Monday, August 12th to Tuesday, August 13th, 2024 - A Dolphin Chase, Lots of Hindu Temples and More

Sunrise at Lovina Beach

 Oh, I do hope you are not getting weary with these amazing Indonesian skies at each end of the day. You know, because it was a photography tour, we pretty much caught the best light of the day both morning and night. I particularly liked this one with the palm trees silhouetted against the golden glow of the morning. 

Watching Out For Dolphins

In addition to catching the morning rays, we were also out on the ocean in hope of finding dolphins. Here, you can see one of the spider boats, with the other half of our group busy scanning the waters for signs of the mammals.

We Were Not the Only Ones!

Once we were at distance from the shore, we discovered that this was not a small expedition of only the few of us, but was an adventure that was being sought after by hundreds of other tourists. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. As soon as any boat appeared to spot something, the entire fleet took off at speed toward the area where the dolphins were thought to be! Of course, by the time most got there, the dolphins were gone!

Not Easy to Spot Them

Fairly early on, our captain called out and pointed nearby. I can't even claim to have seen them with the naked eye - I just swung my camera around, like the other person you see on the side of the frame. And in an instant, they were gone!

Same Photo - Zoomed in

And that was it! The other boat from our photography group also managed a brief glimpse later in the morning, so we didn't end up skunked, but it was not the most rewarding dolphin encounter of my life. We stayed out at least another hour - zooming with all the other boats at the slightest hint of action, until finally the futility of the venture became apparent and we headed back to shore. It was the craziest attempt at dolphin 'hunting' that I've ever seen. I figured that any self-respecting creature would be terrified by all the action on the surface and disappear as quickly as possible. Perhaps the dolphins really do limit where they hang out, but I suspect it's a big enough ocean that they found elsewhere to swim.

Pura Meduwe Karang Temple

Our first visit to a Hindu temple was later that morning to the Pura Meduwe Karang Temple in a town called Kubutambahan, which was on the way to our next destination on the north coast of Bali. It was built in 1890, according to Wikipedia and is a significant temple because of its size. The name means 'to whom owns the abundance of the earth' and it is believed that the very successful growing of rice in the area is due to it being built in dedication to the rice god, Dewi Sri.

The Wearing of a Sarong Was Required at Pura Meduwe Karang Temple 

We were required to wear a sarong to enter the temple and a fee was paid. This was standard for the other temples we visited, too. It was our first encounter with these tall, open gateways, which we saw repeated elsewhere. They are called candi bentar, meaning 'split gateway' and serve to separate different areas within the temple. Our guide explained that one side represented the female and the other, the male - an expression of the duality which is core to Balinese spirituality. In other words, they recognize that life is a balance between good and bad, light and dark - similar to the Chinese yin and yang. Sorry folks - you can't have one without the other, so finding balance between the two is essential to wellbeing. I loved the open space high above one - seems as if it allows a channel for 'spirit' to reach into that realm with you.

Black and White Plaid at Puri Bagus Hotel, Lovina

Another way this duality is represented throughout Bali, is with black and white plaid fabric which is often seen ornamenting statues and other structures. The contrasting squares remind people that there is no day without night, no joy without sorrow, no good without bad, no right without wrong and no order without chaos. How we wish it were not so! 

By wrapping objects in the cloth, the Balinese people believe the the spirit and energy of the object is kept inside it; a form of protection that prevents that spirit from coming out and disturbing people.

Our Guide, Buda, Models a Worshipper at Pura Meduwe Karang Temple

Another item often seen at temples and elsewhere are umbrellas, like the ones above. It makes sense, with all these reminders that life is not perfect, to seek sources of protection. The umbrella symbolizes a mountain that shields the land and people with its shade. I loved the juxtaposition of the soft, silky, colorful fabrics with the hard, unyielding stone. 

Statuary at Pura Meduwe Karang Temple

The statuary also seemed both scary and benign. These creatures look like something from a nightmare, and yet they have smiles on their faces! Friend or foe? Duality again!

View From Ritakala Restaurant, Batur

We stopped off at a restaurant for lunch, overlooking Mount Batur, its lake and caldera. The lake is the largest in Bali. I was thrilled to find out that the black areas off the ridges of the volcano are lava flows from a 1963 eruption. I was surprised, that even 63 years later, the black scars did not yet show evidence of plant life growing over it - at least from a distance.

A House Temple Next to Ritakala Restaurant, Batur

Our local guide had told us that each house also builds a temple to honor the spirits of the household. This one next to the restaurant was quite lovely and showed typical Balinese bas relief. Its combination with the yellow painted bricks was quite becoming in my opinion. This type of architecture was a common sight throughout our time in Bali.

Mount Agung Covered In Cloud

Our destination for the day, is the mountain in the background - Mount Agung. Yes, you guessed it - another volcano. 

Pura Ulun Danu Batur

Before heading off, we visited another temple, Ulun Danu Batur, which is one of the most important temples in Bali. It is considered to be the 'maintainer of stability and harmony for the entire island' according to Wikipedia. It is one of three temples that have been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  It was originally established in the 1700's in a different location on the side of Mount Batur. During an eruption in 1917, the lava stopped just outside the temple, which was regarded as a very good omen. However, in 1926 it was not so lucky and all but an 11-tiered main shrine was covered in lava. The remaining parts were moved to this new location.

As we saw in the previous temple, it had the marvelous split gates separating different parts of the complex, which is large. 

Pura Ulun Danu Batur

In other regards, however, it was quite different. There were many more painted statues.....

Friend or Foe?

......... some of which looked quite ferocious.

Ganesh at Pura Ulun Danu Batur

The only god who I was able to recognize was Ganesh who is worshipped as the god of beginnings, wisdom and luck. He has associations with prosperity. This, along with his lovely elephant manifestation could be one of the reasons he is one of the most popular gods, not only among Hindus, but also Buddhists and followers of other religions.

A Committee?

I was rather taken by this collection of statues with the yellow and white scarves around their necks. To me they resemble monkeys and I'm not sure if they are guardians of some sort or advisors. According to Google, yellow and white signify purity, so it seems they must be a benign gathering. I loved the humor of some of the characterizations.

Young Woman Making Decorations From Coconut Leaves

People were busy in one of the courtyards making decorations for an upcoming festival. They were very skilled at curling the dry coconut fronds to make lovely ornaments. I would love to tell you what they are called and/or which festival, but Google fails me here.

A Worshipper Poses For Us

Many of the people we saw had little grains of rice on their forehead and temples. This was a way of them communicating that they had been to prayer. This gentleman graciously agreed to pose for us and wears his rice very nicely. You can also see the abundance of the black and white check fabric on the steps. The red addition represents 'the fiery passion of creation'.

A Worshipper Poses For Us - Rice Signifies He has Been to Prayer

Here you can see the rice quite clearly, along with his steady eyes. He posed for quite a while and was unwavering in his gaze.

Meru Towers at Pura Ulun Danu Batur

 Another architectural feature of the Balinese temples were these lovely thatched towers, called meru towers. At Pura Ulun Danu Batur, this tallest one at the back is 11 stories and is the one that survived the lava flow at the original location on Mount Batur. It was moved here in 1926. The soft thatch was lovely and is made from 'aren' - some type of 'feather' or sugar palm.

If you were to go to a Hindu Temple in other parts of the world, you would find them quite different. They would also be elaborate, often with highly painted statues and decorations. Balinese Hinduism has layered beliefs from India onto a spirit-based folk religion with Buddhist and Javanese influences. It was brought here by Indian traders who relied on the right monsoon winds to return home. This led them to stay in Bali for long periods of time - hence their religion became established. When Islam became predominant in other parts of Indonesia at a later date, the Balinese cultural identity with Hinduism was unyielding and they stayed with their own 'brand' of religion.

A Civet

Our next stop was quite a different diversion. No doubt you're saying this animal in the cage is a pussy cat. True, but a particular type that lives in the wild. It is a very discerning cat that likes coffee beans - only the best and the ripest beans, in fact. (This one was caged for 'educational' purposes!)

Bas de Atayana Coffee Plantation

Now, this 'cat' is able to digest the soft 'berry' covering around the bean that we use for coffee, but can't digest the bean itself. The coffee plants you see in the background would be the place these wild cats would roam for their food.

Civet Droppings

As a result, the civet's droppings are full of lovely, partially digested coffee beans of the best quality!

Kopi Luwak Coffee

Now, really, how can a person let that lovely select product go to waste? In the best plantations, the droppings are gathered and washed. The outer shell is cracked off, and the remaining bean is roasted just like regular coffee. Now, I can imagine for some of you, the cringe factor might be too great at this point, so you might be surprised to know that it is the most sought after and expensive coffee in the world. Knowing that, you can bet I had to try it! It was a smooth, very pleasant cup of coffee. It probably cost me the same a Starbucks coffee and I bought a small packet of grounds for $30 - enough to make about six cups. If you go online to buy it, you will find it much more expensive. I read that people may be faced with a price tag of up to $100 per cup!

 (A caveat for buyers is to be sure it is wild. As in all things mercenary, some producers are domesticating the civets and feeding them just regular coffee - they no longer are able to choose the best beans. Not only is it inhumane, but a lower quality product.)

View From Mahagiri Hotel, Rendang

When we arrived at our hotel, Mount Agung had disappeared. (We are learning the fickle nature of these mountains!) The view from this hotel is an iconic one over rice paddies with the volcano in the background. We ended the day hoping for a revelation of the mountain in the morning, to complete our picture!

A Shower Cap Saves the Day - How to Take Photos In the Rain!

The sound of rain on the roof that night, suggested that our hopes might be dashed.....but you know we photographers .... we are an intrepid bunch. Between shower caps over our cameras and umbrellas, we were all out there before dawn, looking for the mountain.

Mount Agung at Dawn

Mount Agung did show up for us at the beginning of the day............

My Best Effort to Get Mount Agung With Rice Paddies in the Pre-Dawn

.... this was the best I could get, but I'm not bragging about the quality of the photo, which was VERY grainy. I've attempted a fix, but feel that the rice paddy and volcano combination evaded my lens! By the time dawn had broken, the volcano was gone in the clouds again.

Mount Agung from Pura Besakih Temple - Mother Temple 

As luck would have it, by the time we got to the biggest, holiest and most important temple in Bali - Pura Besakih Temple, the Mother Temple, Agung had come out again.

Pura Besakih Temple - Mother Temple 

I fear at this point you're saying to yourself - 'OMG, Not Another Temple'! It's a bit like being in Europe and getting 'churched' out, so I'm going to cut you some slack. Let's just note that this temple hearkens back to prehistoric times, becoming Hindu in the 1200's and was also a fortuitous survivor of a 1963 eruption of Mount Agung. Beyond that, I'll just share some images with light commentary. Please feel free to just go ahead and enjoy the pictures - no pressure to have to 'learn' anything!

(In deference to its importance, here is a link if you wish to learn more about it. https://finnsbeachclub.com/guides/besakih-temple-bali/)

Cell Phone Magic

There was an entrepreneurial 'photographer at one of the split gates who was adept at using a mirror with cell phones to create this 'reflective' image. For a few dollars, it was a lot of fun.

A Worshipper Sells Peanuts

This woman had an appealing face, with a cheeky grin and full of spunk, so of course Nathan spied her and asked her to pose. She assented, but indicated that she first needed to finish what she was doing - packaging her peanuts. She impressed me greatly, as in spite of all us eager beavers hanging onto our cameras at the ready, she took her sweet time and made sure this was going to be taken care of on HER Terms! I bought some of her peanuts. They were expensive and good!

Finally!

Happily, I thought the final result was worth waiting for!

A Winged Variation on the Split Gate

Our Guide, Buda, posed at that rather marvelous winged version of the split gate. With the clouds billowing below, it does have a very ethereal feel to it.

Meru Towers at Pura Besakih Temple

It was a large and very lovely temple, with many of the soft, thatched meru towers. This gives you a taste of its beauty.

Interesting Tattoos

As we were leaving the temple, I got a ride down the steep hill in a shuttle. I noticed these interesting tattoos one the driver. I'm sorry, I didn't ask permission - perhaps this makes it a clandestine photo. To me it evoked Polynesian tattoos, like the Maoris of New Zealand. It was not something I saw anywhere else, so I have taken the liberty to share it with you. The 'hat' was very typical Balinese, however.

You have worked hard with me these two days and if you have stayed with me this whole time, I thank you. It has been a longer blog than usual, but we have now pretty much covered all the temples we visited. Later in the day we went on to enjoy a special photographic treat, so the next blog will be a much shorter and easier read.