07-05-09

A last photo taken of 3 couples of buffaloes busy to equalize the rice paddies to prepare them for new rice plants. A typical picture of Lombok and many other Indonesian islands.

It has to be said that at the Mataram airport we bought some chocolate: we hardly eat any sweets during our stay, since such is rarely available in these remote parts of Indonesia, but seeing it again, we couldn't resist ....

Good flight and arrival at approx. 2.30 pm at hotel Panorama near to Ubud's centre, situated besides the rice paddies; we have from our room a front view of them.

Late excellent lunch at the hotel, prices are higher, but still very reasonable. We made our arrangements for the coming days: tonight at 8 pm a massage (incl. exfoliation and honey balm for Ingrid) at the hotel, tomorrow we both rented a bike and will explore the surroundings of Ubud with its Hindu ancient temples, lush rice paddies and towering coconut trees; the day after we will visit by rented car + driver with another couple of the group the surroundings of Ubud.

This afternoon, we made a stroll through the centre of Ubud with its numberless craftsmen shops and restaurants with few clients, except Arjan, who bought a nice abstract painting from a local artist. Quite some Japanese (or Koreans, still difficult to distinguish for us), but not any longer the former top 10 Australian tourists, because of the Bali bombings.

A & I - 07-05-09 - incredible hot steaming day