reporting Day 2 @ Bali

the morning call rang. it's Day 2 guys. was wish by the receptionist @ around 6.30am..so had my breakfast at Harris Cafe and was entertained by Dino, the Dinasour.

so the itenary for today, lets see...

Day 2
Barong Dance, Art village of Ubud, Kintamani Volcano (Mount Batur), plantation of Bali coffee, tea and spices at Seribatu, Holy Spring Water Temple at Sebatu Village, Goa Gajah

Dino playing Table Tennis

Fisrt stop, Barong Dance and Keris dance at an open stage of Batubulan. Borang Dance is based on a drama as a show, adopting the Mahabharata, an indian epic, a symbol of Good and Rangda, a witch, symbol of evil.

The story goes that Rangda, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, was condemned by Erlangga's father because she practiced black magic. After she became a widow, she summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leaks and the demons, to come after Erlangga. A fight occurred, but she and her black magic troops were too strong that Erlangga had to ask for the help of Barong. Barong came with Erlangga's soldiers, and fight ensued. Rangda casted a spell that made Erlangga soldiers all wanted to kill themselves, pointing their poisoned keris into their own stomachs and chests. Barong casted a spell that turned their body resistant to the sharp keris. At the end, Barong won, and Rangda ran away.

Somebody can die or get seriously injured in a Barong dance. It is said that if Rangda's spell is too strong, a weak soldier may not be able to resist it, even with the help of Barong. He may end up hurting himself with his own keris.

The masks of Barong and Rangda are considered sacred items, and before they are brought out, a priest must be present to offer blessings by sprinkling them with holy water taken from Mount Agung, and offerrings must be presented.

we were given a brief summary of the dance

this is where we sit

their roof is all made out of coconut husk

look at the crowd

Next stop, Art village of Ubud, just what i waited...

you can see all along the road with God sculpture

the paddy field

do you know that a picture with this size cost around 1,000 malaysian ringgit?

Following stop, Kintamani Volcano. It is the best scenary of beautiful panorama of Mount Batur and it's lake. It is an mall volcano that is still active in this island. It is created by an eruption of Mount Batur approximately 30, 000 years ago.

As soon as we reached there, I were really annoyed with the street peddlers that kept harrasing us to buy their souvenirs despite us repeatedly insisting we didn't want anything. Our tour guide had told us in the van that not to buy from them cause they are good in switching with the fake one...so yea...after taking some pictures, we had our lunch at Restoran Suling Bali, which is just opposite of the volcano. While we were enjoying our lunch, suddenly a lady scream from outside, everybody in the restaurant stop eating to see what was going on, it was a kid who sell the souvenirs being knock down by a car, so sad.....

Mount Batur, active volcano

this is one of the mini garden at the back of the restaurant

back view of the restaurant

world cup flags

shall i serve you some coffee or tea? or perhaps some spices? haha!! let me bring you to explore the coffee plantation and try to taste a Bali coffee tea while have a look around to the nature garden at Seribatu.

Vanilla Leaves, used to make vanilla

coffee beans, those red ones on the left are riped, ready for plucking..

hot chocolate

coffee ginseng, as for the one at the back is lemon grass tea

Ginger tea

wall of tiny cup glasses

all the spices

this is the Luwak that produce coffee beans, amazing huh? they eat the coffee berries first and then pass through its intestine and later produced through defecation. After gathering, through washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness, widely noted as the MOST EXPENSIVE COFFEE IN THE WORLD.

Next stop, the Holy Spring Water Temple at Sebatu Village

the main entrance

the local people likes to bath in this water

this is where the water come from, from the underneath of the sand, if you jump in you will sink, more like a quick sand.

the temple structure

last stop of the day,  Goa Gajah, the famous Elephant Cave

Rest historic omission is the old stones tidily spread out in lest side of the cave. It is also the proof that Gua Gajah or Elephant Cave was very old and having experience of the process obsequies naturally until finding of returning.

The entrance of the cave, with its menancing face. You can make out the profile of an elephant if you look at the face's hair; the elephant's trunk is hanging over its ear to the right.

the wooden bell, to call the local people that it is time for praying

sis

enjoyed the second day =)...well stay tune for Day 3..hope you guys wont get bored already..