Ting! Ting! Ting! the bell sings as I edge my tire through a group of pecking chickens. I lean into the old, creaking, Chinese-made bike and grind the gears. I'm going no faster than a duck's waddle, but here in the village – that's the pace of life.

Welcome to the great escape. My visiting family and I left the city and went to Yogjakarta - looking for something different. We found it at the Via Via Café – an alternative place offering alternative activities.

'Hi, I'm Uji, your guide. I'm going to take you to a village and show you what day-to-day life is like. Let's go!'

As we roll out of town, we choke on noxious exhaust, but within 10 minutes a right hand turn takes us onto a narrow dirt lane where we are quickly wrapped in lovely, blue bliss. The city fades away, leaving us the gem of village life. As our narrow, steel rimmed tires wobble along, we're entranced by the beauty of the rice fields, the soundless farmers planting crops and gleeful schoolchildren riding by on bikes just like our own.

'It's our lucky day,' says Uji, pointing to a well-decorated house surrounded by well-dressed people. 'It's a wedding party. Let me ask if we can join them.' She speeds off, soon returning to give the thumbs up. We are led into the kitchen area to see the massive food preparation. In nearly flawless English she explains what goes on behind the scenes. Later we are taken to meet the bride, dressed exquisitely and tense with nervousness. We wish her good luck and peddle on.

Quaint houses with well-swept yards; small, gurgling canals carrying water to thirsty crops; a girl gathering flowers in a small, fenced-in cemetary; bleating goats in pens; stooped old women going somewhere slowly; men hammering tock! tock! tock! on a roof; a naked toddler playing in the dirt; squabbling chickens; napping cows; smoking granddads and nursing mothers: these scenes float by as we make our way through the kampong.