When you think of Asia, one of the images that comes to mind is… rice.As a consequence of Bali’s high population density and tourism infrastructure, water supply is very important. And rice needs water. A lot of it. One of the most important societies in Bali are caleed “subaks”, or irrigation associations. Rice is so important that water management is crucial and highly organized so that every plot of land gets water.

I had been doing some research on the outskirts of Mandalay in Myanmar, looking for a great morning bike ride. This was a long time ago, in 2001, I think, when I was researching to see if we could actually do a good biking trip around this magical country despite the economic and political embargo it was subjected. We left at sunrise from the hotel parking lot with our driver, myself and my local guide and after discussing where to go and looking at a city map…