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| The evening commute home. | Cockfight training. The owners here are preparing their roosters for battle. Though theoretically illegal, cockfighting is widespread on Bali. It's a particularly brutal sport where blades are attached to the roosters' legs and the roosters proceed to peck and stab each other to death. Bets are placed on the outcome of each match, so the owner of a well trained cock can make lots of money. | Performers of the Kecak dance (also known as the monkey dance) that we attended one evening at a temple in Ubud. The dance tells the story of Princess Sita (back) who is kidnapped by the evil King Rawana. With the help of the garuda (front left) and Hanuman, the white monkey god (front right), Prince Rama is able to rescue his princess. Throughout the dance, a circle of men chant "kecak, kecak..." rising to a crescendo at the climax. | On my last full day on Bali, I decided to rent a car to check out some of the remoter parts of the island. My initial goal was to make my way south to the coast, while getting used to driving on the left and avoiding a collision with the motorbikes surrounding me on all sides. This is the sign that greeted me as I entered the Balinese town of Klungkung. |
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| Children bathing in the river on the outskirts of Klungkung. | Colorful fishing boats on the beach at Padangbai, along Bali's southeastern coast. | I eventually turned inland and headed towards Pura Besakih. I
was so absorbed in the drive, I forgot to check the gas guage until I was
almost running on fumes! Luckily, I came across this very friendly
warung owner who sold me 10 liters of gasoline to get me to Pura Besakih
and back to Ubud.
Trying to hide behind the oil drum is his son. |
Pura Besakih, a complex of temples on the slopes of Gunung Agung, Bali's
highest and most significant
volcano. On my last trip in 1995, I made an ill-fated attempt to climb the volcano. I got about 75% of the way up before turning back due to bad weather, lack of food and water, and extreme fatigue. I was later told how crazy I was for attempting the climb during the rainy season. The temples are quite impressive, and it is almost worth it to hire one of the many locals hanging around to take you around and explain the function of each temple. Just make sure to bargain hard and agree on a price ahead of time. |
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| Being close to the highest point on Bali, if it were not for the clouds, these pictures would afford a tremendous view of southern Bali all the way to the sea. I saw it on my last trip, so trust me on it. | For those wish to say a prayer before boarding their flight. At the departures terminal of Denpasar Airport. | ||