Bali-days 3

"Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time"

Terry Pratchett

Another restless night and awake at 4am again.  Raining again.

Despite the weather we decided on another day sightseeing, including the rice terraces.  After early breakfast I look for the driver who'd told us IDR 500,000 for the trip.  He's not around but another guy is, he tells us IDR 700,000 for the trip.  As it's our last day here I eventually agree on IDR 600,000.  Forgot to mention I'm a millionaire - in Indonesian Rupiah.  At IDR 16,600 to the £ I was wandering around with IDR 1.6 million yesterday!
We head off reasonably early, long journey the driver tells us.  The traffic much as yesterday, i.e. travelling generally in the same direction on our side of the road but don't count on it.  Often we'd wander onto the other side, and I noticed line markings for three lanes of traffic, with five lines of traffic and a couple more bike lanes occupying them. But it's amazingly relaxed, seems to be complete mayhem with cars/bikes/buses/trucks/people/livestock everywhere, all tooting and honking and babbling - but all apparently good natured and getting on with their day.  Road rage?  Wouldn't work out here.
The driver drops me off at an "authorised" exchange to get some more cash - spent my first million already.  The rate isn't as good here and the cashier counts it out in front of me like she's doing a card trick.  So, playing the dimwit, I explain I don't know these notes and count it out in front of her.  Oh dear me, it's IDR 100,000 short.  Without hesitation she returns to the desk and gives me the balance, so quick and without re-checking the amount.  So the warnings on Trip Advisor were worth noting.  Why do i need so "much" cash, everything seems to have an entry fee, contribution or tip attached.
Sarong's on and umbrella's up for our first stop at a Temple - IDR 10,000 "contribution".  Must be my warped sense of humour but when I saw the turtle sculpture I immediately thought of Terry Pratchett's Discworld and chuckled all the way around.
A couple of stops at a Batik factory and an art gallery before reaching my target for the day, the rice terrace.  There's an "entrance fee" of course - IDR 10,000, and as we wonder where they are - seems like a typical street - we follow the trickle of tourists to the Terrace Cafe, where we're invited down by the local shopkeeper who offers to take our photo - and show us around his shop... Well timed because K was looking for a scarf, asking price IDR250k. This is also the entrance to the rice terrace, which I can now see laid out below, so we head off to explore.  As we're departing the price of the scarf has reduced to IDR150k.  As we gingerly make our way down the rough steps we're accosted by a group of children selling cards [for their school] and one bright spark who offers to be our guide, 10 year old Chitra.  We accept and she leads us off down the path [or maybe up the garden path...], not that we need a guide but she's very chatty and engaging.  It's steep, slippery in places and offers good views across the terrace for photos, so I'm happy - and the rain has stopped too!
At the bottom of the hill there's a small hut with palm frond roof - a little kiosk inviting "contributions" for maintaining the path [IDR 10k would be nice], and another twenty yards on there's a man in coolie hat with baskets across his shoulders who'll take your photo [with props] for a suitable fee [IDR 10k I think I paid].  One born every minute.  But it was fun, and of course I paid our little guide after she'd led us back to the top successfully, and also took our photo several times, budding professional I reckon.
A final temple stop for the day, declining the offers from locals to be our guides, followed by another hour and a half travel back to the hotel.  Time to pack and prepare for our trip to Singapore tomorrow.