Tuesday, Mar 20th, Lovina, Bali, Indonesia

Greetings!

"Kauai on steroids" is how Pat describes Bali to a friend.  Our bus journeyed from Candidasa to Lovina today, and we stopped along the way to see two villages, a volcano within a volcano, and a temple.

Penglipuran is famous for its long rows of family-compounds all featuring the same designs.  The entrance gates are particularly striking, adorned with carved Hindu characters in lava stone.  The 226 families in the village descend from those who served bravely in the Balinese military, and include the family of our local guide.

At the northern edge of the compound is a 75 hectare bamboo forest maintained by the families which we walked through.  The beauty of its tranquility and vertical eye-popping power is overwhelming.

We also stopped at Kintamani, and admired its views of Mt Batur and Lake Batur.  The lava flows down the side of the volcano are a vivid example of the impermanence of the landscape here.  Surrounding the volcano is a larger caldera, containing a lake on several sides.  This is one of the premiere restaurant views we have seen, and are well worth the long drive.

After lunch, we drive to the Pura Beji Sangsit Temple.  The temple is dedicated to the rice goddess Dewi Sri, and its northern Balinese architecture contains large floral designs and fierce warriors.  The faded colors are more apparent here, and we wonder how spectacular they must have been centuries ago.

We returned to the Ramayana Resort for dinner, and watch a beautiful sunset across the Bali Sea.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Tuesday, Mar 20th, Lovina, Bali, Indonesia.