Indonesian                                      
          BALI    DIARY  8

1/7. Breakfast is only served after 8;30, and that leave me with too much time to make pictures of the giant tree and the views in general. Then I head straight into the mountains. The road reach 800 meters height, then follow ridges, closer and closer to the mighty mountains, covered in mist.

Here are some scenarios coffee growing, and scattered houses everywhere, but no bigger gathering. Unfortunately, I have the sun in front, and that is not good for the photos. Newer the less, I really enjoy the drive. When the road decent below 650 meters, there are a few rice terraces.

Then at eleven, Pupuan turns up, and thought a bit rural, it is a proper town, with most of the usual shops and even a bank. I start with coffee and biscuits at a mini- mall, watching the locals passing bye on mopeds, in this mountain central town.
I then do the entire main-street, and it is quite clear; they are not use to visitors. They have a nice market, but with all the things which are familiar by now.

From here, it is down-mountain, all the way to the Soka Beach and Pantai. Not for the beach, but the drive, and it is truly a treat. A lot of rainforest, quite some coffee, and then the endless rice terraces stars. Some are more staircases! I stop a few times, waiting for the glimpses of sun, and do a walk on the narrow walls. The farmers are so friendly, offering drinking and eating.

Further down the mountain, coconut mix in, and in quite large amounts. I stop for lunch at a little place, facing the rice terraces. Down here, it is prickled and halfway, where the height only had sown and bare fields. I fail to understand why this is not tourists country: Awesome views, close to the beach and Denpasar.

Lunch was at 250 meters, now I head all the way down. It through so many rice fields, but the sun have gone by now, and the photos are not worth the stops.

I stop at the first view to the beach – which is made up by boulders. But here is a bat cave; Margi Ke Ratu Biang Saki, and it is packed with small fruit-bats. Somehow, they are impossible to make photos of, despite they sit all the way out to the cave mouth. Well, it is great to see them anyway.

I then head inland once more, towards Ji Gunnug Batukaru, but the amount of overloaded trucks and large busses make it unpleasant in combination with the drizzle. Further more, it was only to see terraces, and I have had my share for one day.

I head towards home, but turn into Krambitan at Puri Anyar Kerambitan; a 17th palace. It starts with a horse-wagon, and then turn completely Indiana Jones. Not much have been maintained the recent centuries, but it sure got charm. Numerous pavilions with furniture and other resting areas, fills up a huge area. Apparently, they don’t except guests, and I just leave unattended.

The entire area have had their greatness, and the grand villas surrounds the palace. I find a surprisingly fancy looking barbershop, and get a prefect trim for €1,10.
Then by some small, but not the smallest roads home. It is zigzagging through plenty of rice and humble homes.

It turns out, I live in an old town, where roads are scars. One entrance leads to numerous homes in a large area. Some are real humble, like the 80 year female neighbour, walking around with bare torso.
I'm guided to a yard, way in, looking like a real nice temple. The guy say nothing, just sit, while his bitch barks constantly. Finally, I get him to call someone, barley speaking English. However, I get a nice room on second floor, with everything but the needed electrical kettle.

I do a loop in town, but fail to find anything remotely resembling a restaurant. An old woman wants me to remove the car, and then I'm ask to pay for parking.
In an effort to get back to my street, I accidentally meet the sea. Here are restaurants, but the only open one is a fancy tourist place. Well, they do serve vegetarian, and with an impressive sea-view. While I eat, the tiny swallows are changed into tiny bats. I find my home at dusk – barely.
 Day's highlights       All the better photos of the day

2/7. I don’t have much on the program, just the Pura Taman Ayun temple in Mengwi, but the half hour drive is a treat. Minor roads through a waste plane with square and green rice fields. Then some humble villages, until I reach Mengwi.

Pura Taman Ayun is something else: Situated in a double moat, numerous pagodas and halls, all covered in grass-roofs are scattered over a large area. Behind is a forest, still within the large outer mould.
I walk to the nearby market, which is dominated by food and things, packed in plastic. I find a great breakfast at a local place, before I head on.

It is mainly through settlement, a large area have spare parts for build-your-own-temples. A few rice patches, and then Denpasar starts. My pre-booked hotel have no room, but here are a lot in the area – although I'm not sure about the standards. Glad I have the time to search. The first eight are full, Aston have a room, but not in my standards. I use their Wi-Fi, upgrade myself a bit and get closer to my sights. It is a maze of one-way streets, but at noon, I have a great and quiet room, 700 meters from my sights.

It is a relatively calm and green city around Denpasar old city. And a strange mix of giant buildings and rows of small ones with shops. In the centre, the little Pura Jagatnatha temple is found. Where most are made of black rocks, this is red bricks, and a nice place.

Right next to it is a huge green lawn and Puputan Square. Around the corner, next to the clean river, the Pasar Badung market is found. Despite it is almost two, it is quite active in all four floors. It is clean, but have what all the others have had – although more are wrapped in plastic. It seems like tourists are rare guests here.

Next to it is a more improvised market, which seems like wholesale from the back of pick-up. I do some loops in the back-allies with domestic huts, and the big streets with banks and alike. I do have to walk quite some to find a late dinner, but succeed closer to home. Then home to recharge the GPS and myself for half an hour.

The Satria bird-market is a pet-market with everything from exotic birds unfamiliar to me, kittens, porcupines, iguanas, colourful chicks, fighting cocks, poppies, all kind of fish, turtles, snakes, fruit-bats, rabbits, hamsters – and probably more. Next to it is a jewellery market with mainly rings with colourful stones.

I do more loops in the old town, and at six, I return to a tempting restaurant, which I passed earlier. I get some boiled cabbage and a few slices of carrots in a tasteless fluid for three times the usual price.
The swallows are once again replaced with bats, as I walk home. As I have seen Denpasar today, I optimistic find a few sights for tomorrow.
 Day's highlights       All the better photos of the day

               And then into the next page; Diary 12.