Central Mountains

On our first multi-day trip, where we spent a few nights on the road, we headed for North and West Bali. To get there, we decided to take the scenic route and head up through the central mountains.

Our first stop (on the trip of 'No more stops'!) was at Taman Ayun, the Water Palace. Dad unfortunately had a bout of Bali Belly in the morning, so it was good timing for a stop! It was a cool, peaceful area, and we enjoyed a stroll around the lovely grounds. This is the first place I have seen with a series of meru (towers), with one up to eleven levels (each level of a meru is supposed to symbolize a stage of enlightenment, eleven is the ultimate, or attainment of moksa (nirvana)).











We carried on along the white roads, and stopped for a fresh young coconut water drink at a restaurant with a fabulous rice paddy view.








You know it was an upscale place because of the way they presented their Gado-gado! Gado-gado is a common indonesian dish of boiled veggies in peanut sauce... I've written about it before... but this one had flair!




From there we continued up, up, up, winding our way through the mountains. We passed the summit, where the climate is conducive to growing strawberries and hydrangeas, and it was time for another stop. This time the Water Temple, called Pura Ulun Danau Bratan.

On the western banks of Lake Bratan in the Bedugul Highlands at an elevation of 1239m, Pura Ulun Danau Bratan is one of the most picturesque (and most photographed) temples in Bali. We found out that this lake is one of the main sources of irrigation in the Balinese highlands, and so the temple is dedicated to the lake goddess, Dewi Danau. Pilgrims come to pay homage, and to ensure bountiful harvests.




Pura Ulun Danu Bratan was built in 1633 by the King of Mengwi, the same person who built Pura Taman Ayun (which we had visited earlier that morning). The climate is so cool up here that even the statues were wearing clothes!



Winding our way back down the other side of the mountain, we stopped off at Git Git Waterfall... luckily we were there near the end of the day, so half of the hawkers had already packed up and gone home, which made the walk to the falls a little less painful. The walk was a little* (read a LOT) longer than advertised, but we were able to enjoy some nice views along the way!



This pic is a remembrance from Montserrat... (do you get it, Bro?)




I guess as it turns out, the theme of the day was WATER!?!