Day Three (29/3/2006 - Wednesday)
Is the Eve of Nyepi day and it was an exciting day for us....Made, our drive had requested that if he could complete the day itenary before 5pm so that he can rushed back to Denpasar to celebrate the Nyepi eve. So we reworked our itenary for the day and try to accomodate.
We had our breakfast at TegalSari. A good choices of one item per food group (Group 1 and Group 2) from the standard breakfast order. We took the Fruit platter from group 1 and for group 2, each of us order a different items, was told that the TegalSari Banana Pancake is their speciality (...of course, from the name of the item), I ordered that but turn out I didn't quite like the syrup....In general, the breakfast serving is good, not too heavy and just nice for everyone, no wastage...
We started our journey at 9am, and we are heading north to Lake bratan. Although Kintamani is more popular choice but yet, I preferred to bring the old folks to see the more peaceful sites compared to Kintamani... The journey took around 1.5 hours, along the way, we saw lots of Ogoh-ogoh [ ghost figurine made of bamboo and paper, kids and adults from the village (community) will carry these ogoh-ogoh to cross junction road, then burn them near the cemetary, a symbol to chase away the devil] set by the road side ready for the night event. Some are really impressive and huge. Made had explained to us that the fund to make these Ogoh-ogoh are usually donated by their own community members, each ogoh-ogoh can cost up to few millions in RP or more depending on the complexity. the base is made of bambo structure supporting the Ogoh-ogoh is some steel structure, and the they shaping of Ogoh-ogoh body is usually made of the Chicken coupe cut out, then with soft paper and painting the body. For really nice work of Ogoh-ogoh, usually, the face and the finger, the community will engaged specialised craftmen to sculture with their concept in mind, then they will fit the ready made face and fingers to the body....usually, 2/3 of the cost will go to the craftmen.. so the faces and fingers will be recycle in the following years... We saw a few really nice work that probably used for competition.
We arrived at Lake Bratan around 10:30am... not many visitor, fresh cool air coz is high up the mountain. We took a few good shots of Pura Ulun Danu (Temple in the lake). The cool air is really refreshing. In general, the setting and the hardware around the area has not changed since my first visit in 1997....the same old toilet next to the restaurant...RP3K per entry...haha..
There souvenior shops and fruit stalls near the car park, we bought some passion fruits (RP10K for a bunch of 8 pieces), not sure if is expensive compare to the local price, but we love the fruit. On our way back, about 5 minutes away, we took a short stopped by a wet market, and continue our journey to Pacung to see the rice terrace along the road. We was stucked half way because of the Ogoh-ogoh started earlier near Pacung.
It is quite stressful for Made as he had to rush to complete our adjusted itenary, but I told him that is OK if we really cannot complete all by 5pm. As my wife is pregnant, he was a very caring person and driving very carefully on every pot hole or hump just to ensure ensure our comfort in his van.....he had a 15 months daughter and he shares the same joy as his wife is also pregnant for 4 months....
We got back to Ubud close almost 1PM and we took a quick lunch at a warung....we begin our journey again at 1:30pm and heading north again to Tampaksiring, my original plan is to visit the monkey forest at Sanyen but due to time constraint, we have to cut out from our plan. Along the road to Tampaksiring, again, many Ogoh-ogoh set on roadside ready for the evening event. My first stop is Gunung Kawi (entrance fees RP3K for adult, RP1K for kid). We walked many steep steps down to the queens tomb (nine tombs stone carved from the stone wall). There also a small waterfall if we follow the small path on the otherside. The two old folks just stopped half way and they turn back up. Walking back up the steps was exhausting.
Back to the van, I asked Made, where were the queens and the kings body burried, and was told that, the balinese believed in cremation, the deceased will cremate on a good day (the priest will advice) and the ashes will let away in the sea, 3 days after, a figurine symbol will be prepared and the priest will call back the sole of the deceased, and a ceromony will be conducted at Bersakih temple, and the family member will bring the sole back to to the family shrine, and that is why in a traditional house, the bedrooms is always on the northern side of the compound (north direction where holy Mount Agong located) and the family shrine is on the north east direction where Bersakih temple is, the kitchen is always facing the south.... And therefore, the queens tomb at Gububg Kawi is just symbolic or memorial carved by the priest...no burried body...;)
Again, due to time constraint, we have to cut out another site to visti, Tirta Empun in Tampaksiring (another 20 minutes drive north of Gunung Kawai)... :(
Our last stop was Gua Gajah, built around the same era where the hinduism and bidhism priest meditate. Is almost 3:45pm, glad that is still open despite the eve of Nyepi...(entrance fees lumpsum RP22K-no ticket but written our name on a record book). Made explained the history of the place to us, and he showed us the ruin of where the big buddha statue (collapsed) was located. in the 70's the government also found a broken armed buddha and headless buddha statue next to the ruin and is now placed in a shrine next next to the ruin. The river is separating the Hindu's and Buddhism, both religious co-exist peacefully... I also noticed smalll parts of stones was stacked up near the Elephant cave, and was told that these stones/slabs were part of the collapsed buddha statue waiting to be restored..since 70's....or it may never happened.. :(
As I an ancient Chinese coin collector, I just loved to listen to the history and interesting legend of this mysthical island......
Back to ubud-Teaglsari around 5pm, and just in time to "release" Made....poor guy.
We took a rest for a while...around 6pm we are back on action. We took a stroll from Tegasari, along Jalan Hanoman, and pass by Monkey forest and joint back Jl Monkey Forest, is about 20 minutes walk (approx 1KM), we stopped at the main Padang (field) at Jl Monkey forest. Counted around 10 Ogoh-ogoh placed at the field and ready for the parade. The day is getting darker, and the first Ogoh-ogoh started their parade toward the temple next to the palace....the road was blocked for the event, they had stopped all motor vehicles to pass through.....around 8:00pm, as the two old folks felt hungry and tired, we checked out Cafe Wayan (which we had visited in our previous trip) but they only serve set meal and charge by headcount, the price was expensive so we cross to street and looked for alternative, and we finally decided on Warung Bumbum Bali II for our dinner. Good food, good price!!! Later we requested the restaurant to call Tegalsari to fetch us from the restaurant...
When the van arrive, the road was still blocked, and he turned back and took the monkey forest road..alas ! blocked as well, because they are burning the Ogoh-Ogoh next the cementary besides Monkey Forest....we van stopped at the parking area outside Monkey Forrest, I never know that there is a cemetary there, until this trip.....
The Cementary in Bali is meant for temporary burried until the family member have enough money to held a cremation ceromony...really a big burden for poor balinese...
.. to be continue ..