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Our time in Bali has been relaxing and HOT! The humidity it amazing for former Alaskan...LOL. We have really enjoyed our plunge pool, the food, and the countryside touring. The best part has been the people. They are so kind, pleasant and gentle.
The manager of our villa offered us a couple of days of touring. For $120 USD for the two of us we enjoyed two very full days of activity. There are no railroads or highways in Bali. Everything outside or the city center is a narrow two lane road with loads of scooters and vehicles weaving between each other. We passed countless statue and stone masons.
The Monkey Forest is an area with a few small temples that has been dedicated as a wildlife reserve. There are free roaming monkeys all over the place. It was cool inside the park and there were lovely water features.
We traveled another two hours and reached the higlands and the rice terraces. There we wandered up and down both sides for well over an hour. It was amazingly hot and humid and the paths were narrow. It was worth the experience and the people were so very nice.
For a religious country the certainly aren't shy by offering provactive gifts for the tourists.
We drove higher into the mountains to visit a coffee plantation, this one specializing in Luwak Coffee.
The Luwak is a local feline, looks like a cross between a fox and a cat. They eat the coffee beans and then excrete the seeds. From there the seeds are washed, roasted, and ground.
We enjoyed a cup of the brew. Honestly tasted like a good expresso and for $5 a cup was certainly an experience. In the states this cup would have run about $25.
Local gas pump.
A funeral procession that blocked the road for several KMs.
The volcano from a restaurant terrace.
Then it was another two hours of winding roads as we traversed the ridge lines between mountains before arriving at the mother temple. An amazing collection of about 20 temples in this complex, we had a private guide that took us around th see the largest of the collection.
Please note who has the wear the skirt wrap here.
These are musical instruments much like marimbas. We were allowed to play them.
On our second day Putu took us to the coast to visit the sea temple. Lots of rice terraces along the way and lots of tourists at the temple
And of course a share of pythons to hold and pet.
We enjoyed lunch next to a rice paddy full of ducks. Bobbie had duck for lunchl.
Our last stop was another monkey temple on the coast. Here we both were wearing shorts and thus had to don our traditional wraps again. So much fun.
These guys were a bit more agressive. They have learned that if they snatch your glasses off your face the guards will trade food for the glasses. The problem is that they have also learned that it is a lot more fun to toss them over the edge and into the water while the guest screams.
One the way back we noticed a very large structure being built far off in the distance. It turns out it is a twenty year project to complete the world's largest statue. It will be of the Hindu god Wiznu.
This is its current status. Quite impressive when you realize that the "pedestal" is a six story building.
And here is what it will look like when completed....
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