Discovering Bali - 23 December 2017

The small room had been comfortable and I slept quite well. However, the time zone change robbed me of two and half  more hours of it. As the taxi would arrive at 8 am I was at breakfast just after the restaurant opened for it at 7. It wasn't a buffet. There was a set menu with options to choose from. Opening the order was strong Balinese coffee and a combination of breads with butter and jam. Next to grace the table were poached eggs on muffin with steak. That was a huge helping. The breakfast feast was completed with cut fruits and guava juice. All this was accompanied by exemplary service and smiling hospitality. It was a knockout. I was fortified for more than half the day.

I had a call from reception to announce that the taxi had arrived, well in time. At the checkout I wrote out an appreciation of the hospitality and personally thanked the people who had made the stay comfortable. The room with breakfast had cost me just INR 1500. Danu was the name of the driver who had contracted to take me around. He already had the itinerary I had suggested. As I settled into the car he apologized for being deficient in the English language. However, I put him at ease saying that I was not looking for oratory but simple communication. In a short while he became a good friend who gave me nuggets about the Balinese way of life and some numbers of how much it costs to live in Bali. His name is the Balinese word for lake. He said that Hinduism is practised by over 85 percent of the island people. Moreover, Bali is safe as no other place in Indonesia as the people are very trusting and God fearing.

First on the list for the day was the Ulawatu temple, which was in the southern corner  of the island. Once we left the busy Denpasar roads it was countryside, simple and beautiful. Speed limit on the roads was 60 kmph and road use was extremely disciplined. I had not expected  this because there are innumerable posts warning of haphazard driving in Indonesia. Maybe, it happens in the other islands of the country. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, cycles and carts coexisted peacefully on the roads without honking and other signs of annoyance. Traffic was never paralyzed even where there was congestion because  people had the patience to await their  turn. The 'me-first' mentality  was thankfully absent. 

When we reached the parking lot of the temple Danu told me to take my specs off and keep them in the car. He said that the monkeys there were particularly aggressive and some of his earlier fares had their specs broken by them. I was apprehensive about the arrangement because my sight is substantially impaired without specs. Anyway it was not  worth inviting the wrath of the monkeys. After taking the entrance ticket I was asked to tie a silky sash around my waist, apparently a mark of respect while visiting the temple. The complex is neatly maintained with ladies working hard to sweep up the leaves that fall through the day and other debris that the strong winds deposit. The entire area is paved and has adequate amenities for sightseers.

The Uluwatu temple is one of the key spiritual pillars of Bali, located as it is on steep cliffs 70 metres above sea level. The amazing location of the temple and the rivetting views of the Indian Ocean, with waves breaking against the cliff, are sights to die for. If I hadn't so many things on my plate for the day I would have stayed there the whole day. A favourite with visitors is the sunset with the temple in the background. There were many worshippers about in traditional clothing and large offerings. The Balinese believe that the Trimurti, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva become one here. After walking almost a kilometre from one end to the other of the complex I got back to where I met up with Danu. I had not encountered any aggressive monkeys, maybe it was too early for them. I had only met more smiling and affectionate people who seemed to respect Indians. Almost always the remark was, " Aahhh from India", when I told them I was from that country. Indian movies and songs have tremendous influence there.

Luwak coffee is famed all over the world and is the costliest coffee. Danu suggested a short break in one of the centres that showcased how the coffee was made. There we met Yani Widiarti, a personable young man who showed me the Civet Cats that did the job for that centre. In traditional coffee plantations the Civet Cats feed on coffee beans and after the digestive process excrete them. In centres such as the one I visited coffee beans are fed to the cats along with its daily meals. The excreta of the cats is collected and processed to make the famous and precious Luwak coffee! The centre has an outlet that sells all types of coffee. I was told that I could have more than a dozen varieties of them free of charge to taste and a cup of Luwak coffee for nearly INR 250. I opted for a cup of refreshing ginseng coffee and took leave of Yani.

Danu suggested changes to the day's schedule. He said that I may like to visit the Pandawa beach instead of Kuta, which would be overrun by visitors. I went by his advice and opted to go to the Pandawa beach and i didn't regret that decision. On the approach to the beach massive construction is underway to take advantage of the commercial opportunities that were opening up  with the recent 'discovery' of the 'Secret Beach'. The beach was opened officially only in 2012. First glimpse of the beach from the road cut through limestone  cliffs is magnificent. Local visitors far outnumbered the international tourists here. Vantage points had been set up for photography, jaw dropping views and fun. Rain had begun to fall when I was ambling along on the beach and I sought quick refuge in the taxi. Along the limestone cliffs niches had been carved out to house statues of Kunti and her five sons, which gave the beach it's name. 

On the way to the Tanah Lot temple Danu suggested a short detour to the Turtle Island. I had visited some place similar in Thailand and hence, decided to give that place a skip. The Tanah Lot temple is another magnificent pilgrim site abutting the Indian Ocean. Legend has it that sage Niratha travelled to Bali from Java in the late 15th century to spread Hinduism and set up the site honouring the sea god. His teachings angered the village chief who sought to commit him harm. The sage is said to have moved his meditational centre, situated on a rock, out to the sea using his unusual powers. The sashes he wore were transformed into sea snakes that guarded the site, where a temple was set up later. The chastened village chief became the sage's follower. The complex has well arranged shops and eateries.

Most of the local handicrafts are exquisite and works of delicate craftsmanship. The magnificence of the complex has to be experienced. Mere words are insufficient. Even with milling crowds I did not feel hemmed in or jostled around. At a few places I found pythons coiled up and waiting to be handled by interested visitors, of course for a small fee. In one of the food stalls I settled to have lunch of Nasi Campur with a drink of coconut milk and pudding. 

After lunch Danu suggested that visit to Monkey Forest and Goa Gajah be postponed to the next day. Instead he suggested a visit to the Taman Ayun temple, built in the first half of the 17th century as the chief place of worship in the Mengwi kingdom. The large complex has magnificent traditional courtyards, landscaped gardens, fish ponds and architecturally important structures inspired by contemporary Chinese design. The pristine surroundings of the temple complex add to the elaborate four tiered division of the temple  complex. I took a leisurely stroll around the complex to admire the symmetry of construction and complex sculptures that abounded there. One thing with tourist sites in Bali is that most of them charge an entrance fee ranging from INR 100 to 300, are clean and neat, public toilets and garbage bins are provided, and most importantly, people don't litter.

I had walked a fair bit the whole day and my legs were beginning to cramp up. Danu suggested a massage once I got to my hotel in Ubud. He said that traditional Balinese massage would ease the aches and soothe the muscles. On the way to the hotel he took me to a centre that showcased wood carvings. The guide explained the type of wood the artisans worked on like crocodile wood - so called because of the texture of its bark - mahogany, teak, ebony, etc. The works were undoubtedly superb but was pricey too.

The last stop of the day was at Semar Kuning 1 where local artists exhibited their paintings. It is also possible to watch the artists at work. I was told that some of them are even commissioned by hotel chains and museums. The works are intricate and most of them depict mythological themes and events from daily Balinese life. The cheapest painting was about USD 120 and some of them were priced over 5000 USD.

The Artini Resort and Spa was bang in the centre of Ubud, a spitting distance away from the Monkey Forest. I was surprised by the superb hotel I had sourced through booking.com. It had been cheap thanks to the travel advisory. Once I took leave of Danu, promising to meet up next day morning, and checking in to the hotel I walked about a bit noticing the Bebek Bengil, the famed dirty duck diner close to the hotel. After checking out a few places I settled for a massage centre close to the hotel and spent more than an hour relaxing over a foot massage and a body rub. Back in the hotel in settled for a Nasi Goreng, the local delicacy, for dinner. That was a wonderful end to a lovely day.