Heading Home

Going home is the best part of a journey.

Roundabout near airport

Frangipani

I was wondering why there were Plumerias (better known as frangipanis) almost everywhere on the island. Apparently, frangipanis are their national flower and is widely used in massages not that I saw any being used for my foot.


Man, it was good to be home!

Baliinese Kek Lapis

After walking another 500 meters or so, we finally reached Bali Jaya.

It wasn't a bakery, or a cake house, or a teeny weeny dilapidated confectionery. It was a mini market. The kek lapis on their shelves lined ours. I was hugely disappointed but there was still one last hope. The airport.

So, what's all this fuss about the famous Balinese kek lapis?

Lee (my sister-in-law) visited Bali a couple of years ago and returned with boxes of Balinese kek lapis which were delicious. Divinely so. I had to have some of those.

Ground Zero

Road maps are quite the scourge. They tell you your destination is just an inch away but once you take to the road, it is never "just around the corner." You find yourself walking ... and walking ... and walking ... and never reaching the danged place.

It was a good thing we stumbled upon Ground Zero. Wait! It wasn't good as in "good" if you catch my drift. Stumbling upon the site beats the humdrum walk ... the walking ... and walking ... and walking ... to that place which almost always lay just behind that corner.

Ground Zero was the place which was devastated during the 2002 Bali Bombing. It ruined the tourist industry and most Balinese had to leave the country to seek employment elsewhere. Tourism was a big part of their economy so it was a bad time for just about everyone.

Today, the site is used for parking. We hear that there are no plans to develop the area.

The Ground Zero Memorial was built right in the middle of a part of the road where two smaller ones merged. It is located across the road from the above Parking Area.

Massage & Reflexology

We had time to kill so a foot massage sounded like a grand idea.  $110,000 rupiah for a pedicure complete with foot massage and reflexology. The reflexology part was a breeze. Either the girls weren't skilled enough or my organs are perfect. 

It was mid afternoon when ladies appeared on the road with baskets above their heads. They were selling cold drinks with ice cubes, local delicacies and tidbits.

I asked the masseurs if they knew where I could buy the famous Balinese kek lapis. They looked at each other then back at me. They haven't heard of it. 

"Will I find it at the airport?"

"I don't know. I've never been there, never left the country."

It struck me then how poor these girls were.  After consulting with the rest of the masseurs in their Balinese gobbledygook, they finally directed me to "Bali Jaya" which was about a kilometer away.

We went that away.

Balinese Rice

Balinese Set Lunch at the Adi Dharma Hotel/Restaurant.

Temple beside Reception

Of Rituals & Festivals

"Are there any fights between the Hindus and the Muslims?" I asked Gede.

"Oh yes. Several years ago there was a big fight. We were celebrating the Silent Festival."

"Silent Festival?"

"Ah yes. We call it the Nyepi. We are required to remain silent for 24 hours. It is a time for self-reflection, meditation and fasting."

"So, what happened?"

"The Muslims did not respect our festival. They talked loudly and the loudspeakers from the mosque disrupted our meditation. There was a big riot. People were fighting on the streets. The police had to interfere. After that, they banned loudspeakers in mosques. The Muslims are not allowed to build any more mosques."

Hmm ...

The footages above were taken during the Opening Ceremony of a commercial building in Kuta. The participant in this ritual were the employee.

Morning at Kuta Beach

Buggy Ride

Dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe (where I ate Smoked Chicken Salad, yes, salad.) followed by this buggy ride.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. For something like $150,000 rupiah we piled onto the carriage and embarked on the buggy ride. Poor horse had to cart all of us uphill and downhill, around corners and through heavy traffic. Since the narrow roads were one-way (which I hadn't previously observed) the poor horse had a long way to go. On foot, we would have taken short cuts to our destination.

I was kinda thinking of my poor Venus having to cart so many people around so that her owner may earn a living. In this frame of mind, I felt immensely sorry for the poor horse. I don't ever want to take another buggy ride again.

Sunset - Day 2 Kuta Beach

Split gates like the one on the right gives access to holy sites, symbolizing a mount of the gods which had been torn asunder through its midpoint.

Offerings

Assortment of religious paraphernalia used in the offering. These are available in ready packed sets.

With the number of tourists walking about, stepping on these was unavoidable. According to the local as long as you have no ill intent, it's ok.

Sometimes, these offering became food for the hungry. The footage below was captured at Tanah Lot.

Around Kuta

After Pandawa Beach, Gede drove us back to Kuta. As we walked about, I was on the lookout for any bakery which might offer the famous Balinese kek lapis. Luck was not on my side.

Stone carvings like the one on the right stood at every corner and at regular intervals between buildings. The distinctive Balinese smell is everywhere.

Carvings on black volcanic rocks.

A temple is built at every building, residential or commercial, even in major supermarkets. They almost always occupy a corner of the building. The staff at these buildings leave offerings at the temple twice a day, in the morning and evening. I'm not sure if this is gender-based but during my short stay there I never saw any males leaving offerings at the temple, only young girls clad in sarongs.

Bargaining is to be expected when you're out here shopping. Beach sarongs sold for $80,000 rupiah at Tanah Lot, $50,000 rupiah at Kuta Beach and $30,000 rupiah at the shops in Kuta.

Electrical cables like the above is a common sight. And by the way, water from the shower felt slimy like its alkali or something. Some of the locals dug wells in their compound but they do not drink from it.

Five foot passageway between shophouses leading to more buildings at the back. Also, I get the feeling that the sun here is especially hot and intense. Hats and sunglasses are a necessity.

Black sand used in construction. The use of white sand is prohibited.

Kuta (Night)

Pandawa

"We are now going to the Secret Beach," said Gede as he took the van off the main thoroughfare and drove through what looked like a housing estate. He stopped the van at a small table under a picnic umbrella where two Balinese collected the road toll.

"Over here, the residents of a housing estate are allowed to collect toll. This money is to compensate the community for the inconvenience caused by traffic passing through." Gede explained.

We passed cut mountains very much like the one on the right until we reached Pandawa Beach, the so called Secret Beach except that it wasn't a secret beach anymore for the place was teeming with tourists.  Holes like this were cut out of the mountain to house the Hindu idols.

According to Gede, the plan is to make this stretch tell the tale of the Mahabharata. A sacred spot. O-Wait! I might have got this wrong. Gede might have mentioned "Sacred Beach" which I mistook for "Secret Beach."