue sky over our heads with sound.
Wall Plaque
Doorway
Herring Gull
Nou Collonet The streets are hot and quiet. You can tell how important tourism is by the number of restaurants nestled into every corner.
It was a unique and enjoyable – albeit quiet – place to wander and lunch.
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
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It was a unique and enjoyable – albeit quiet – place to wander and lunch.
What a pleasent afternoon walk