Honoring Dewi Sri

We like rice.  But the Balinese actually worship rice.  They grow, nurture and harvest it.  They eat it at every meal.  They even have a Rice Goddess, Dewi Sri, who ensures a successful season.  In Tunjuk, we got to follow the life cycle of rice from seedling to table.

We were outfitted with conical hats and bamboo walking sticks to head out into the rice paddies (which surprisingly didn't feel like a cliche at the time). The rice fields are organized under a collective arrangement -- known as a subak -- to make the best use of the irrigation system.  The water floods the field, it is prepared with the use of oxen and then seedlings are planted in rows.

The farmers covered our legs in a protective jelly and Ed, Sophie and Anna took to the fields.  Yes, it's true, Nicole stayed on the (dry) sidelines and took pictures.  A romantic explanation for this is that her grandparents toiled to make sure she would never have to work in a rice paddy and she honored that.  The real reason is that the mud looked kind of icky and she was girlishly squeamish.  Lame, I know. 

It was a beautiful day.  Organically fertilized soil and all.  For the full array of pics, go here.