Busy Bali Day Number 2

Day 17 - January 27

Breakfast this morning was as good as ever. We are to be picked up by Putu at 9. We were ready.

Long Tail Macaque

Today we went to the Monkey Forest to see the grey long tail macaques The weather was not great today, threatening to rain. We came here at about 9 in the morning to avoid the potential crowds and the inevitable rain. We knew we were getting close because we saw monkeys along the roadway. Going into the forest was very inexpensive. Right at the entrance there were a number of the forest's name sake frolicking on the walkway. The monkeys are not aggressive if you don't try to hide food from them. Food is for sale in the forest if you would like to feed them. We enjoyed walking the pathways, looking at the carvings, and observing the monkeys. There were a number of females suckling young and the babies were very cute. It's a must see if you are in Ubud.

Ulun Danu Bratan Temple

From the monkey forrest we drove to the Ulun Danu Bratan Temple at Tabanan on a lake. The temple is situated on a lake shore and a small island. Fortunately it wasn't very crowded today with the rain. Unfortunately there were people hawking souvenirs, cards, windup toys, etc. Hopefully the sales supported the temple but not sure. The grounds were very nice and one could get away from the small crowds that were present by going to areas not commonly visited by the tourists. As I wander through these places I always wonder what it would have been like to be here 40 or 50 years ago. Nice setting, pleasant visit, would recommend that you see it.

From the temple we went to the Eka Karya Botanical Gardens - As a master gardener from Alaska, the Botanical Gardens were just amazing to me. My wife and I could have spent the whole day walking in the garden. It is wonderfully laid out. The are areas of the garden with emphasis on specific types of plants like cacti and orchids. There are pathways through the wooded areas that invite strolling and chatting. Unfortunately for us it was raining off and on while we were there. A drenching was in the making so we were not able to spend as long as we would have liked. There is also an area in the garden where you can climb into the canopy, zip line, and climb ropes, nets, and other objects to keep the kids busy while the adults peruse the garden. Would like to go back.

We stopped for lunch at Labhagga Pacung This restaurant is kind of the sister to the one in front. I forget the name of that one. They only had buffet that was 120,000 rupiah and we did not want a huge meal. We asked about "ala carte" and were directed to the this place. The view is quite fantastic. Once the construction is done and the cranes are removed it will be even better. The meals we ordered were simple but tasty and much less expensive than the buffet. We both ate here for 122,000 rupiah which would have been the cost on one for the buffet. We certainly got enough to eat and enjoyed the same view as the more expensive lunch.

 Tanah Lot Temple, is built on a rock coming out of the sea. Tasha Lot actually means “land in the sea”. The temple itself is amazing. Of course unless you are part of a worship ceremony you cannot enter the temple proper. But the area around the temple is beautiful. There gardens with beautiful flowers, flowering trees, and ornamental trees and shrubs that enhance the grace of the temple itself. Watching the waves crash against the temple rock you wonder how it has been able to withstand the elements. There has been some restoration but it is still quite beyond belief that it could have survived on this rock for 500 or so years. It is worth a visit and awe inspiring.


The one big negative about this site is the commercialization that has become part of the "temple business". I don't know if the temple itself derives any benefit from the hundreds of vendors that line the entrance to the venue. Most of what is sold is only there for the tourist. Restaurants have been erected so the tourist will have a place to eat. One can only hope the temple benefits some how from these businesses.

We will be changing hotels on Saturday. Moving into Kuta at the Grand Istana Rama. This is the hotel where Rizcky”s friend works. It is much closer to the airport and we can do some things there without driving for an hour to get there. The rate is about the same as where we are now. Doubt the service will be as good but we shall see.

I tried to make our plane reservations for Medan in Sumatra online this evening. This was not successful at all. I found that Garuda Indonesia Airlines had better rates on their website than were available on any of the other travel sites. After two failures I went down to the front desk and they helped me get in touch with the reservation folks at Garuda. I thanked them for their help and would make reservations in the morning.