Uluwatu and Jimbaran

Day trip to Uluwatu

Today our driver Made picked us up at 3:30 and we headed down to Uluwatu a beautiful temple high on a cliff on the east coast. We stopped on the way down at a cultural center called GWK, which stands for Garuda Wisnu Kencana the tree major Hindu gods, actually I learned today the Hindu religion on believes in one God, but that God takes on different persona's or manifestations. I thought they worshiped several different gods but that is not true. Also for each family temple and city temple they include little altars to each of the 3 GWK gods. So the cultural park is basically in the works, you drive up and see the rock walls are all shaved and on the top of the hill is a huge statue of Wisnu. apparently the huge bust is only 15% of what the statue will be when it done. It will be the highest statue in the world when it is finished and it will be really elaborate and have all 3 gods. Up on top of the hill the view was incredible, we were able to see the huge mountains on the island looming thru the clouds above Kuta.

Next we head down to Uluwatu. Made warns us not to wear sunglasses and to hold on tight to everything because the monkey's here are "cheeky"!!! WE explain we have experienced the monkeys at the monkey forest and he assures us these monkeys are different!! We sarong up and head in to the temple, and the monkeys are everywhere, so are the dragon flies...very cool!! I am over taking pictures and walk by a monkey and it grabs my sarong and takes a bite, and won't let go...it starts ripping the sarong as I pull, he takes another bite, finally a man with a stick gets him to let go!! The temple is high on a cliff, with a rugged beach far below, quite beautiful..I go over to pose for a pic near the temple and suddenly a monkey runs over and rips a clip out of my hair and runs off with it!!! I go over to try to get it back and big daddy monkey starts hissin at me and showing his teeth, so instead of retreating i move at him again and then he starts running at me..yikes!!!!!!!!! Cheeky monkeys!!!!!

It is like a million degrees and we are cursing the heat waiting for the Kecak Dance show to start. We are seeing the Kecak Ramayana and fire dance, a story of Rama and Sita along with Laksanama,Bhagawan and Garuda and the white monkey Hanoman. The story is acted out by dancers in stunning outfits and the music is a choir of chanting men..tack..tack.tack.tack...just remembering the sounds.. And there was fire walking at the end of the story as well..very cool performance, all overlooking the ocean on the cliff as the sun went down over the sea...

And finally dinner!!! We head down to Jimbaran where all the seafood is fresh and everyone eats on the beach..and it's true...We picked our food, picked the red snapper and then some prawns and they take them to the kitchen and we head to the beach...up and down the beach as far as you can see are candlelit tables and people out eating on the beach, really cool scene.....And we were serenaded by the lovely 5 piece band with a bit of Hotel California and some Bob Marley...and the fish and prawns...excellent and fresh..yum..