The drive from Kuta to Lovina was quite a nice trip, outside of the debacle of negotiating with the local taxi drivers. Once I was finally on the road we drove through a maze of local villages which exhibited pristine local culture, mini houses and shops were sandwiched between the rice patties and Hindu temples for as far as the eye could see.
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| Villages just north of Kuta |
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| View from where I stopped for a beer |
Eventually you have to hit the main highway to get over the peak, this road was curved around like a piece of spaghetti dropped from the sky and left me motion sick within 15 minutes. After a stop to enjoy a beer and help calm my stomach down, we continued up through the rice terraces and a volcanic crater lake.
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| Terraces |
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| Driving next to the crater lake |
As you pass over the peak you enter a cloudy and sometimes foggy micro-climate, the view from some parts of the road here is quite majestic and pretty much the opposite feeling of Kuta. The local monkeys are wise enough to frequent the lookouts on the roadside, in hopes of being fed by the tourists that stop every couple minutes. In some cases the monkeys will actually steal items from the tourists, only to give them back if you purchase food from one of the local hawkers.
