Waking to the sound of crowing jungle fowl, shrouded in the white drapes of the mosquito hangings was bliss. We had a breakfast of juices, fruits and pancakes overlooking the tropical vista and planned our day in glorious sunshine.

After breakfast we headed down the hill, sarongs flowing, and wandered around the deserted temple of holy waters. It was very calming to be surrounded by placid pools of countless colourful carp all cruising around in the crystal clear water. We walked between ancient stone shrines covered in moss and past the large meeting room which for some unknown reason was filled with a badminton court...

We returned to the hotel through the leafy humidity as the temperature began to rise and swapped our sarongs for a pair of dilapidated mountain bikes, setting off steeply uphill, to visit the paddy fields. We soon realised that neither of us had any back brakes, and the front brakes were both decidedly soft and earsplittingly loud! Changing gear was not fast or reliable and the somewhat erratic result ended up in a combination of us pouring sweat whilst standing on the pedals to ascend the steep winding roads towards the paddy fields and walking alongside our bikes as we slipped and skidded down the snaking bends into the valleys.

We got well off the beaten track (lost) down between the terraces of rice, all at different stages, all being tended by bowed, taipanned and smiling women, who brandished an array of tools from wicked looking scythes to threshing machines. It was an amazing vista when I could catch my breath enough to look up and the work rate of those tending the crops was inspirational, especially considering the heat! We continued on passing small byres with a couple of cows, concrete pig stys and wicker bell cages with magnificent c*** birds, but everywhere there was rice spread out to dry and content locsls who smiled and waved to the mad sweaty English couple on their squeaky bicycles.

We took a slight detour and ended up riding an extra couple of kilometres through the heat before fortunately seeing a sign back to the hotel and arriving as two sweaty messes! We headed straight to the pool and within minutes we were immersed in its fantastically cool water, overlooking the steep valley from the infinity edge. When our core body temperatures had returned to normal, and we'd finished being smug, we lounged in the sunshine with our books with the entertainment of watch a huge warty toad hop past and an acrobatic display from a coffee hungry civet. The sunshine slowly turned to cloud and then, in space of 20 minutes the amassing black thunder clouds unleashed a ferocious tropical storm which drove us into the restaurant for lunch from where we could observe the deluge.

We spent the afternoon reading, filling in our dive log books and generally luxuriating before an incredible afternoon tea of 3 different sweet and sticky cakes all of which pleasantly surprised us, which was balanced against the mud like coffee which the civet was welcome to.

In the cool of the evening I went for a jog through the paddy fields and it was a fantastically memorable experience as the mist lay in the valleys and the rising moon gave everything a grey pearly light. Toads croaked, birds called and all of my senses were heightened as I tumbled back to the hotel and the cold embrace of the pool. I could have stayed in there for hours, watching the stars come out and listening to the noise of the jungle but supper was calling and we were soon back in our white cocoon with full bellys and big grins.