Rice and Bali

 Rice is very important in Bali as it is their main source of food.  They eat rice in some form 3 times a day.  While driving around you see many fields but there are not enough to feed the over 4 million people in Bali and so they must import rice as well.  

The rice fields behind Ubud are fun to walk and lead to a charming little warung called Sweet Orange.

Of course rice fields are around every corner - these are right behind our accommodation which is just outside of Ubud. These fields are waiting to be replanted.

One gigantic snail on the walkway

And one dirty duck eating bugs

Long grain, short grain, white, red and black are all grown here but the main rice they consume is the short white rice.  I can’t really tell the difference from the road but Made, our trusty driver, has pointed out all the different kinds.  Generally there are 3 crops of short rice grown per year - 4 months from start to finish.  Unlike a few years ago, there are some machines in the fields but a large part of the process is still manual labour in very hot conditions.  They are helped by the white herons and some muddy

These workers were cutting off the rice by hand on this long grain rice

After the long grain rice is cut it is bundled and left to dry

One of my favourite sights in Bali are the beautiful rice terraces. Jatiluwh is a UNESCO site of terraced rice fields. It is a beautiful spot although right now the fields in these terraces have been harvested and are being prepared for the next crop.  Fields are being ploughed and the baby rice planted and ready for replanting in the fields.  These crops should be beautifully green when I return in February.

Baby rice ready to be transplanted

The fields are harvested

Another famous terraced area is Tegallalang terraces. This area has changed so much and has become very commercial with zip lines, giant swings that you can rent fancy dresses and have that precious instragram photo swinging over the rice fields and infinity pools to enjoy while viewing the terraces.  For us it was a simple lunch stop and chance to view these fields which were greener as they have not been harvested.

One of the sad truths about the rice fields - they are disappearing with the development of more and more resorts.  I’m not sure how all these rooms will be filled but the building is happening everywhere.