Alternative route

Today I looked at maps.me and decided it was time to try a new route for my daily walk. I've done the trek up to Jatiluwih seven times. I don't want to be a stick in the mud. Set in my ways. A slave to routine.

So rather than cross the bridge at the bottom of the hill, I turn right. Sure the hill was initially steep. I was fresh. It should be all right. Only the steep hill kept being steep and it kept climbing. Past the chicken farm with galvanized metal barns. Through a small wood, into the rice terraces. These ones were still the ploughing stage. It'll be another week before they are planted.

Finally, the top of the ridge, open fields and the possibility of a cell phone signal. I got through right away. Miracle of miracles. Usually, I dial a minimum of 12 times before connecting. While Anita and I had a lovely conversation, one of my students went by on his motorbike three times. He was carrying tools from one field to another. The last time, there was a man who looked like he was probably his grandfather on the back.

The path was “normal” for quite some time. A set of parallel cement lines, each about 18 inches wide. Then the cement ended. Then the track looked progressively less used. Soon there was only one track, one sporadically muddy track. It began to follow a canal. Up to that point, I had seen rivers and ditches.

It's never quiet in the rice terraces. At this time of year, there is always water flowing through ditches and from paddy to paddy. Where there are gives of trees, the din of crickets can be quite deafening. Cowsheds dot the terraces, and there is gentle lowing. And dogs question my right to be there.

Water flowed swiftly along the canal. On the far side, there were sometimes terraces, sometimes woods.

All the time, the path was getting less distinguishable.

I knew I had to reach the road to Jatiluwih at some point. Eventually, I saw cars and then the staircase to the road. I had to cross the river that fed the canal and there was a convenient bridge with a sluice gate. Then the stairs.

Asian stairs are notoriously steep. Fortunately these were not, although there was no railing. I counted 68 steps, made of large rocks set in concrete.

Then I got to climb the hill on the road. The first village was one I've seen in the distance. Jatiluwih was still about 600 meters away, past a sweeping U bend in the road.

At last I reached my familiar route. There were so many tourists on it (okay, maybe 15 people), and they weren't respecting protocol (move out of the way of farmers on motorbikes; keep your entire party on one side of the track). Needless to say, I felt superior.

Today, it took 1.5 hours to reach the top, and an hour to make it back home. I was very very glad to get back.