{"id":2582,"date":"2017-10-16T22:50:02","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T11:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/slingadventures.com\/?p=2582"},"modified":"2017-11-11T21:54:58","modified_gmt":"2017-11-11T10:54:58","slug":"balinese-subak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slingadventures.com\/destinations\/indonesia\/balinese-subak","title":{"rendered":"In Pursuit of Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"Rice paddies cascade down volcanic mountains like green lava fields. Terraced land is so ubiquitous it looks as though formed from nature in this self-proclaimed island of the Gods. Workers toil the land in methods almost unchanged in centuries as they follow in the spiritual, cultural and environmental harmony of the subak. A manifestation of a belief that combines all facets of life into one, and a river runs through it.\r\n\r\nBali, Indonesia. \u00a0A mecca for surfers, partying tourists, supple yoga gurus and curious scuba divers. The gentrified party towns like Kuta and Seminyak stretch up a seemingly endless strip of sand from Ngurah Rai airport to Canggu. Denpasar\u2019s traffic choked streets remain at a standstill most the day and the relentless shouts from touts offering cheap watches, massages and taxis follow persistently in the tourists wake.\r\n\r\nYet, head a little out of town and up into the hills and you will soon encounter the rice paddies. Some are tourist destinations in their own right as the aesthetic green rows of rice make an attractive Instagram selfie in the setting sun. Though wading a little deeper into the inner workings of the rice paddy and I soon uncovered a complex system at work. A system that has lasted for centuries and is connected to an entire cultural phenomenon that combines engineering, a belief system and a communal way of life.\r\n\r\n