the second day of our trip is not as exciting as the first day. i would say it is more relaxing.
As it is the first day, it was time to get up early on the second day (8am to be exact) as the journey from one place to another will be long…
anyway, the first stop is Taman Ayun Royal Family Temple. first impression, it looks more like a big garden than a Temple to me. but it is still a nice place to go nonetheless.
and oh, one thing, since we did not hire any guide to tell us the history/stories of the buildings thoughout our trip, we are left on our own to guess what is it, either from the information board or eavesdropping on other tour guides! haha!
a short walk to the Temple
the entrance to the Temple
this must be the other side of one of the gates i guess
one of the place of prayers? too bad we are not allowed to go inside
makes you wonder what is inside the hut, no?
artisans those days are great. how long does it takes to finish this block alone? let alone the whole temple?
this must be some kind of observation deck or some meditation place.
the stairs up to the tower is so narrow and the flimsy railings doesn’t help much! my legs go weak on my way up!!! the most embarrassing thing is that my wife those kids have no problem going up at all!
but the view from the tower is worth it! but the way down from the tower is… knee weakening again. haha!
prayer offerings that you will see in Bali. especially in the morning.
next stop, Ulum Danu Beratan Temple!
weather is quite cooling, almost like Mount Batur. this is definitely my kind of place!
the temple was super crowded on that particular day as our driver said the temple was reopened again after a major renovation. so they have a Upacara (ceremony) for that.
for your info, Balinese are very much into Upacara. they have a lot of reasons for it. during our trip, we’ve come across quite a number of the Upacara. i guess this is their way of life.
we are not allowed to go into this section though. but they were playing musical instruments inside. very very happening it seems!
a lot of people having a good time. families having picnic sitting together chit chatting.
View of Beratan Lake from the temple
look at the crowd!
our lunch was just a simple affair that day. on our way back from Ulun Danu, we just stop by a small food stall selling Ayam Bertutu.
a simple dish of ayam bertutu, vegetables, chicken liver, some condiments served with rice and fried onion soup
a close up of the dish. doesn’t look so appetizing but let me tell you, looks can be deceiving!
one we were full, it is off to Alas Kedaton which is some sort of a monkey forest. this is the place which we like the least thoughout the whole trip though. upon paying for the entrance fee, you will be ushered by a guide (who is actually one of the stall owners selling handicrafts and stuff) to lead you around Alas Kedaton.
care taking photos with bats and also feeding them with bottled drinks? sure! with a fee of course!
they do have photo session with pythons too. but we gave it pass…
The guide and i. and monkeys are everywhere!
nope. those are not monkeys although they look like one. haha!
monkey feeding time!
a small packet of peanuts are provided so you can feed them too. but some of them are quite aggressive too! i got one who climbed over me! noticed a guide in the background? she is holding a stick with her just in case the monkeys got nasty! actually i noticed that my guide was a bit scared of the monkeys too although she said the monkeys are quite gentle.
walk further, and you will see a small temple. looks like a scene from The Jungle Book. with more monkeys, BIGGER MONKEYS! apparently these monkey have their own gangs and territory too.
at the end of the walk, we were ushered to the guide’s shop to buy some handicrafts. no forcing though, but we just bought something from her.
will i go to Alas Kedaton again? no. but one advice of those who intend to go : beware of those monkeys!!! at least don’t get scratched or bitten by them. you never know if they have rabies or not…
the highlight of the day happens at the last itinery which is in Tanah Lot!
a lot of people from the parking lot to the main gate amidst all the “I Love Bali” t-shirt!
and lo and behold, the gate to Tanah Lot Temple!!!
almost there…
Tanah Lot Temple. but again, the temple is not accessible for tourist
Holy Spring just nearby the temple. not sure what is it for. but i guess it must be to get some blessings or something like that. those kids in purple attire are students. most probably to get blessing for good grades in exam?
photo taking and printing on the go!
the cliff over there is a good place for sun set watching. be sure to reach there early to get a good view of the sun set! it’s approximately 10 minutes from temple.
and from the cliff, if you walk for another 5 minutes, you’ll reach this magnificent place. not thing much there though as it is just a small place for praying. there’s also a restaurant and a place to watch Barong Dance there, but we did not go for that though.
and so we went back to the first cliff for sun set watching!
the tide was low at the time. when the tide is high, you’ll see only the temple in the middle of the sea, which i think will be a great view!
after waiting for around 20 minutes, at last we got to see the magnificent sunset!
dinner for the night will be at Warung Made in Kuta, since every one seems to be recommending it.
the crowd is quite big with people of various nationalities. we were seated on the second floor facing the stairs instead. apologies for the bad photo…
when in Warung Made, the first thing that you should order is Nasi Campur Special. literally translated as special mixed rice. just like its namesake, it comprises of a bit of everything, satay, prawn, chicken, vegetables and sambal. tastes normal to me though. but maybe it is just me who got used to eating malay/indon food in the office… but one thing is for sure, RP55k for a plate of nasi campur is a bit on the pricy side. but then again, they are famous AND it is a tourist spot, so i guess i shouldn’t be complaining.
wife got herself a kebab (lamb i think) with side dish of salad and potatoes (it looks like fried fish balls, right? haha!) and the taste is normal for us… but hey, at least we tried it!
and so after the dinner, we ended our night with a walk to the town area and a bottle of beer (sorry, not supposed to show a photo of wifey downing a beer all by herself. hehe!).
