Monday, April 11, 2016

Friday April 8, Saturday April 9, Sunday April 10, Monday April 11 – Settling in at Rumah Sawah Kita, Penestanen, Bali




I have had a life-long dream to visit Bali, but it used to sound so far away, so unreachable, like a trip to Mars;  and I had romantic notions about what it would be like: lush, green, rice paddies, beautiful ladies, temples, and dancing. Then as the years progressed, Bali became closer, and I realized that if I wanted to visit, I had to be the one to arrange it. And….here we are…..a life dream  accomplished!

And what is it like? We arrived in the dark at Denpasar and drove from the airport through endless buildings, shops, traffic and people, to end up here in Penestanen just outside the centre of Ubud. Amidst a flurry of motor scooters and greetings our baggage was loaded onto two motor scooters and we were shown along the laneway to our rental villa by the owner Geoffrey, and his night watchman, Kadek. After a briefing on the house, with promises of “more tomorrow” Geoffrey took us 100 steps from the house to the Dream Resort where he had booked a table for us to have dinner. How thoughtful! It was just perfect as by this time it was close to 9:00 p.m.

We woke up refreshed on Friday morning and heard the gentle noises of someone in the kitchen. Jero, Geoffrey’s helper was here to clean up and make us breakfast! Needless to say, we had disturbed very little, but it was lovely to know I didn’t have to clean, nor make the beds, nor even make breakfast!!  Geoffrey came over and briefed us extensively on the workings of the house, and responded in depth to all our questions about places to go and things to do. It was like a crash course on Bali in one morning. We learned about various customs, don’t hang clothes above your head, and always keep a light burning at night to drive out the evil spirits;  we learned about restaurants to go to, temples to visit, cultural dance performances; where the super market was and the trip along the lanes to get there; yoga and fitness studios; barbers; he introduced his staff to us: Gade who is house manager, Wayan who is the driver, Gero the indoor helper, and Kadek who looks after the gardens and the pool. And after all of this we felt well equipped to assume our temporary residence.

The house, Rumah Sawah Kita is situated 200-300 metres down a little some-what paved lane – I liken it to the hutongs we cycled through in Beijing, a narrow laneway lined by buildings on either side. Here the laneway is home to villas, hotels, restaurants, yoga studios, spas, dogs, cats, motor bikes, people, and rice fields. It is a hive of activity and energy that only seems to slow down over night. The house is beautiful! Rather than create my own description, I will give you Geoffrey’s description of it which is far more accurate than I could ever be:

“This extraordinary near-new villa/home set in the artist village of Penestanan, next to Ubud is designed in the Javanese Joglo style with many traditional features and furnishings, but with all modern conveniences. The U-shaped house is built around two flowering trees (frangipani and flame tree) laden with orchids shading an ornamental Koi pond at their feet. It features spacious airy living rooms, gourmet kitchen, three different dining areas, set beside a substantial swimming pool, and exquisitely furnished with quality and character. The very best of Bali living.

A “guest house” lies across the Koi pond, and houses the main living area open on three sides to the lush tropical garden and furnished with a hand made rattan lounge suite, a carved four poster daybed, and the second bedroom, which also features a four-poster bed, indoor/outdoor bathroom, refrigerator, and air conditioning. 

Beautifully lit slate stepping stones lead to the pool on one side, and on the other, to the carved and antique doors that form the entrance to whole compound.

What more could I add. It is all accurate!! Here are a few pictures of the house, the garden, and the lane we walk down to get here.















After Geoffrey’s visit we went for lunch in a little restaurant 100 steps in the opposite direction to dinner the night before! Then we set off to find the Bintang supermarket. We followed Geoffrey’s instructions and took the lane way from the opposite side of the main road. What a maze!! At times we were walking along the edge of small rice paddies, and at other times we curved past various buildings all with their little shrines for daily rituals and donations to the spirits. I am not sure if we chose the right path or not, but after some back tracking we did end up at the right place. When we were in the supermarket, it started to pour and we could hear the rain hammering on the metal roof above. But, by the time we came out, the rain had disappeared and the sun was shining once again.








On Saturday, we headed into Ubud, along the lane to the main road, along the main road, down a very steep hill, a switch back turn, and we were on the road headed to Ubud. The whole experience was eclectic and energizing, despite the heat and humidity. There was constant traffic moving at about 50 k max with three times more small bikes or motor scooters than there were cars. The scooters were driven by men and women and tourists and locals; anything from one up to 5 up!! You could see many of the tourists were just becoming used to the bikes and their faces grimaced with concern and concentration! But as with most Asian cities, everyone avoids everyone else…..somehow!!! The side by side buildings practically touched each other and lined the route to the far end of town: shops, tourist agents, motor bike rentals, and money changers. It seemed that everyone had a taxi for rental, and everyone else had something to sell you. The locals were friendly, and no umbrage was taken when we refused their goods or services. We walked to the far end by the roundabout and found the barber shop that Geoffrey had suggested. Ray got a hair cut for $2.00 Cdn. It actually looks very good!!!




When we got back to the house we had a lovely swim in the infinity pool and for the second night in a row, ate in the house. Why wouldn’t we? The setting here is so beautiful; the gurgle of the water in the Koi pond, the beautiful lush and colourful garden, and the peace and quietness of our own company. After the past few weeks it is paradise. However, I am sure Geoffrey and the staff are wondering if we are ever going to leave the house to see the rest of Bali. We will, but right now we are enjoying each moment, finding out new things slowly, going new places slowly, and relaxing in our temporary environment.



Today is Monday, and I have hardly moved from this computer over the past two days except to go to the supermarket again on Sunday and then go out for dinner last night and lunch today. It feels good. I am determined to get as much of my blog caught up as possible; then I can relax and enjoy the rest of our stay in our new haven - and you can all enjoy the pictures of our trip. I forgot to mention the WiFi! It is amazing!

1 comment:

Randall Osczevski said...

Nice place. Much better than the bamboo hut on stilts I had envisioned you staying in, with pigs living underneath!