Hello friends,

Today we’re taking you along for yet another… let’s say interesting chapter on our way to building the aquaponics farm:

The land survey.

Or as we like to call it: The day we officially found out what we had actually bought.

Because—surprise!—on Bali, land is often sold with boundaries like:
“From that tree over there to the banana plant,”
“From the wall to that palm,”
or my personal favorite: “You’ll see it when you see it.” 😅

Of course, we had a rough idea of the plot before buying. But where exactly the borders ran? Well… only the universe (and the landowner) seemed to know. He had told us very clearly: “That big rock? Not part of the land. That’s outside.”
We thought: “Okay cool, we’ll just take the flat part.”

Fast forward to survey day.

We’re standing on our dreamy little Balinese triangle, clouds drifting overhead. Alongside us: four friendly gentlemen armed with a GPS device, notebooks, good humor, and surprisingly quick legs.

And suddenly: “Oh, by the way, a road is supposed to go through here. Four meters wide.”
Excuse me, WHAT? 😳

Just like that, a neat chunk of our land was reassigned as a future access road for the neighboring plots.

And then it happened: The Rock.
The big, mossy, almost majestic boulder on the edge of the property. The one we had been told was definitely not included.

Spoiler: It’s ours now.

So, unintentionally, we also bought ourselves a small natural monument. I’m still debating whether to name it Mount Ikan or simply hang a hammock there and call it the ultimate chill zone.

And who else showed up?

A local contractor, who just happened to be “in the area.” He saw his chance, introduced himself with a big smile, and immediately explained why he was the one to build our project. Since then, he’s been contacting us daily. Really. Every. Single. Day.
If he puts that kind of energy into construction, we’ll probably end up with an aquaponics farm in record time—and maybe even a guesthouse on the side.

But here’s the most important part:

We finally know what’s ours.
The plot is triangular—slightly crooked, a bit wild, but just right for our plans. With clear borders (and one bonus boulder), we can finally start designing the layout. The tanks might look a little like a game of Tetris, but hey—straight lines are boring anyway.

And honestly? If there’s one thing this process has taught us, it’s this:
Nothing goes according to plan, but somehow it all works out. That’s Bali.

Until the next chapter, when we dive headfirst into the world of water pipes, fish tanks, and grow beds—stay curious, stay flexible, and remember: Sometimes a rock in your field is just the perfect spot for a bench with a view.