Bali Day 3 : Kindamani - Besakih Tour

Nyoman made us BANANA toasts for breakfast... Best of the best!!! ...At the moment Australia's banana is super expensive (AUD$9/kg) due to Cyclone Larry wiped out 80% of the Australia's crops... Once banana prices came down, I'll try to make the Banana Toast myself!! ...Yum-Yum!!

Around 9am, our driver Agung came to pick us up... and that's when we met cute Megumi from Japan who also signed up this Kintamani - Besakih tour as well! She went to Vietname for one month before she came to Bali. Her next stop would be Korea before heading back to Japan. One cool chic who travels alone!!

Our 1st stop was Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave Temple). We bought our MOST EXPENSIVE sarong here (cos we totally forgot to BARGAIN??!!!) ...Oh well... In Bali, to visit temples, we need to wear sarong... but we saw people wearing jeans and they still enter the temple without being stopped?!?!! ...Anyway, back to Goa Gajah... The temple features rock-cut cave, a number of Buddhist rock-cut stupas and a sacred bathing pool dating from the 11th century. According to the guide, the excavation of this site is still very slow as the govenment doesn't fund them enough due to this was once Buddhist hermitage or monastery?? Oh, another thing too that worth mentioning... This guide came to talk to us about the place and expected to be paid at the end! ...He requested a tip that was equivalent to both of our entrance fees!!! ...Grrr...

Our 2nd stop was Tampaksiring (The Holy Spring Temple). The water are believed to have magic curative power? And people all over Bali come to purify themselves in the clear pools every year... I think we spent an hour taking photos... heheheh...

Our 3rd stop was Penelokan Outlook as it is the best place to see Mount Batur Volcano & Lake Batur. Smoking and rumbling takes place periodically at this mountain. Recent eruption was during 1994 (lasted for 1 month) and 1997 (mainly just black smoke and sand). My first time seeing a Volcano... COOL!!!

Our 4th stop was Besakih (The biggest Temple in Bali). I highly recommend everyone to visit Besakih. The temples were built between 14 - 17 centuries and it sits on the slop of Mt. Agung (a volcano which last erupted back in 1963, destroyed several nearby villages but Besakih was untouched!!!) To walk up the hill for 15mins was a little tiring, but once we saw the temples sitting on the slop... WOAH!!! ...Breath taking view!!! ...Anyway, the prominently features are the 3 seats in the lotus throne, in which shrines are dedicated to Brahma, Siva, and Vishnu (the trinity of Hinduism)....

Oh yeah, something worth mentioning too... when I was still catching my breath from climbing the hill, this little girl holding a flower right in front of me as if she was going to drop the flower... So my first reaction was take it??!?! ...I really don't know WHAT I was thinking at that time!!!!! ...I think I put down my guard as I was puffing from the climb, and was very much blown away by the amazing view of Besakih temples (mind was occupied, hence not thinking!)...

Anyway, the next thing I knew was that this little girl kept on asking me to pay her because I took her flower? ...OMG!!!! ...She was soooooooooooooooooooo annoying... I gave back the flower to her and she didn't want it... and I told her I had no money, no money, no money!!! ...and she still buzzing like a bee round and round and kept saying "you took my flower, give me money" in a flat tune (no emotion, no high and low key) and no expression on her face neither (probably becos she does this all the times and numbed already)... She wouldn't give up and I felt so helpless especially when Gerald and Megumi were both also busy saying no-no-no to a few more so-called "guides"... Messy situation... Anyway, at the end the little girl took back the flower and walked away... *phew*...

Just as we got rid of that little girl, another guy came... He was far worst than the little girl actually... He followed us EVERYWHERE eventhough we said NO to his face billion times... I seriously wanted to punch him in the face... grrr... Anyway, after we explored a few more places around the area, that guy finally asked for tips... Gerald refused to give him and he started to get a little upset. So Gerald took out RP3,000 and gave it to that guy and he refused to take it cos he wanted more? ...I was really angry at that point and I told him we already said NO to him at the very begining... but he still insisted that if it wasn't him we wouldn't be able to get into that main temple?!? ...What the?!!?! ...Anyway, couldn't remember how much Gerald gave him at the end... hmmm... Despite the above, I really enjoyed visiting Besakih... =)

Our 5th stop was Bukit Jambul. We stopped for a while just to take some photos of the rice terrace view.

Our 6th stop was Klungkung. And Old Court Justice of Klungkung Kingdom.

It was a good trip... And Megumi decided to take up the Singaraja - Lovina Tour on Wednesday... And I think Gerald also interested to go after knowing Megumi is going (*hiak-hiak-hiak*)... and so happened that Agung didn't have small change for us, that became the deposit of our next tour on Wednesday!! ...hohohoho...

Anyway, soon as we came back to our homestay, Nyoman came to tell me I have a phone call!!?!? ...WOAH... I was a bit surprised ...Anyway, it was Ma-De!! ...He called to re-confirm Tuesday night's dinner... Actually I started to feel a little worried due to he was way too friendly? ...So I told him we couldn't make it on Tuesday night as we had other plans. So He said that's fine, but he still wanted to come over around 7pm tomorrow?? ...Hmmm... Ain't that weird, I thought? ...so I told him no promise that we'd be in our homestay... He said no problems... end of conversations.

Well, well... Time for dinner and we managed to find a cheap place for dinner (Nasi campur!!)... At night we just sat at our Balcany chatting... Gerald had so much to talk about... Well, all about Japanese thingy... Megumi has given him more thoughts, maybe?!! ... *muahahhahahahah*...