Travel Pangs

Beautiful Bali: Visiting Tirtha Empul Temple

2012-01-23T18:42:00.001-08:00

With over 90% of Balinese being Hindus, Hindus still form a minority in Indonesia. That, of course is understandble since the archipelago with approximately 17,508 islands has over 238 million people while Bali's present population probably has not even surpassed 5 million. In 2010, the census recorded its population at just 3,891,000. Understandable too, there are many Hindu temples in Bali and these temples, often called Pura are unlike the common towering indoor Indian Hindu Temple. In Bali, the temple is an open air worship place within enclosed walls. Often, to reach its compounds one would have to pass a series of intricately decorated gates. One of the must visit temples in Bali is of course, the Tirtha Empul Temple. When we arrived at the temple, it was rather crowded with locals and there was a mix of festive and picnic-like atmosphere ...

Would you like to join the crowd at Tirtha Empul Temple?

Traveling Tip: Visit Temples!

Beatiful Bali: An Indian Influence

2011-12-18T22:50:00.000-08:00

Just the other day, an Indian man who had visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia showed me pictures which he had taken there. He said there were many lesser known old Hindu temples around Angkor Wat and he specificallly pointed out to a Lingam in one of the temples.The Lingam or Linga, I have heard is a symbol of the phallus and is often represented with Yoni which is a represntation of the female reprodcutive organ. It has been said too that the Lingam represents the Hindu deity Shiva while the Yoni represents the goddess Shakti. Whatever it represents, the Lingam is definitely very Indian and as in Cambodia, there are many signs of Indian influences in Bali. Pura Goa Gajah, as you have known, is a Hindu temple. The walls are in ruins and you'd not as much as take a look at the remains of the candi walls but the northern part of Pura Goa Gajah is quite interesting. There is a T-shaped cave-like structure there and besides a statue of the Hindu God, Ganesha, you can find inside, a lingam. Everyone loves a lingam!

You'd have to look for your lingam!

Traveling Tip: You have to search!

Beautiful Bali: A Beautiful Piece of Art

2011-12-18T22:23:00.000-08:00

Pura Goa Gajah, in the little village of Bedulu in the Blahbatuh district boasts of ancient fountains from which one could get free flow of holy water. Some tourists may not be so interested in the holiness of the shrine or the water but the ancient structures deserve some scrutiny. One perhaps would be reminded and marvel at how religion could inspire some men to create such wonderful piece of art...

Marvel at the ancient structures in Pura Goa Gajah...

Traveling Tip: It is not all about belief!

Beautiful Bali: Pura Goa Gaja

2011-10-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

Just before Ubud, we had made a stop at Pura Goa Gaja. As we walked along a concrete pathway lined with souvenir stalls, we came across an elderly Chinese couple whom we exchanged plesantries with. The couple, to our surprise were from home -Penang to be exact and they had decided to give Pura Goa Gajah or Elephant Cave Temple a skip, which I thought was a pity. Pura Goa Gajah is an ancient structure. Built in the 11th century when Bali was led by King Udayana, the temple for a long while was only known to locals. The public got to know about it in 1923 and today, many tourists could, for a small fee, explore its grounds...

Would you pay to explore Pura Goa Gaja?

Traveling Tip: Never mind the fees!

Beautiful Bali: Bali's Babi Guling

2011-10-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

When in Bali, don't forget to try Babi Guling, that is if your religion allows you pork. Babi is of course, the local word for pig while Guling means roll. Babi Guling is actually a roasted suckling pig. In this Balinese delicacy, a whole pig is rubbed down and stuffed with bumbu bali , a mixture of chopped Balinese spices including shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, galangal, pepper coriander, candlenuts, chilies, and lemon grass. Perhaps, the pig gets its name, Babi Guling because it is continuously turned slowly over the fire to ensure even cooking and to ensure that its meat is tender and juicy. One could probably find Babi Guling in Kuta or anywhere else in Bali but words had it that the best would be at Ibu Oka in Ubud. A fellow Malaysian whom we met at Sukawati sweared though they had the best in a market in Kuta...

Which do you think is Babi Guling?

Traveling Tip: Try some local delicacy!

Beautiful Bali: A Place to Shop

2011-10-29T00:07:00.000-07:00

Travelling east to Ubud, make a stop in the Gianyar Regency in Central Bali, more specifically in the town of Sukawati. There is this place called Pasar Seni in the centre of the town, a two storey building with many, many stalls, said to be the best place to shop in Bali. Almost all the souvenirs you'd have seen or bought elsewhere in Kuta, Tuban, Legian or Seminyak originate here and expect to find paintings, woodcarvings, clothes, puppets, wind chimes, jewelleries and many other things here at bargain prices. Celuk village which is the center of goldsmiths & silversmiths in Bali is located nearby and you'd expect to buy products of gold and silver here too but touch wood - some of these products, I heard may not be genuine...

Shop at Sukawati!

Traveling Tip: There is a place to shop!

Beautiful Bali: Cak! Cak! It's a Dance!

2011-10-25T06:38:00.000-07:00

You should be forgiven if you think Mario is just a character from a video game. Long before there were angry birds, Shigeru Miyamoto, a Japanese video game designer had Mario, the Italian-American plumber appeared in the Mushroom Kingdom in over 200 video games trying to prevent turtle-like villain Bowser from kidnapping Princess Peach and taking over the kingdom. The Mario (inset) in question now of course is a famous Balinese dancer. Bali, by the way, is most famous for its performing arts. There are many famous Balinese dances such as the pendet, legong and of course, kecak, the monkey dance performed mainly by men which is said to have originated in the 1930s. Known also as the Ramayana Monkey Chant, the dance is often performed by a circle of 150 or more performers who wear checked cloth around their waists and chant cak cak as they throw up their arms to depict a battle from the Ramayana where the monkey-like Vanara helped Prince Rama fight the evil King Ravana. Not a single musical instrument is used for this dance; music being provided by the cak, cak chant from the performers. German painter and musician Walter Spies, supposedly worked with Wayan Limbak to make the dance world-reknown. Today, Kecak's influence could be seen in such notable songs like I Never Promised You a Rose Garden and Manhattan Transfer's Soldier of Fortune. Grab the opportunity to experience the first hand experience of a kecak dance while in Bali!

Cak! Cak! It's the Kecak dance!

Traveling Tip: Watch the locals dance!

Beautiful Bali: When the Sun Sets in Uluwatu

2011-10-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

Bali is considered one of the best places in the world to see sunsets. It is not surprising then that some people come here just to see sunsets and some even pay to have sunset weddings. There are many venues where one can see the sun sets in Bali - in Kuta, Jimbaran, Tanah Lot,and most definitely in Uluwatu. We were in Uluwatu long enough to see the sun set but then, it was almost six and it was time to watch some traditional Balinese dance...

Traveling Tip: Watch the sun sets!

Beautiful Bali: Monkeys in a Temple

2011-09-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

Our guide was quite a talkative guy, telling us stories about not just Bali but also about his family and his experiences as a tourist guide. About Bali, he told of the Hindu priest who came from Java building a number of key Hindu temples all over Bali. In Uluwatu, on the edge of a plateau 250 feet above the Indian Ocean, there is this temple dedicated to the spirits of the sea called Pura Luhur Temple, said to be Bali's most spectacular. There is a pagoda here, near which is a limestone statue of a Brahman priest, said to be that of a priest, Dhang Hyang Dwijendra. Another shrine within the complex represents the boat on which Dwijendra traveled from Java. Legend had it that he arrived at Pura Peti Tenget, north of Kuta. Dwijendra however, was not the only priest associated with the temple. There were other priests from different eras like Empu Kuturan who lived in the 10th century and Niratha who lived in the 17th century. Some people are of the opinion that the temple is an architectural wonder but maybe, you'd think it is rather a small temple, quaint perhaps but not as wonderful as Java's Borobudur or Cambodia's Angkor Wat. In any case, you'd like the serenity and the scenery here, not to mention the monkeys that may jump out from nowhere to snatch your spectacles. These monkey, according to our guide, were trained to do that and you could get back your belongings back for a small sum of money. Don't say you have not been warned!

Watch out for the monkeys!

Traveling Tip: Watch your belongings!

Beautiful Bali: Bluff

2011-09-15T00:36:00.000-07:00

There is a scene in this old black and white American soap opera based on Grace Metalious's novel called Peyton Place that I probably would not forget. There is this character, Ann Howard, played by Susan Oliver, standing on a precarious-looking bluff at the end of one episode. In Uluwatu, Bali, I thought I stood on a bluff just as precarious. The scene here was so spectacular that one would probably forget the danger that was there if one would to be so careless and put a wrong foot forward. Just take your time here as you pose for some photos and never mind if there are no safety railings. They probably would spoil the scene! Just enjoy yourself taking photographs as the breeze from the sea carresses you! It was a splendid experience in Uluwatu. Our guide told us he took famed footballer Ronaldo here years back and he attracted a lot of tourists who posed with him for photographs. Without the footballer, the snapshots would still turn up awesome.

Pose for some photos here!

Traveling Tip: Have fun taking photos!

Beautiful Bali: Surfing, Bali

2011-09-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

Bali is a place to surf. An American, Bob Koke and his wife Louise were said to have started surfing in Bali when they opened the Bali Hotel in Kuta Beach way back in 1936. Surfing, however, did not immediately catch on, not until the 60s at least when surfers discovered Semenanjung Bukit or the Bukit Peninsula at the southern end of the island which features a picturesque dry, arid and stoney landscape. Today, besides, Kuta Beach, there are many places for a surfer to surf, chief among which is Uluwatu, which draws the top surfers from around the world. There was this surfer paradise which we visited where the water was crystal clear and the view mesmerizing. We had to climb up some steep stairs to enjoy the picturesque landscape and I suppose we would have to walk down again another flight of stairs for another 5 minutes before we could enjoy the water there. Never mind if our guide told us that there was crystal church there somewhere. In Bali, it was God's gift of nature that matters...

Would you be looking for a crystal church here?

Traveling Tip: Enjoy nature!

Beautiful Bali: Beach

2011-08-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

Tourists to Bali would be familiar with Kuta Beach. I suppose the beach is synonymous with Kuta city. When we first entered Kuta, the driver who took us to our hotel, had without any prompting, given us directions on how to go to the beach. You'd expect many lovely beaches in Bali for this is but the Island of the Gods, and a paradise to surfers. Perhaps, you'd rather hunt out for other lesser known beaches too especially now when the more popular beaches are becoming rather crowded and noisy. Our guide had taken us to one such beach called Padang-Padang which is about 25 minutes from Kuta. There seemed to be no facilities around and I remember walking down a steep staircase to be confronted with a dilapidated shack and then, surrprise of all surprises! - There was a crowd of Westerners flolicking on the white sand under the scorching sun, most of them under shades of course, and everyone seemingly without a care for the world! For a moment, you'd expect Leornardo DiCaprio(inset) to be in the crowd. Remember Danny Boyle's 2000 adventure drama film shot in Thailand's Koh Phi Phi Island which caused a controversy when 20th Century Fox bulldozed the natural beach setting of Ko Phi Phi Lee to make it more paradise-like but somehow damaged the ecosystem. Padang Padang, luckily is still in its pure form!

How would you spend your time here?

Traveling Tip: You don't have to go to some well-known places!

Beautiful Bali: Around the park

2011-08-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

Bali's Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park has been touted one of the island's premier venues for artistic performances, exhibitions, and conferences. There are facilities for all types of outdoor events: the Amphitheatre, the Street Theatre, the Plaza Kura Kura, the Exhibition Gallery and the Lotus Pond area; the last venue said to be able to accomodate 7500 people. There are a number of cafes and restaurants which dish out Indonesia, Oriental, or International cuisine,too and Warung Nyoman is said to be one of the popular place to sample traditional Indonesian food and to enjoy a panoramic view of south Bali. If you fail to locate that, perhaps you'd still procure joy by looking around at the local ladies in their traditional sarong and kebaya.The kebaya, by the way is a traditional blouse-dress combination worn by women in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Burma, Singapore and southern Thailand. The dress is Indonesia's national costume and is endemic to Java, Sudan and of course, Bali.

Can you spot the ladies in their traditional dress?

Traveling Tip: Watch what the locals wear!

Beautiful Bali: There goes a lion!

2011-08-18T23:05:00.000-07:00

Taking a walk in Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, you'd probably come face to face with a lion but fear not! - For a small sum of money, you could pose for a snapshot with it! I remember seeing a similar lion in Java when the country was celebrating its Independence Day and had thought that this was Indonesia's version of the Chinese lion dance. Balinese culture was said to be strongly influenced by Indian and Chinese and the lion, known as the Barong, could testify to that. The Barong is often featured in certain ceremonies at village temples together with a mythical character called Rangda, the witch representing evil,said to be closely associated with Durga, the Hindu mother warrior goddess, and Kali, the black mother goddess of destruction, transformation and protection in Hinduism. We did not see Rangda anywhere in the park and perhaps, that's a blessing. Rangda is depicted as a a nude old woman with a horrifying face. Her hair are long and unkempt and her breasts, pendulous. She has claws and fangs too and her goggle eyes and long, protruding tongue would probably cause us nightmares. Talk about sour grapes!

Traveling Tip: Be a sour grape, sometimes!

Beautiful Bali: Taking a Walk

2011-07-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Even with a hot tropical climate, it would be comfortable walking around Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park. You don't have to have an umbrella but could still get yourself protected from the scorching sun by walking under the shadows of the cut hills. The tropical breeze would caress you as you walk but perhaps, you'd forgo that for a moment and run towards the little statue there in the distance, of a man with a lean torso releasing a bird and take a snapshot or two...

Take a walk here!

Traveling Tip: Walk under the shadows!

Beautiful Bali: A Privilege

2011-07-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park began construction in 1997. Problems beset the project from the very beginning. Land had to be procured as only a hundred of the 250-hectare land belonged to the Badung regency. The rest had belonged to residents. The rocky and hilly area of Jimbaran of course had also to be cut and the 250-hectare land, cleared. The budget ballooned to hundreds of billions of rupiah and besides monetary problems, social and political crises which arose between l997 and l998 worsened the situation as did the fall of the Soeharto administration. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had however, promised that the project would be completed. Obtaining funds has always been a problem with big projects. Even with the Statue of Liberty (inset), there were great difficulties. While the statue was a gift from France, the Americans had to foot the bill for its pedestal and there was the economic depression to contend with. Construction stalled for years and it actually took over three-and-a-half decades for the project to be completed. It was therefore a privilege to be there at Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park and to be able to take snapshots of the uncompleted statue of Visnu and his mount, Garuda....

Take a break...enjoy your privilege!

Traveling Tip: Take a break and take some photos!

Beautiful Bali: Sacred

2011-07-22T23:23:00.001-07:00

There is a little spring adjacent to the Visnu bust. Don't underestimate this spring for this is the Pahrayangan Somaka Giri, a sacred spring. The water which flows here contains a rich mixture of minerals which reportedly could cure diseases. The spring is also widely used by local conjurers in rituals to invoke rain to ensure a hefty crop. That reminds me now of a little tomb of a mid-wife that used to be in old Kamunting Road in Taiping. The tomb was popular with childless couples whom I heard, would come to pray for a child. The tomb became somewhat like a shrine to the local Muslims so much so that it was demolished by the authorities. That was long ago and unlike the Pahrayangan Somaka Giri, the place had long stopped becoming a place for pilgrimage...

Don't underestimate this place....

Traveling Tip: Little places could be significant!

Beautiful Bali: Big Bust

2011-07-21T23:29:00.000-07:00

Some people believe in only one God, and it makes me wonder if one could call Vishnu, which is spelled with a W in Bali, a god. As literature would have it, Visnu is said to be a major god in Hinduism, a member of the Hindu triad or the Great Trinity -the other two members being Brahma and Shiva. In the Indian epic, Mahabharata, it is said that during the quest for amrita, the elixir of immortality, the Garuda had encountered Vishnu. The two had then exchanged promises. Vishnu had promised Garuda immortality and the Garuda, in turn had promised to become Vishnu's mount. In Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural park, you'd just have to walk up some stairs from where the uncompleted Garuda is and you'd come to a huge 22 meter bust of Visnu constructed from giant copper and brass slabs. When completed, Visnu riding on its mount, Garuda, would become a symbol of freedom and selfless devotion...

Bust of Visnu...

Traveling Tip: You don't have to look far!

Beautiful Bali: Big Bird

2011-07-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

Big Bird is not really the eight-foot-two-inch tall bright yellow bird that roller skates, ice skates, dances, sings, writes poetry, draws and even rides a unicycle in the children's television show Sesame Street. The Muppet character (inset) would not hold a candle to Bali's very own big bird, the Garuda in the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park. The Garuda is actually a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in Hindu mythology and since most of Bali's population are Hindus, you'd expect to see the statues of Garuda in airports, hotels and many other places. In Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, there is one designed and built by Nyoman Nuarta, one of Indonesia’s foremost modern sculptor which when completed would stand tall with its wings spanning 64 meters...

Big Bird...

Traveling Tip: Revel in uncompleted work!

Beautiful Bali: Making of a Park

2011-07-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

Maybe, Egypt had it or China or India too; - In ancient time when the pyramids, Great Wall or Taj Mahal was being built, there could be a little museum at the site to depict the making of the monuments. Bali's 20 hectare Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park certainly has one to depict the making of the park and its gargantuan statue of Wisnu and his Garuda. Taking a stroll through the museum perhaps would not quench every question one has but at least, you'd get to see pictures of the making of the statue and models of the statue,too. That would be interesting considering that the statue of Wisnu and his Garuda is not in its final form yet...

What would interest you here?

Traveling Tip: Take an interest in models!

Beautiful Bali: A Statue from Afar

2011-07-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

La Liberté éclairant le monde probably sounds foreign to you but you'd recognise this colossal sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbour anytime. Otherwise known as The Statue of Liberty, the figure of the robed female figure bearing a torch and a tablet which inscribed the date of the Amercian Declaration of Independence was an icon of freedom to the United States and a widely recognised statue in the world. In Bali's Garuda Winsu Kencana cultural park, there is a lesser know statue of Wisnu, the Hindu god of creation, sitting on a mystical bird, Garuda. You would get to catch a glimpse of the statue from afar as this Nyoman Nuarta's creation is a huge statue by itself and when seated on the Garuda would have a height greater than that of the Statue of Liberty. Would you by any chance have spotted the statue of Wisnu in the accompanying photo?

Traveling Tip: Pay attention!

Beautiful Bali: A World-Class Culture Park

2011-06-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

South of Denpasar, more specifically in Jimbaran, there is a park overlooking the Jimbaran Bay that is worthwhile visiting. I read in the Net that a young girl had commented that visiting the park was just like visiting a cemetery. Maybe it was the serenity there or perhaps the hills had reminded the girl of tombs. In Jimbaran, a rocky and hilly area had in fact been cut up into huge box-shaped structures that looked like tombstones. That was all for an ambitious project to create the best cultural park not just in Indonesia but the world - the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park...

Would you perhaps be reminded of tombstones?

Traveling Tip: Visit a park!

Beautiful Bali: Rub This In!

2011-06-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, there was a report that vice dens in Selangor, Malaysia were masquerading as massage centres and that purportedly had caused numerous social ills. Marriages purportedly broke down and wives and children complained that husbands and fathers were squandering their money at these places instead of footing the household expenses and the tuition fees for the children. There are massage parlours in Taiping, Perak these days and many other towns in Malaysia. In the 70s or even in the 80s, such places were either unheard of or very rare. I remember those days, people could have a massage in Haadyai in Southern Thailand and for a fee as low as 100 baht which then was equilent to RM 10. In some massage parlours there, you could make a pick of your masseur by browsing through a group of them who were huddled in a room and you got to make your pick by looking through a big transparent glass window from another room. Bali is not like that at all. There are posh massage parlours which probably cost a bomb and you could perhaps just want to have a rub down in the open, on the beach for all to see. Maybe, having a massage this way will prevent social ills...

Would you like to have a massage here?

Traveling Tip: Go for a massage!

Beautiful Bali: Blend in

2011-06-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

I remember visiting a Chinese garden in Singapore once. I had taken a train from Kuala Lumpur to the Lion city with a friend in the mid-80s. The train then was not as comfortable as the one we had today. For one thing, it was dirty and during the trip, the train was crowded and I had to sit on newspapers on the floor and was bitten by bed bugs. There should also be a Japanese garden tucked somewhere near the Chinese garden there but as for a Balinese garden, I haven't heard of one until fairly recently. Some people here had their garden landscaped and hence, I heard of a Bali garden design. From what I heard, many of the ornaments used in a Bali garden are sourced in Bali and from what I see, a Bali garden is very much wood based. The local version has no pelinggih,which is some sort of temple for Hindus, but they are just as great to look at. The man-made structures blend in with the environment and in Bali, you see this too in the beaches...man-made structures blending in with the natural environment...

Would you wantto laze here?

Traveling Tip: Blend in!

Beautiful Bali: Altar for the Gods

2011-06-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

During the 16th century, Bali became a refuge to many Hindus from Java. Our tour guide told of a priest who set sail with a group of his followers from Java to Bali. Bali was then inhabited by spirits and for human beings to settle down there was a definite no-no. The followers of the priest had thus mysteriously died and the priest had to return to Java. Later, however, the priest had returned with another another group of followers but this time round, he had some sort of prayers or ceremony performed and the rest, they say, is history. Hinduism took root in Bali and today, the religion pervades nearly every aspect of life there. It was not surprising then that when strolling a beach in Nusa Dua, we chanced upon a tree with an altar for the Gods. There are about 20,000 puras or temples and shrines in Bali, but I suppose it was the altar for the Gods that really convinced us that this was indeed the Island of the Gods.

Traveling Tip: Enjoy the trees!