The sun finally made an appearance just as we were viewing the main temple. On a clear day you can see mountains behind those clouds. That day we were just happy with some sun.
Tag Archives: bali
Water Temple – Part 4
We come to the first of the water temples – a few small ones. See how the ‘float’?
It reminds me of another water temple I saw in Miyajima, Japan, except that those were Buddhist.
But wait, there’s more…
Water Temple – Part 3
We arrive lakeside. There was plenty of activity, with local kids fishing and swimming, and pretty sky-blue outrigger canoes moored to bamboo poles.
Water Temple – Part 2
In the garden, statues of Buddha nestle in little alcoves.
Now, this isn’t a Hindu temple, but Buddha was a Hindu.
Water Temple – Part 1
It’s been a bit warm this week, and that made me think of the tropics. It’s also been a little while since I’ve done a retrospective on Bali, so I’m starting with a series of posts on a place called Pura Ulun Danu Bratan. It’s one of the most famous Hindu temples on the island (and there are certainly many), and is unique because it’s on the water.
We enter via the manicured gardens that surrounds the temple.
Volcano
Haven’t been this close to an active volcano before… But at Kintamani you can dine within view of one.
You can see from the photo above that the lava field is massive, because Gunung Batur (Mount Batur) is a pretty active volcano. But despite this, it’s a massive tourist attraction and lots of companies do sunrise hikes to the summit.
Feel Like Dancin’
Not disco dancing, though.
Dance is a very important part of Balinese culture. The dances usually follow Hindu legends and are full of complex, intricate movements. So complex that dancers begin their training as young children and takes a lifetime to perfect.
While in Bali, I saw two very different dances. The Barong dance (above) are dances about the Barong (below), a magical protector, in his fight against evil. With a face like that, I suppose you would scare the baddies away!
While the Barong dance is slow and very deliberate, the Kecak dance is fast and furious! The Kecak troupe (the men in the checked sarongs) supply the music as the tale is told, by shouting “Kecak, kecak, kecak” over and over, very rapidly! The Balinese version of beatboxing, I guess.
Sawah
Venture into the South-East Asian countryside, and you will inevitably see some rice paddies. Bali is the same. Drive 30 minutes out of Denpasar and you will be surrounded by sawah (the Indonesian word for ‘rice paddies’).
Drive further into the foothills, and the sawah get positively scenic.
They are places that are full of life. My hotel in Ubud was next to a sawah and every morning I watched the ducks feed.
Those tourists who don’t venture outside of their resorts in Bali are certainly missing out.
Masonry
One thing I loved about Bali was the abundance of beautiful arts and crafts. The Balinese are artists at heart, and nowhere is it more evident than in the intricate stone masonry that adorns its architecture.
Two Years Ago…
Discovering the EatingAsia blog has made me very hungry. Fortunately, there is a lot of good quality SE Asian food around the city and I was able to indulge in some laksa and kueh teao.
It also reminded me that it’s two years ago that I visited Bali, and I’ll spend some time this week in reminiscence.
To start off with, a rather sobering subject – the bombings.
It’s quite a shock to see all those names on the memorial.
I ate with some family friends on the beach restaurant where the second bomb exploded, and I can’t imagine what the carnage was like.
Yet despite it all, it’s also rather sobering to see back then the lack of tourists and closed businesses. Personally, I never felt threatened at all and it’s ludicrous for Aussies to stay away. I think that the Balinese deserve a chance, and I’m glad to hear that things have improved from 2 years ago.
Static and Silence 