I could hear the pitter patter of rain through the night. When I
woke up on Christmas Eve morning it was raining quite heavily. I made myself a
strong cup of coffee and wondered if the rains would put paid to my plans
for the day. In a while the rain abated and was down to a trickle. That's when
I decided to venture out for breakfast. Consistent rains over the past
week had made the paved walk slippery and tricky. From my balcony I saw a
person slip and fall, hurting his back on the steps. It took me a very gingerly
walk to reach the restaurant, which was set amidst green, landscaped grounds
with sound of running water. I took a huge helping of fruits, including the
exotic snake fruit. Excellent orange juice and Balinese coffee accompanied a
masala omelette and muffins. I spend quite some time there taking in the jungle
like resort features. It was like a tropical forest, cleared in places to
accommodate the hotel and swimming pools. I was lucky to get a room in the
hotel for less than USD 100 for three nights when the normal tariff is upwards
of USD 75 per night for single occupancy.
Danu had agreed to come by 9 am so that I could start the day
watching a performance of the traditional Barong and Keris dance, which started
at 9.30. I was mildly surprised to be met by Yudha, instead of Danu, at the
reception of the hotel. Yudha spoke better English and he told me that Danu had
taken ill - later Yudha told me that he had had a bit too much of arrack! Yudha
services guests from USA and Australia and hence, had music playing in the car
to entertain that clientele. Yudha turned out to be a fun loving man with
a heart for humour and the gift of the gab. Even Yudha was surprised by the
turnout when we reached the centre where the performance was meant to be. The
terraced auditorium was nearly filled to capacity with inter-island tourists.
The Barong and Keris dance symbolises the eternal fight between the forces of
good and evil, laced with raunchy humor. Barong, a lion like creature,
represents good and Rangda, the demon, represents evil. The one hour show is
priced at INR 500 and is split into four acts, interspersed with melodious
music.
Kintamani, the town that affords the best views of Mt Batur lies
a fair distance away from Ubud. However, the lower tourist footfalls meant
faster transit. Mt Agung is the bigger of the two volcanic mountains in the
region. Due to its eruptions - there was one reported this morning too - it
remained out of bounds for visitors and residents alike. Light rain had fallen
during our drive from Ubud to Kintamani. That and the ash spewed by the
eruptions gave a less than perfect view of Mt Batur from the Batur Sari
restaurant view point. I walked along the deck of the restaurant to take
pictures of the mountain from different angles. Dining tables and seats have
been placed on the deck in such a way as to afford unhindered views of the
volcanic mountain and Lake Batur. Once I had selected a corner hoping for the
views to clear up a bit more I was approached by one of the waitresses asking
if I was ready to order. A full-fledged buffet and a-la-carte were available.
The former was preferred by most, especially those who were part of organised
tour groups. I was not particularly hungry after the wholesome breakfast. To
continue sitting there I ordered Nasi Campur, which is something of a buffet in
a dish with satay, rice, noodles, fried chicken, wafers, veggies and coffee. The food by itself
is not expensive, however, the tax at 21 percent is quite steep.
Mt Batur, at about 1700 metres above MSL, is considerably
smaller that it’s northwestern sister volcano, Mt Agung, which is over 3100
above MSL. However, it is said that over 25,000 years ago Mt Batur was higher
than Mt Agung. A series of gigantic explosions caused its mouth to collapse and
thus formed the magnificent caldera with a diameter of over 13 kms; one of the
most impressive in the word. From the deck of the restaurant one can appreciate
the massive eruption of Mt Batur in 1968 which had left a massive lava field.
The most recent eruption of the volcano was in 2000. Lake Batur is a lake
within the Batur caldera. The crescent shaped lake is the largest in Bali and
its waters are cooler than anywhere in the island because of its elevation.
As I was taking photographs and enjoying the beauty of the surrounding
I met Bala Shetty from Mumbai who follows ‘Record Drive’. He was in Bali on his
honeymoon. He is an ardent travel buff and told me of his plans to explore Bali
on a rented motorcycle with his wife. That, certainly, is the best and cheapest
way to get round in the island. Most tourists who come here for long stays
invariably rent bikes and stay in hostels to make the experience economical. As
I got out of the restaurant I was cornered by the most persistent vendors I
have come across in Bali. T-shirts, wood carvings, souvenirs and much more were
pretty much thrust under my nose. I sought the assistance of Yudha. He was
non-committal. He later told me that, being a local, it would not be correct on
his part to bargain for me. Finally, I refused all and got into the car.
When we were on the way to Tegalalang Yudha told me the
absolutely fascinating story of the Bali Aga people, who live in Trunyan on the
eastern shore of Lake Batur. They are considered to be the earliest settlers of
the island. Their traditions and rituals predate those of Hinduism. For
example, these people even now do not bury or cremate the dead. The bodies are
left on the ground, covered by a cloth and a bamboo cage, to decompose. An
ancient banyan tree near the burial ground is said to emit a scent that
neutralizes the smell of putrefying flesh. Strange that this tradition
continues to this day. The village is reached only by boat and it is said that
the villagers, at times, do not take kindly to the presence of visitors.
Tegalalang is a small village almost midway between Kintamani
and Ubud. The terraced rice fields of the village have gained international
attention and is today one of the most popular images of Bali. Many shops and
restaurants have viewing balcony that gives lovely views of the magnificent
sight. I saw a couple of artists working on their canvas capturing the beauty
of the terraced cultivation. Shops selling local handicrafts and clothing line
either side of this busy tourist attraction. I succumbed to a few temptations
after a driving a hard bargain. A sharp shower hastened my departure from this
picturesque village. 
The next item in the itinerary was the Tegenungan waterfall. The
ground was slushy and Yudha cautioned me that the steps leading to the
waterfall would be slippery. He suggested that I view the falls from a distance
rather than walk to the base of it. During non-monsoon times people bathe in
the falls. With recent rains the water had turned muddy and the currents were
swift. Warning boards were put up at regular intervals beseeching tourists to
stay off the water. I bought the entrance ticket and decided to cautiously
venture as far as I could. Descending more than 300 steps was not too much of a
problem. But, when I saw many struggling on their way up I knew that I too
would. The walk was worth it for the lovey views of the cascade framed by thick
green foliage. Many tourists had ventured to the top of the waterfall despite
volunteers cautioning such adventurism. As expected, I struggled on my way up the
steep steps. A few long breaks gave me the extra required to complete the
climb.
The last stop for the day was Goa Gajah. The name gives it a
feeling that the place is an abode of elephants. Far from it. The Elephant Cave
dates back to the 11 century and has a central courtyard filled with relics of
the bygone era. The foreground of the cave is a large pool featuring Hindu
angels holding vases that act as waterspouts. A couple of tourists had gone
down the steps of the pool to be blessed by a priest using the water that came
out of the vase. The cave has niches where three lingams and Ganesha are
worshiped. Incense is burned regularly inside the cave due to which soot has
been deposited on the walls of the cave. The complex has many shops and food
stalls. As they were in the process of closing for the day bargains were to be
had.
Being Christmas Eve I was keen to go to a church. I had located
one on Google and Yudha took me there after a slight search. It turned out to
be a new generation church, but the lady who was there as an usher told Yudha
how to reach the Catholic Church. It was quite far away from where we were and
in a totally different direction. The idea of going to church was given up when
Yudha reminded me that God resides in everyone of us. Prayer and offerings are important
in Balinese life, he said, but he believed in a different way of meditational
prayer at 3 am in the morning. Yudha said that the Balinese have no time for
politics and they refuse t discuss that topic. It is just commerce and only
that; they don't fight and waste energy.
Yudha had passed on a lot of positivity to me. He lived every
today, the tomorrows to be dealt with only when they became today. In fact,
that is the attitude of most people in South East Asia, I found. Accumulation of
material wealth is not a habit with them. However, gradual encroachment of
western values on the age-old Asian values, like in dress habits, songs, etc. are
making inroads. One only hopes that the influence remains just there. When I
travel to countries like Myanmar, Bhutan, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and
Indonesia I ask myself this question time and again – what is development? Is it
just the accumulation of personal material wealth? Is it the development of ‘world
class’ infrastructure? Or, is it the adoption of technology? I feel that the
definition of development does not factor in human indices like happiness,
family, integrity, hospitality, community living, etc. These are far more
important for the development and progress of a society.
The massage last evening had given me a lot of relief and,
therefore, after freshening up in the room I went out with the intention of
going to the same centre. Light rain had started to fall and I found the centre
closed. I was told that the centre is run by Christians and hence, they would
be closed till Boxing Day. Nevertheless, I walked a bit further and found
another centre. The massage was really very invigorating. Moreover, the
massages don’t cost very much. A typical one hour session costs about INR 500
and sometimes even less. Once the session was done I told the lady that I would
be back the next day, almost at the same time. She said that she would be available
from noon onwards. It was reassuring to know that the centre would not be
closed on Christmas day.
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