Fresh from our conquest of Kintamani Bicycle Flights and Rice Padi Snorkeling, we arrived back to the cosy confines of the Adi Dharma Hotel. With one last lingering grin and a cheery," Boolay boodooggh",the Cheshire cat[ our driver, Ketut ] sped away down Jl Benasari swerving around zimmer-framed German tourists. Must look that up on Google Translate one day.
As we strutted through the Reception area, as only drop-dead gorgeous professional cyclists can, the Front desk staff 'GRINNED' at me!! Jeez. News travels fast down the Kintamani hill... Even the kid with a mop & bucket despatched after me to sop up the litres of rice padi in my shoes; even HE grinned!!!! Bloomin' heck they must all know Ketut......
Anyroad, I digress. A fresh pair of shoes and another mismatched pair of socks and away we thundered back up the inland road to just past Tabanan. SeeBali Adventures promised a charming scenic cavort around some of Bali's best mud and water.....sounds vaguely familiar. We were offered a welcome drink and a pair of wellington boots....mmmmmm.
I'm a size 14 shoe size so I wasn't sure if it was the sight of me in my massive wellies or that all the guides were mates of Ketut's [ from yesterday's cycle ride ] but as I strode purposefully towards my throbbing quad bike .....they were all grinning at me!!!!!
As one our party of 9 was a young, gung-ho farmer with years of Quad bike experience I felt it necessary to gentley hip & shoulder him into a nearby rice padi so he too would experience the special Balinese grin. Sure enough as he emerged out of his cultural pond with his new all over Cadbury's Chocolate look he received a rousing chorus of grins. Point to me !!!
Away we go in a single file looking extemely macho but screaming like sissies every time we bounced over a rock. More grins from watching farmers as we roll passed.{Ketut must know everyone!!!} Amazing scenery, coconut palms, fertile lush valleys, and lots of rice paddies... kept away from them.
Some of the slopes were really steep. Seemed more like a controlled crash dive rather than an orderly descent. And yep, grown manly men shrilly screaming like girlies as we plow through water-filled depressions. The course is great fun even if you are a complete beginner. Farm boy ,still dripping from his rice padi expedition, spins his back tyres and skillfully plasters me with a spray of subsonic mud. I started out with a white tee shirt but arrived with a freckled tan shirt. More grinning from the farmers as we slop by.
For those unsure of signing up to this type of activity, relax. On the day we saw 10 year olds, 70 year olds and an assortment of first timers all complete the trek with ease. Far more interesting course than other ATV companies done previously.
Showers, lunch, a DVD of your trip and really smooth skin from the mousse like mud.... Note to reader: DO NOT FILL YOUR COLLEAGUES WELLY BOOTS UP WITH MUD.... they may get even with you...