Back to Ubud! (Bali)

Pura Luhur Batukaru is one of the nine directional temples in Bali that are believed to ward off evil outside spirits and protect the Balinese people. Thanks to its relatively remote location it is also one of the most peaceful. There were no vendors lining the streets outside and hardly any tourists. Getting here from Jatiluwih was a short half hour ride but returning to Ubud - only 37kms away (about 23 miles) - proved entirely frustrating and took us about three hours!

We spent at least an hour walking the extensive grounds; wandering and discovering hidden walkways, moss-covered stairways and temples in the middle of a pond.

On our way out we noticed this sign. Guidelines, number 1, 4 and 6 are typical of all temples in Bali but this was the first we'd seen the others. Point number five had us chuckling for a while!

Feeling relaxed and thinking we'd be back in Ubud in time for lunch we set off in high spirits. What followed was our most frustrating ride to date. We now understand that traveling east to west in Bali, or vice versa is not that simple unless you're following a main road. The numerous rivers that cut through the land flowing to the ocean means you always have to find a bridge to cross them. And in the country, bridges are scarce.

We'd drive south for a while, find a bridge and cross it, ask for directions, drive north for a while, perhaps dog-log a few times, find a bridge and cross it, ask for directions, drive south for a while; repeat ... several times! Sometimes we'd find ourselves on a road that was perfectly acceptable to the locals but was beyond our skill level on the bike, especially with a passenger and luggage! The photos below are typical of the roads we did travel on.

There were times we weren't sure if we were making any progress and times we'd stop five times in five minutes to check that we were indeed going in the right direction. Eventually we learned that the key was to take baby steps; pick the next small town on the map and get there, then the next one and the next one. Even so, there were still moments when we felt completely lost! But we did see some very interesting things.

This procession, we're not sure if it was a wedding or a funeral, shut down the street we needed to travel on for a while. There was nothing to do but watch ... and take photos! Dennis stayed seated on the bike (top left). The men, dressed mostly in white, came first. In the photo below, notice the man three back on the left giving me a peace sign. I happily waved back, saying "Salamat Siang!" - Good Afternoon!

The ladies, all dressed so beautifully in a myriad of colours, came next.

At the point I took the photos below we were feeling lost. Not sure whether to go left or right I told Dennis I just wanted to get off the bike, look at the map for the zillionth time and stretch my legs. Everything always feels better after a good stretch! We still don't know what this lady was harvesting but she was intent on it until she spotted me photographing her; the smile lit up her face for a few brief seconds and then it was back to work.

As we got closer to Ubud, directional signs started appearing and traffic intensified. We made our way directly to the center where we'd previously checked out a really nice homestay. Not being sure of exactly when we'd be back we hadn't made any reservations. But luckily there was a room available and it was excellent value for money considering the amenities and location.

Sayong House is located at the end of a narrow alleyway. With the noise and bustle of the city in such close proximity the compound is amazingly quiet and peaceful. For IDR200,000/night (about US$16.00/night) we had a private room with en-suite bath and hot water, a really good breakfast for two and wi-fi (it worked!). There was also a lovely swimming pool, very refreshing after our frustrating day! We'd stay here again in a heartbeat!

Our room was close to the koi pond.

I took two photos so you could see the intricately carved wooden door to our room.

The view through our window into the family compound. It was a very well kept space with every effort made to present an aesthetically pleasing picture.

Note on current exchange rate: US$1.00 is about Indonesian Rupiah IDR12,160 is about ZAR10.60

Jatiluwih - the highlight of our trip to Bali!

The advantage to writing this blog in retrospect is that we're able to identify, without question, the highlight of our time in each of the countries we visit. Jatiluwih (pr. Ju-t-il-loo-eh) and the surrounding countryside yielded so much more than we expected. Located on the lower southern slopes of Mt. Batukaru, the terrain is hilly and the temperature a perfect compromise between the cold mountaintop and the heat of the flat plains to the south.

It was a fairly easy downhill ride from the Lakeside Temple albeit the condition of the road did not improve. The rain stopped and it got warmer. We asked for directions a few times; a good thing or we'd have missed our turn-off. No tour buses come this way and as usual, directional signposts are sparse. After about an hour's ride we started to see the promise of what was to come. 

A green brilliance of rice paddy terraces as far as the eye could see, like velvet-carpeted stair steps leading up the mountain! It was difficult for Dennis to keep his eyes on the road and after a couple of hard bumps on the bike I asked him to please, please, STOP the bike if he wanted to look at the scenery. Though this wasn't easy as the road was narrow with little or no shoulder.

Thankfully, we soon arrived in town and could feast our eyes on foot. We paid IDR15,000 each to enter the acknowledged UNESCO world heritage cultural site which incorporates the small town of Jatiluwih. The regional administration has established a 300-hectare area of protected rice paddy fields and is also restricting the development of star-rated and city hotels. That's good news!

Jatiluwih is tiny; we counted three homestays and perhaps five restaurants, no shops. One homestay stood out above the others and we quickly secured a room for IDR200,000/night (about US$16/night). This included an en-suite bathroom with hot water, breakfast for two and wi-fi. The room was very nicely appointed, the best we'd had in Bali so far. We later discovered the wi-fi didn't work but no matter, we had a great time without it.

And you just couldn't beat the view from our window!

Our host gave us information on a 2-hour rice paddy loop walk, also pointing out that one side of the loop was in fact much more scenic than the other. We set off thinking we'd do the loop anyway but just a few minutes into it we'd already decided we didn't want to miss the same magnificent scenery going in the other direction! We were charged a nominal fee of IDR5,000 each for entry to the trail ... only a few steps from our room. Looking back at the homestay, our room (one of only four) is the one on the far right of the building, the small family restaurant on the left.

These are young rice shoots ready for planting.

It's not unusual to see young children riding motorbikes in Bali, even in major cities in the busiest of traffic. In this case, they were also carrying sharp scythes! We thought these three boys to be aged about ten years old.

The pathway into the forest above marked the halfway point. We deviated from it to discover a deserted temple in the overgrown jungle. Or at least, it was deserted when we were there.

We've seen people using these leaves as umbrellas!

Exiting the jungle to return the same way we came, the sun peeked out from the clouds and lit up the rice fields beautifully.

And then it was gone for the day.

The walk took us longer than two hours because we'd stop every few steps to take photos. We passed very few tourists on the trail, perhaps no more than six altogether. After we freshened up for dinner and walked the road further into town to find a restaurant, it slowly dawned on us that we may be the only overnight guests in Jatiluwih that night.

The first clue was that we appeared to be the only westerners in town, and the second was that all the restaurants were closed. Apparently they only stay open until all the day-trippers leave. So it was back to our own homestay where the host cooked us a delicious dinner. We were also treated to a performance of traditional Balinese dance by their 9-year old daughter, Yande.

Around six in the morning we were awakened by the brightest of colour lighting up our room. The sunrise was stunning and we decided to go for an early morning walk.

This is the main street running through town. We really appreciated that all the buildings were on one side of it, to allow for an unobstructed view on the other. Amazingly, we were indeed the only tourists in town and it was wonderful to have it all to ourselves!

We walked the other side of the loop and passed many farmers on their way to work -

Imagine this as a little hillside retreat!

If only we could have stayed a week! For sure, this fabulous place will be in our hearts forever!

Note on current exchange rate: US$1.00 is about Indonesian Rupiah IDR12,160 is about ZAR10.60

A flat tire, a long ride ... and Danau Bratan Lakeside Temple (Bali)

After almost two full days of rest and relaxation in Amed we were ready to continue exploring. We followed the road along the coast finding it in surprisingly good condition. However, within an hour of starting out a flat tire forced us to stop on the side of the road! Since we were between villages we decided the best course of action would be for me to stay with the bike and Dennis to go in search of the next scooter repair shop. We'd noticed they occur at regular intervals.

I waited patiently; several people passed by with curious stares but no-one stopped to see if I needed any assistance. In the meantime, after talking to three or four people, Dennis came across a very nice man who immediately jumped in to help when he heard the problem. In an effort to reduce the weight on our flat tire, he rode our bike to the next repair shop and let us ride his, with our luggage. We were exceptionally grateful for the ride.

Two kilometers down the road is not that far unless you're pushing a scooter with a flat tire! Our kind local had driven our bike very slowly and carefully, with the utmost consideration to possible further damage. He also set us up with the mechanic at the repair shop, where no English was spoken. Luckily for us it was just the inner tube that needed to be replaced; a one hour delay and we were on our way again! Thanks to the friendly Balinese, this experience was a good one.

We stopped to take a good look at this rambutan tree, the first we've ever seen. We'd been buying clusters of rambutans from the supermarket so it was great to see them growing wild.

The coastal road doesn't have many hotels or restaurants. We passed several villages offering nothing but small roadside snack shacks. After three hours on the bike plus the one hour delay we were starving! Finally, the nice ocean-view restaurant we'd been expecting to see, then just hoping to see, came into view. We breezed past it, screeched to a halt and burned a 'U'y'.

We were getting close to a big city and the restaurant was part of a small boutique hotel. The meal was excellent! At the last minute I remembered to take a photo, too late for all my chicken satays to be on the plate. This is 'Mie Goreng' which basically means fried noodles. You can choose to add chicken, pork or shrimp. The over-hard fried egg on top is a typical addition to this dish.

During our late lunch we decided just to make it a really long travel day, skipping the extra night on the coast that we'd sort of planned on. We weren't very impressed with the northeast coast and the kind of accommodation we were looking for appeared severely limited. After arriving in the big city of Singaraja we turned inland to the town of Bedugul and Lake Bratan.

Going up the mountain was a nightmare of traffic on a tiny, twisty, potholed road. It took us more than an hour to travel 30km's (about 19 miles). By the time we reached the top we were ready to call it a day. Thank goodness that was behind us! The light fading, we checked out a couple of home stays and decided on one that was a little less personal than our previous choices.

There were perhaps thirty rooms for rent and we looked at about five different rooms before settling on one. They all felt damp and smelled musty though it was clear the building was new. The weather had lots to do with it; the fog had rolled in and there was a decided chill in the air, typical for this time of year. We went to a restaurant nearby for dinner and turned in early.

In the end it was a good stay, IDR150,000/night (about US$12.50/night) including private bathroom with lovely hot shower and a simple breakfast for two. No wi-fi. In the morning it felt cool, raining on and off. We donned our rain ponchos and set off to see Pura Ulun Danau Bratan or simply, the Lakeside Temple. This is my favorite temple in Bali; it has such a magical mystical quality.

The flowers were plentiful and beautiful! Bali's National Botanical Garden is in this area but we didn't want to spend a lot of time walking in the rain so we gave it a miss.

These people spilled out of the main temple after receiving a blessing from a priest.

Temple detail - Dennis strikes a pose in his rain poncho.

This photo is especially for Oliver!

Walking around the temple grounds was very peaceful, albeit a little wet.

At the vendor stalls outside the temple we found some dried jack fruit for sale. Of course, we couldn't resist trying some. Delicious! Jack fruit trees seem to grow everywhere here and now we really can't wait to try the fresh fruit! We think it may be related to the Durian. Please refer to the Gunung Kawi post for a picture of Dennis next to a Jack fruit tree.

Note on current exchange rate: US$1.00 is about Indonesian Rupiah IDR12,160 is about ZAR10.60