Gitgit Waterfalls and Batur Temple, Bali
The Bali trip is almost over and today, a later departure was scheduled for the ride to Kintamani where Mount Batur is located. Two stops first. It was less than two hours to the pretty and touristy Gitgit Waterfalls. Parked the bus, crossed the road over to the signposted path and began walking down flights of good stairs with railings to the first drop of the falls. Even with railings, moss makes it a little slippery so watch your footing. The endless steps down are lined with small souvenir stands (one-third of Bali's income comes from Tourism) selling different spices among all the other "stuff." The women sellers were more than happy to explain each spice to you, even if you didn't buy. Nutmeg (the red nutmeg was actually mace), cloves, vanilla, etc. Lots of "retail therapy" as Ian refers to it. There is another waterfall called Gitgit multi-tier waterfall another 2kms/1.2 miles farther away but this one was too far to walk to with group time constraints.
Gitgit...View image... is a pretty waterfall, basically underwhelming with the exception of the surrounding forest/jungle greenery...View image, rice terraces...View image, the adorable children helping their families by shelling nutmeg, playing along the path and hamming it up, along with offerings to the gods...View image... scattered in auspicious forest locations.
From Gitgit waterfalls to the only temple in Bali that non-Balinese are allowed to enter, Batur Temple. Lots of hilarity watching the Imaginative Traveller group don the obligatory sarongs and temple scarfs. The majority of us (not a pretty sight) did not, in a million years, resemble the graceful Balinese people, but we did our best...
...and entered Batur Temple through one of the gateways...View image...into the spacious courtyards laid with black gravel. There were rows of meru pagodas, storehouses - some with precious objects, and dominant shrines. The most important merus are dedicated to the lake goddess and the gods of Mt. Batur and Mt. Gunung Agung, the largest volcano in Bali. Ian did his temple explanations and we wandered around Batur Temple...View image...enjoying the colors, pagodas built in different heights, what I referred to as dragons...View image, deities covered with fabrics of white, yellow, red and white checks...View image...visually stunning no matter what direction you looked.
There was a minor family religious ceremony taking place...View image...that added even more interest to the quiet surroundings...View image. During a big festival, the courtyard would be loaded with Balinese colorfully dressed and making offerings and prayers. Leaving Batur Temple about an hour later, a new group of Balinese were carrying offerings for their own private ceremony...View image.
The scene outside Batur Temple was chaotic while we unwound sarongs and temple scarves. The salespeople around here are a lot more aggressive and persistent because many people come to this area on day trips from Ubud and Seminyak...View image. They drive you crazy!
(Bali to be continued 11/18/09...)
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