View of Kuta from our window ....
After we got ready, we went downstairs to have our breakfast ... the cafe was small and could hardly fit the many guests. We quickly grabbed a table once it was available, and went to the buffet line for our food. Food was nearly the same daily - rice, noodles, meat, vegetables, egg, potato, crackers, porridge, soup, breads, salad, fruits, cereal, coffee and tea. The menu was essentially the same every day.
Vegetable soup, butter rice, fried kway tiau, grilled chicken, sauteed baby beans, omelette, crackers; hot coffee; a serving of salad and fruits
I liked the sauteed baby beans - the vegetables were so crunchy and sweet! After breakfast, A and I walked around the streets .... and we found the beach!
Kuta Beach ....
The split gateway is known as candi bentar and is commonly found all over the island
We did not have time to walk at the beach; we made a mental note to return within the next few days that we were staying in the vicinity. We hurriedly headed back to our hotel.
Pak Awan, our driver, was punctual. By 8.40 a.m., we headed off to our first attraction - watching the Barong dance.
Barong is a mythological lion representing the good spirit
We watched it at Batu Bulan Village, at this place managed by CV Catur Eka Budhi; entrance fee was IDR100,000 per pax. There were 5 Acts in the 60-minute performance, narrating the battle story between Barong and Rangda, the demon queen. I quite enjoyed the performance because I could make sense of what was going on in each scene - everyone was given a summary sheet of the story, which proved to be helpful.
We watched it at Batu Bulan Village, at this place managed by CV Catur Eka Budhi; entrance fee was IDR100,000 per pax. There were 5 Acts in the 60-minute performance, narrating the battle story between Barong and Rangda, the demon queen. I quite enjoyed the performance because I could make sense of what was going on in each scene - everyone was given a summary sheet of the story, which proved to be helpful.
Batik printing @ Popiler Batik Factory
Inside the showroom
Another part of the showroom
There were plenty of batik products on sale ..... scarves, shifts, shirts, bags .... but the price wasn't cheap. We browsed and quickly left ....
Next, we stopped at Sri Hayati at Celuk Village to look at gold and silver crafts.
A small showroom
This was a family business. The lady told us that her family crafted all the jewellery items which were on display. Their workshop was actually in her house at the back. We did not see anything that we liked so we left without buying anything here.
Driving to Kintamani took nearly 2 hours. Along the way, we saw many orange plantations. Ripe oranges were sold at small stalls along the road. We did stop and buy some oranges and snakeskin fruit ....
The oranges and snakeskin fruits were IDR10,000 per kg ...
The oranges were just like what we had back home .... but we liked the snakeskin fruit which were sweet ...
After what seemed like a long time in the car, we'd reached Kintamani ....
Beautiful Lake Batur at the foot of Mount Abang
Gunung Abang is the highest point on the Batur caldera's rim and, at 2,151 m, the third-highest mountain in Bali. Gunung Abang used to be part of the original Mount Batur before an enormous eruption in prehistoric times
Gunung Abang is the highest point on the Batur caldera's rim and, at 2,151 m, the third-highest mountain in Bali. Gunung Abang used to be part of the original Mount Batur before an enormous eruption in prehistoric times
Mount Batur is on the left; Danau or Lake Batur on the right, flanked by Mount Abang
We had buffet lunch at a restaurant called Gong Dewata, where it had a balcony overlooking the beautiful scenery; we could sit indoors or outdoors. We chose to sit outside, though it was very cold and windy here .....
Lunch ....
Quite a long buffet line, plenty of dishes; I did not try all the items ....
Rice and gado-gado, spinach tempura, satay, pisang goreng
I liked the gado-gado and the spinach tempura and the pisang goreng; But I did not like the spices on the satay, and I wasn't sure whether it was chicken or fish satay. J was telling us that it could be even dog meat satay. EEW!!! Apparently, there was news in June 2017 that tourists were being sold dog meat satay, disguised as chicken satay .... how unscrupulous!
We spent quite a long time here, enjoying the view. It was difficult to take photographs because the wind blew our hair in all directions .... sigh ... We probably lingered for too long here when we shouldn't have, because it delayed the rest of our itinerary.
Next, we drove to Tegalallang Rice Terraces, located at the foothill of Mount Batur. Along the road lined plenty of small restaurants that provide view of the rice terraces ... We got off the car and walked down the steps that lead to paths bring us to the terraced rice field ....
Tegalallang Rice Terraces
Terraced steps on the hilly terrain for effective rice cultivation ....
Terraced steps on the hilly terrain for effective rice cultivation ....
View from the rice terrace of the restaurants and eateries at the top ...
We walked down the steps along the various paths leading to the terraces .... not very difficult to walk. Everyone had fun till we had to walk past one stretch of the pathway and the lady there wanted to collect "donations" before letting us pass .... A and I refused to pay. We hurried past her down the path ... but the lady got angry and refused to let J pass till she paid. J donated IDR10,000 ... There were many such donation booths along the path as we later found out .... and I think that spoilt the experience ...
After the first donation booth, we left the place and headed next to Pura Tirta Empul at a town called Tampaksiring. Pura Tirta Empul is part of the Subak Landscape of Pakerisan Watershed, recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The temple was founded around a large water spring - said to be the source of Pakerisan River. The temple complex itself was built around 960 A.D, and till today, is famous for its holy water spring.
To get into the temple, we had to be decently covered in sarong. I did not bring a sarong, so I had to borrow one at the temple entrance ...
The Holy Water Spring ..... where believers could have their purification baths
Candi bentar or split gateway
Many temples have this gateway entrance, and this was the entrance to the holiest part of the temple here at Pura Tirta Empul ... ladies have dress decently and to tie up their hair before going in here ....
Many temples have this gateway entrance, and this was the entrance to the holiest part of the temple here at Pura Tirta Empul ... ladies have dress decently and to tie up their hair before going in here ....
Holy Spring at the Inner Sanctuary
There was a pond which water was so clear that we could see the lush vegetation inside the water .... and tiny black birds flew in circles above this pond, swooping down the surface of the water once in a while ..... looked quite mystical to me ....
There was a pond which water was so clear that we could see the lush vegetation inside the water .... and tiny black birds flew in circles above this pond, swooping down the surface of the water once in a while ..... looked quite mystical to me ....
After Tirta Empul, we headed to Ubud Art Market. This was well-known market, selling a lot of things like spices, handicrafts, clothes, souvenirs. But by about 6.10 p.m. when we were there, the market was closing already. We did not have time to shop. Prices here were cutthroat though - I saw a cotton dress that I liked. The lady wanted to sell it to me at IDR180,000. Of course I'd not buy it ... so she went, "How much you want?" I wanted it at IDR20,000 ...
She spat out some expletives at me. We would experience dealing with such rude vendors when we returned to the market later on ... Seriously ... I think the dress was worth less than IDR30,000 and I'd be a fool to pay more than that.
Ubud Market stalls, along Jalan Karna
We had our dinner back in Kuta. There was heavy traffic at the road and the journey was agonizingly long, so that by the time we reached Simpang Raya, it was already 8.30 p.m.
Simpang Raya
I remember having a meal at Simpang Raya over at Bandung the other time. I wasn't much impressed with the food though ....
At this Simpang Raya branch in Bali, there were bus loads of tourists from China .... making lots of noise and we were quite amused with their antics. Tonight, we had with our rice, 9 dishes served to us ....
Gulai telur, beef rendang, fried chicken and sayur nangka
CGreen chilli sambal, gourd, mustard green, beansprouts
Sauteed cabbage ...
Of all the dishes, I liked the egg and the fried chicken :))
Pak Awan sent us back to our hotel at Zia Kuta. We went back to our room to dump our things and then we tried to walk off our dinner. We walked from our hotel to Jalan Pantai Kuta, and then turning to Jalan Raya Kuta and also Jalan Kartika ... plenty of people, plenty to see, plenty to buy .....
Saw this in front of a restaurant ....
Suckling pig!
Can't wait to try babi guling ...
When we were tired of walking, we returned to our hotel for the night ....
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