Yesterday I set out to make a long long walk through the rice fields. There is a little road that leads to a path behind the hostel, and I set out and wore my flip flops, which are usually pretty comfortable, and I set off on the walk. It was a long walk down the hill to the footpath, and up the path. My flip flops kept falling off on the footpath, because they are so worn out they don't have much traction. Along the footpath, I passed my Hindu temples, fields, beautiful tropical foliage, etc. It was very nice. After a while, I came to a wide open road-and I kept walking along. Here I passed the rice fields, with people working and toiling away, and some restaurants, art galleries, more Hindu temples, etc. People we're asking me if I wanted transport.
After a few hours, I kept walking-I figured there was a direct road back to the city somewhere and I would take that. I passed more Hindu temples, houses, and rice fields. I saw fewer white people and more people working. People stopped asking me if I wanted rides,. I started to deduct I was far from town,
I asked a few the way back to Ubud, they told me to come back the way I came-I wasn't about to do that since I have been walking four a few hours, and it seemed like by walking straight I would eventually hit the road that goes back into town. They told me I could but it would be a long long walk.
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After another hour or so of walking, a guy driving by in an old Suzuki pickup truck asked if I was going to Ubud-and I said yes. I was tired of walking, and it was about 3:00 or so, and really had no idea where I was. So I jumped it, and asked him the price. He didn't give me any price-so I said I would pay him about 50,000 rupiah (about $3.00).
The old truck drove up and down hills, past towns, past more towns, and after 30 minutes or so in the truck I discovered it would have been a realllllly long walk back, particularly the way I was headed. After a while, the driver dropped me off, and told me to walk up the hill to go to Ubud. This sort of pissed me off because he drove down the hill, past the point I needed to walk to.
But I walked up the road, and after about 1/2 an hour of walking, found the hostel. I rested-and then went out for dinner, but not before getting another 1 hour massage for 65,000 rupiah ($4.00) or so.
