Tuesday, September 9th, 2003 – Day 203
I saw a lot of lizards on the roof my (room) gaff last night and those bloody roosters. I am kind of getting used to it, but I was so tired, I only got up at 10.00am. Luckily enough, the owners leave a flash of tea on my porch every morning. Nice touch!
I cycled around all day from 10.00am to 5..00pm getting lost on purpose. Its great cycling down back roads with rice paddies on both sides. Everyone is so friendly here. I get asked whether I know I am going at every crossroads. Kids shout HELLO every 100 yards (there teachers must be telling them to do so), begging me to take a photo on the digital. They are overjoyed to see themselves on the LCD screen. We think we Irish are friendly but we are not a patch on the people of Bali. Even better, as most of them have most English. I had a great day cycling about. Even the dogs left me on the bike alone.
As well as just cycling I visited the following attractions on bike:
Goa Gajah/Elephant Cave
The mouth of this man-made cave doesn’t quite look like an elephant, which makes the legend that that is how it got its name suspect. In any case, Goa Gajah was built in the 11th century, probably as a type of monk’s cell. Inside the small, dark, and clammy cave are statues of Ganesha to the left (most definitely an elephant) and three phallic emblems of Siwa to the right. Outside to the left of the cave is a worn statue of a woman with children; she’s both a Balinese folk heroine and a Buddhist goddess, so Goa Gajah seems to have been both Hindu and Buddhist. There is also a large rectangular bathing area, and just beyond it, steps leading to a pretty ravine, where there are some statues of Buddha.
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Ubud – Bali – Indonesia – Elephant Cave (09-09-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Ubud – Bali – Indonesia – Elephant Cave (09-09-2003)
It was 4100 IR (.44 EURO) in. It was tame stuff and missable. I decided to walk the minutes to Yeh Pulu. Many guides try to latch on to you. Ignore them. I let my bike there minded for 400 IR by a guard.
Yeh Pulu
This is one of our favorite Bali sights, a row of bas-relief carvings in a rock face. It’s pretty, simple, intriguing, and for some reason largely unvisited by tourists. You can actually walk to Yeh Pulu from Goa Gajah, but it’s through some rice paddies, and you do need one of those guides to help you find it. If you arrive by car, after paying your fee you will have a medium-length walk through a rice field, past a bathing place on the left (don’t turn in there or you may startle some naked bathers). The carvings date back at least 400 years, and while no one is exactly sure what the five panels depict, they do seem to tell the story of a hunt. Note the religious and cultural details on the figures, culminating with a statue of Ganesha. A slightly nutty older woman may bless you with holy water and ask for a donation. Go ahead and give it to her; we could all use an extra blessing.
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Ubud – Bali – Indonesia – Crazy Lady at Yeh Pulu (09-09-2003)
Yep, the crazy old lady was there throwing holy water on me from all directions. She was a bit of fun. It was 4,100 (.44 EURO) IR to get in, I tipped the old lady 2000 IR and I paid a guide 10,000 IR (1.10 EURO) to walk me around the rice paddy fields.
At about 4.30pm, I got back into town by a series of backroads. I called into about 4 different temples during the day. They are all pretty similar. It was just a question of scale. Once back in town I called into the:
Puri Saren Agung, the Royal Palace
From the late 19th century to the mid-1940s, this was the seat for the local ruler. It’s a series of elegant and well-preserved pavilions, many of them decorated incongruously with colonial-era European furniture. Visitors are welcome to stroll around, though there are no signs indicating what you are looking at, so it palls quickly. Every night, dance performances are held in the courtyard, and it is by far the best and most dramatic setting for these in Ubud. Part of the complex functions as a hotel, which for atmosphere and central location can’t be beat, but I found the staff, though not unfriendly, decidedly distracted and unhelpful.
It was late in the evening and there were not many tourists about. I enjoyed walking around. It was very plush with the best of carpets and furnishings. I met a very ugly Irish-America. Very few people annoy me but he did.
After that I had a bite to eat and headed down to a bar at 9.00pm to watch Matrix Reloaded. This is the 4th time I have seen this film and I enjoy it better each time (after hating it on first viewing). Apart from the slow 1/3 (the dreadful rave section / Council meeting), its a good film. I am looking forward to the third part of the trilogy coming out in November.
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Ubud – Bali – Indonesia – Temple (09-09-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Ubud – Bali – Indonesia – Temple (09-09-2003)
I headed back at 11.30pm and had a beer on my porch while reading the current edition of NEWSWEEK. I must admit I enjoyed the read. I believe it is a better publication than TIME. I am a news junkie and read the news on the NET for an hour most days. I use Google News, BBC, Reuters, CNN and the Irish independent mainly. I also check out the Examiner and the Guardian. Still there was a depth in the stories in Newsweek that the NET can not provide.
I found this blog about Dublin nightlife.