We rented a motor cycle on the 3rd day and visited Besakih Pura (temple), also known as the 'Mother Temple' as it is Bali's oldest and largest.  It sits 3300 feet up the slopes of Mt.Agung (10,330 feet), about 35 miles away from Ubud.   Besakih is a complex of 23 separate but related temples with the central and dominant feature being the 'Shiva Temple' or 'Pura Penataran Agung'.  First built in the 11th century, Besakih was partially destroyed (20% approx.) in 1963 when Agung blew its top, raining stones from above and triggering an earthquake.  More often than not, mists and low cloud obscure the views from up there as they did on our visit.   All of the Temples are off-limits to non-Hindus.  Visitors are only permitted to walk around the complex and between the various temples and gaze over the shoulder high perimeter walls, observing the rituals and temple courtyards from a respectful distance.   Architecturally, it is not one of Bali's more distinguished landmarks but due to its size, setting and concentration of towering Pagodas, it certainly is impressive.   These thatched roof Pagoda's represent the class caste system and range in odd numbers from 1-11 tiers.  The higher the number the holier the shrine and each houses an icon(s) symbolizing the various Gods. Each level of these towers diminishes in scale, creating an exaggerated sense of perspective.  The main central Temple brings the together the combined power of the Holy Hindu Trinity of Shiva (wind), Vishnu (water) and Brahma (fire) and is the focus of Besakih.  As are all Balinese Temples, Besakih is wonderfully sculptural, having elaborate carved staircases and 'split gate' entrances, with innumerable 'fantastic' statues dotted throughout the complex that are considered guardian protectorates.
    From here, Annette and I continued on up the mountainside towards the summit ridge of Agung's neighboring volcano Mt. Batur. It was unexpectedly cold at this altitude, having set off from the heat of Ubud in only T-shirts and light cotton pants.   The weather had deteriorated somewhat and dark, threatening clouds raced overhead in the high wind.  From Penelokan, we descended the steep inner slopes of the Volcano's vast cauldron to the shores of Lake Batur.  The road contours the lakeside, across lava fields where grass, shrubs and small trees have now taken root.  The new summit of Mt. Batur was obscured on this visit, shrouded in thick mist off to our left.   The smaller cinder cone that last erupted in 1994 was obvious though.  That year, on my last visit to Bali, I happened to be camped at the foot of this false summit on the day it started to spew ash, just prior to erupting.  It was an awesome sight and the first indications of real activity for more than 20 years.

    At the far end of the lake sits the village of Songan, where some of the villagers carve dugout canoes and fish the lake.  It has a small but nicely appointed temple with two huge spreading Lychee trees in the front courtyard.  It was a shortened visit due to the fact that it was getting late in the day and rain looked imminent.  Halfway down the mountainside toward Ubud, the skies opened up in a downpour and we had to shelter through the worst of it.  We were both really chilled and my hands were numb from the bike's vibrations by the time we got back to the bungalow.

    Just a few miles north of Ubud, is a small village called Petulu which is a center for wooden picture frame carving, but is better known for its resident White Heron population.  These birds come to roost and raise their young in the trees, amidst all the villages usual daily activities.  It is a huge community with literally thousands of white herons here and quite a sight to witness up close. We wondered whose village it was after all.   It is a pretty dodgy business making your way through the gauntlet of tree-lined main street Petulu as Annette unfortunately found out.
    Ubud has a long history of Painting which traditionally was executed for religious settings and purpose and usually limited to portraying scenes from the great Hindu classic stories and literature.  It wasn’t until the 1930’s that painting here came under western influence and shifted both stylistically and thematically.  Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonner who both settled in Bali, were instrumental in changing the course of painting.  They introduced the notion of painting individual pictures for Art’s sake alone and capturing everyday life scenes instead of repeating romantic depictions of Epic tales.  Aries Smit, a Dutch painter who still lives here in Ubud also greatly enhanced the Balinese perspective by adding vibrant colors to his vision of rural scenes and influenced a whole new generation of ‘Young Artists’.  One of the aspects of Balinese Painting that has changed little over time is that every square inch of the canvas is crammed with imagery and has a concentration of details.  A forest scene will have all sorts of exotic animals, birds and plant life filling the frame.  Rural scenes will have depictions of farmers at work in the fields, showing the various stages of rice production for instance - ladies with elaborate offerings on their heads making their way to the Temple and a Funeral procession weaving its way through the village – all these images simultaneously portrayed in a single work.
    We visited the Neka Museum on the outskirts of Ubud which houses a great collection of Balinese Artwork, primarily paintings, that spans the spectrum of traditional styles through its western influenced modern era.  It gave us an insightful look at the various schools of painting that have evolved over time.  Our other art stop on this day, was to ‘Don’ Antonio Blanco’s house and museum, or the ‘Dali of Bali’ as he liked to refer to himself (he was born in Catalonia, Spain).  He died only last year but during his time he was known to be quite a character who specialized in erotic imagery.  A recently completed museum, ‘Antonio Blanco’s Renaissance Museum’ was designed by Blanco himself and dedicated to his artistic endeavors during his 43 years in Bali.  It had been open now for just one month.  It was palatial and garishly ostentatious, befitting the man’s apparent ego and looked wholly alien in the context of Balinese landscape.   The clashing of faux finished interior colors made it more difficult to actually view the paintings.  The overall feel of the architecture was Victorian, complete with huge corinthian columns (faux marbleized) and gold painted statues adorning the roofline.  A gigantic, non-descript sculpture spanned the entranceway in complete contrast to the building behind and nothing of the new museum hinted at Balinese influence except the erotic models in his paintings.  Needless to say we were not impressed with his great display of pomp!  His family home and gardens were quite another story.  The house was classical Balinese in every detail and was very tastefully appointed.  Mozart played in the artists studio (where his son now continues his legacy) where guests could view more works.  The gardens were immaculate, rich in color and texture, where fountains created a gentle backdrop of sound.  A family temple was situated under a gigantic, spreading ficus tree and adjacent to it was an eleven (!) tiered Pagoda.  The views from the terraces on the family estate and rooftop of the new museum were quite majestic, overlooking the lush scenery of suburban Ubud.

21st February  2001
    Masceti Temple on the southern flanks of Bali was today's destination.   It is about 12 miles away as the crow flies, but not having wings we just took our bikes instead and cycled the fascinating back roads through farmland and quiet rural settings. Once you are away from the busy main arterioles, the whine of scooter engines and the associated pollution from cars and trucks (yes, it is all here too in paradise!) you get a flavor of Bali as it must have been before the motorized revolution - quiet, peaceful and scenically uninterrupted. We cycled through a colorful landscape of brilliant green rice paddies, tall coconut palm groves, and distant mountains with billowing white clouds floating above their peaks. We were in awe of the natural beauty that surrounded us. Every passing scene was just incredibly photogenic and rich in every detail. We felt unhurried and far removed from the hustle of mainstream life that was still close at hand. It takes very little effort to find this kind of setting, it quietly resides behind the curtain of obvious commercialism just off the beaten path.
    Yet, on this day we did not encounter any other tourists! The locals in these rural sections obviously not accustomed to seeing tourists with any frequency. We were always warmly acknowledged with friendly smiles and hellos, especially because of our mode of transportation. It puts you a little closer to the land and its people - there is no glass, helmet or noisy distraction between you and direct experience. There are so many temples along the way; from the small bamboo and wooden constructions by the roadsides or at the edges of farmers' fields - with just enough room to accommodate a basic daily offering -  to the central communal temples that are integral to every village. Sometimes it becomes difficult to distinguish between the bigger and more elaborate family courtyard temples and the smaller communal village temples. 'Big' trees are also considered sacred and you will always find smaller temples erected at their bases with the trunk wrapped in colorful cloth. Some of these trees are quite awesome and commonly Fig or Banyan, with huge dark green canopies that create a cool, shady respite from the heat of the day. Along time ago a much greater area of Bali was covered in thick forest and many more 'Big' trees probably existed. Teak, which used to be plentiful on Bali now has to be imported from other provinces.
    The Balinese are artful masters of landscaping, but unfortunately agricultural concerns have reduced the countries wild forests to small, protected pockets. Still, the beautifully terraced hillsides and immaculately manicured gardens are a delight to behold. Everyone here in Bali is a gardener (though for all the grass that is cut here, nobody seems to own a lawn mower. Everything is done by hand with shears and curved machetes!). People obviously take great pride in appearances and it is reflected in the general order of every village (we haven't seen chaos or disorder anywhere). Passing through the villages, we see lots of people out on their front street cutting the grass, pruning bushes and trees and cleaning up any garbage into orderly piles to be burned at the end of the day.
    Regardless of any formal training or notion of 'Art', aesthetics and visual beautification are an innate aspect of Balinese culture. It goes hand in hand with the same focus and attention to detail given to temple offerings. Such care and reverence goes into these time consuming rituals of preparation and presentation. Life and Art are fused by religious conviction and the result is quite magical. It is true that outside influences are permeating the society, but its core is unchanged. Bali still maintains its strong cultural identity, traditions and deep connection with community life. Our ride took us on through many of these small traditional villages linked by open stretches of farmland. The rice fields were at various stages of production, some newly planted, others in the process of being harvested. The cut rice would be beaten on the ground to separate the kernels from the husks. The farmers worked at this task in small groups out in the direct sunlight, partially shaded by their traditional broad brimmed hats made out of woven palm leaf.
    The small country road terminated at the ocean, where white foamy waves crashed on a glistening black sand beach. The two blues, water and sky, were complimented by an even band of green coconut palms that fringed the beach as far as the eye could see. Across the Badung Strait 15 miles away, was the island of Nusa Lembongan, flanked behind by its big brother Nusa Pendida. A pretty furious riptide made swimming here out of the question. Situated right next to the beach was an old abandoned building that looked like some architect's attempt at a 'Gaudi-esque' theme park - A huge swan formed the body of the building with its neck and head sticking straight up, 30 feet into the air. Stylized concrete palm trees echoed the real thing around the interior perimeter of the walled compound. Entry was now obviously forbidden as the gates were barricaded. I recall entering this funky site in 1994 when it was still as empty and obviously a failed enterprise, but it was in much better condition then. The mosaic of colored tiles that had covered the entire complex (again reminiscent of Gaudi's 'Guell Park' for instance) was bleached out and aspects of this unusual landmark were crumbling.

    There is much humor in Balinese culture and this work was certainly no exception. It is sad to see it neglected and falling into ruin, but I guess the same would have happened in a different way to this special location if it had been a hit and made into a big tourist attraction. It was great to have the place to ourselves, to gaze down the sweeping expanse of black sands and see virtually no other people. The actual Masceti temple was set back slightly from the beach in a shaded grove of trees. It is not necessarily a stunning temple aesthetically, but for the Balinese it is a very holy place.
    We decided to take an alternative route back to Ubud, which meant cycling our bikes along the beach for a mile or so to the little village of Lebih. Skirting the small bay, we encountered a group of young kids playing at the mouth of a river, where it met with the breaking waves. Naked and leaping into the surf with reckless abandon, and cheerful cries of laughter, they were wonderful to see. It was brutally hot under the mid-afternoon sun and we envied their water games. A small fleet of colorful wooden fishing boats with outriggers, were moored on the beach at Lebih. Behind was a collection of small restaurants and merchants selling cold drinks. Obviously a popular 'local' hang out, though today it was quiet with the majority of the beach view eateries empty. From here, it was all up hill to Ubud.
    The next day was spent relaxing and treating our selves to a wonderful 'Balinese massage' with fragrant coconut oils! The following morning, we rented a scooter again for the long trip up the 'cross island' mountain road leading to Lake Bratan. The lake sits in the extinct cauldera between the flanking peaks of Mt. Catur and Mt. Tapak. On its western shores sits the small but picturesque Hindu/Buddhist Temple of Ulun Danu. The entrance is marked by yet another towering banyan tree and the temple is surrounded by lavish, well-maintained gardens. A tiny isolated island courtyard with pagodas sits just off shore surrounded by water lilies. This is Ulun Danu's landmark feature that appears so often in postcards, but in fact is only a small portion of a much larger complex of walled courtyards. The temple was built in the 17th century and has all the classical features of a Hindu temple in addition to an adjoining Buddhist stupa. It is also a major tourist attraction with all the associated gift shops and T-shirt vendors just outside.
    A couple of miles back up the hill on the upper reaches of Mt. Pohen, are the Botanical Gardens which have an extensive collection of trees, ferns and orchids. Unfortunately, the few species that are labeled, are done so in Latin only, so it's not exactly user friendly. Some nice quiet woodland paths weave through tall groves of teak, where it is cool and shaded. The journey to and from these destinations from Ubud was the real highlight of the day, taking us once again through all the tiny back roads and tiny villages. Panoramic vistas overlooking an endless sea of greenery down to the distant ocean were wonderful in themselves.

    Tanahlot is probably the best known and most visited temple on Bali.  The 16th century temple is superbly situated on a tiny islet that gets cut off from the mainland at high tide and resembles a magical floating ship amidst the crashing surf.  The island is easily accessible at low tide, or you can view it from the elevated headland where the scenery up and down the rugged coastline is just spectacular.  A shallow reef that runs along the shore creates a swelling uplift for the incoming breaks, producing some big powerful waves that relentlessly pound the land.  The islet has been naturally sculpted over time by the erosional forces of wind and waves to the point where it seems that the elevated Tanahlot hangs precariously on its meager foundations.
    Just around the headland is another small temple named Batu Bulong that is also in the process of becoming an islet.  The small protruding finger of land has a hole punched through its mid-section creating a natural arch.  A narrow walkway leads to the temple entrance which houses 3 small shrines with traditional palm hair thatched roofs.  Off to either side, there is a significant drop down to the turbulent sea, which crashes on a black sandy beach.
    Tanahlot is also a huge tourist attraction with a vast complex of boutiques and restaurants and a large parking area for the innumerable tour buses that customarily make a stop here.  But being the 'off season', the place was decidedly quiet today and we were fortunate enough to arrive at high tide which is especially dramatic.
    From Tanahlot, we motored north once more, up the flanks of Mt. Batakau to the idyllically situated Lahur Batakau Temple.  It sits at the distant end of a one-way road, several miles from the nearest village.  A backdrop of thick forest enshrines this beautiful temple complex and once again we were the only visitors.   Preparations were underway for the upcoming semi-annual  Festival of Galungan, with several ladies quietly working away at creating offerings and displays that would be an integral part of the celebrations.  Galungan is an important Balinese festival that is concerned with Dharma, or balancing the forces of good and evil.
It lasts for 10 days and happens throughout the island.  Preparations commence well in advance of the actual beginning date of 28th February.  Incredible sculptural forms of cut and stitched palm leaf offerings hang from the shrines or are laid out at altars. Cooked foods and small individual trays of flowers are arranged alongside these and incense is burned.
There was an interesting sign outside the temple that clearly states the rules of entry.
    I. Those who are not allowed to enter the Temple.
        1. Ladies who are pregnant
        2. Ladies whose children have not got the first teeth
        3. Children whose first teeth not fallen out
        4. Ladies during their period
        5. Devotees getting impure due to death
        6. Mad Ladies/Gentlemen
        7. Those not properly dressed
    II. All devotees entering the Temple should maintain cleanliness and environmental conservation.
The Temple covered a reasonably large area with numerous courtyards and various shrines of which the main one had a wonderful collection of pagodas.  Off to one side of the complex was a small man-made lake where another shrine sat in the center.  Access to this shrine was via a simple wooden pontoon that you would have to pull yourself across on.  The return journey once again took us through a maze of back roads, some deeply rutted and barely a line on the map.  It was a bumpy but visually stunning ride.

25th February 2001
    We were back on the bicycles again, this time heading up the steep mountainous slopes to Tampaksering, which hosts the ancient site of Gunung Kawi.  A small road lined with a battery of souvenir shops and 'sarong' vendors leads to the edge of a steep valley on the western side of the village.  Here, a steep staircase winds down to the river, where there lies one of the oldest and certainly the largest ancient monument in Bali.  A series of 10 'Candi' or carved memorials are cut directly into the steep volcanic rock face and each stands in a protected niche, 23 feet high (7m).   There are 4 on one side of the river and 5 on the other with one more standing separately downstream.  In addition to the candi are several rock cut temples where the 11th century King had his Temple and personal shrine for making offerings.  A new temple now sits adjacent to the ancient one.
    Our next proposed destination in this vicinity was to have been Puri Gunung Kawi Sebato to the west - along with Tirta Empul, another important temple and the source of Holy Springs that are said to contain magical properties.  But a dramatic and swift change in the weather dashed these plans.  It is presently considered the wet season here in Bali.  The weather does not have the same predictability of endless sunshine that is associated with the drier months of May through October,   which is fine with us because there are several advantages to the 'off-season'.
1. There are relatively few other tourists, and, as if that wasn't enough…
2. Accommodation is easy to find and generally cheaper.
3. The wet season doesn't mean it is raining all the time!!!!
    It certainly rains with more frequency but it is not steady, predictable, or even daily.  Some of our days in Bali thus far have been cloudless and blue and on others there has been real drama in the skies.  Everything is also so much richer and vibrant on account of these seasonal rains.  The landscape has much more visual interest and depth because of the cloud formations and contrasting light.   The wet spells can also be very localized; where one area is receiving a deluge, another only a short distance away is untouched.  Because of Bali's central mountain chain, it is always apt to be wetter at the higher elevations and quite often the lower slopes and coastal plains are untouched.  After all, it is the rain that makes the island so incredibly rich and fertile - coupled with the fact that the Balinese people have masterfully micro-managed this precious commodity.  The complex network of irrigation ditches, channels and waterways is extensive and no field goes without its fair share of water.
    Today was the worst of it yet and it caught us totally unawares.    The build up of heavy dark clouds over Gunung Kawi happened quickly and soon we were caught in an unrelenting downpour that lasted about 3 hours.  There was nothing to do except take shelter and wait out the worst of it in a small roadside warung (eatery).  It was an impressive display of nature's raw power, which in very short time turned all the streets into fast flowing mini-rivers.  With no signs of letting up we finally had to resolve ourselves to the fact that we would get soaked and made tracks back to Ubud.  The bike brakes don't bite as well in the wet conditions, so we took it very carefully down some of the steep winding back roads.  The landscape around us had undergone a transformation of sorts.  The rice fields were topped to capacity and each glistened like a small glassy lake. The normally gentle flowing waterways that service these terraced rice fields were now also raging brown torrents, often spilling over their containment walls and creating rivers out of the roadway.   The greenery was enriched by this soaking and even more pronounced because of the dark clouds that created the backdrop.
    The following day, I headed back up the long, grueling mountain slopes to see the sites that had been denied us yesterday. Annette remained in Ubud.  Taking a slightly different tack this time, up through the crafts area of Tegalalang (Pier 1 alley!) and on to Pejung, where the streets were lined with 'penjor' for the upcoming Galaungan festivities.  These lavishly embellished, long tapering bamboo poles arc back over onto themselves due to the weight of the dangling decorations.  Each one is a work of art, which involves the use of intricate design work and practiced skill in palm leaf construction.  Aspects of this work remind me of the Japanese art of 'origami' only here using natural fibers.  The penjar is sunk into the ground at the roadside in front of each dwelling and bend over into the middle of the road with plenty of clearance for the biggest vehicles.  Each one is created as an offering and at the terminus point there is a small constructed shrine that looks something like a lantern, which hold offerings and marigolds.

    Just a short distance away lies the temple of Gunung Kawi Sebato.   This is one of Bali's several water temples whose Holy Springs are reputed to contain special properties.  Drinking the water and bathing here are considered good luck and are seen as a rites of purification both internally and externally.  The Holy Springs and bathing pools are each surrounded by a small courtyard wall covered in moss.  The complex is set in a natural bowl of tall bamboo, palms and thick vegetation with the ever present sound of flowing water.  The temple sits on slightly elevated ground with a series of thatched pagodas and small, elaborately carved shrines that are colorfully painted.  Split gate entrances lead from one courtyard to the next.  There are 2 actual bathing pools - one for women and one for men, which are fed by the large main pool which houses the spring and a host of colorful goldfish.   Water comes flowing out through decoratively carved stone fountainheads.   Adjacent are another 2 pools that are reserved strictly for drinking purposes.
    Only a few miles west of Pura Gunung Kawi is the better known and more frequented Tirta Empul - a grand and important temple which houses another natural spring.   It issues from the ground, bubbling into a large walled pool of crystal clear water with a black sandy bottom.  Lilies lie on the water's surface and a couple of sacred stones that stick out of the pool are wrapped in yellow cloth.  Bathing pools below are once again fed by gushing water through waterspouts.  Offerings are left here and incense burned by the visiting Balinese who come to bathe.  The temple entrance is protected by a sacred and majestic fig tree and a river flows alongside the complex.