We spent several days touring about with Putu. We visited many of the typical craftsmen that Bali is famous for. We viewed several awesome rice fields, one with at least 46 levels of terracing! We collected views, and meals at tourist restaurants (where the driver surely gets a kickback), and many temples.
The two temples that most impressed us were Pura Kehen, in Bangli and the temple of most importance to Bali as a whole, Pura Besakih, also known as the Mother Temple high on volcano Agung.
Pura Kehen had no tourists other than ourselves. It is built up a steep hillside with an ancient banyan tree at its base. After donning our sarongs and sashed and climbing the steps, we found a wizened old man who introduced himself as the temple keeper. He told us what every shrine was for and positioned us for the best pictures, many of which he snapped for us with us in them! The ground was littered with the debris of offerings,k surely not just from that morning!
Pura Besakih, high on the slopes of Bali's highest volcano (which, of course, couldn't be seen for the day's misting weather, was the exact opposite (there's that word again, Putu!) Although it is the most important temple to the Balinese, it is the one most abused by hustlers. It's reputation precedes it, from Lonely Planet to Bette Lee to Putu, we are warned not to say yes to anyone for anything. Buy your ticket, don your sarong, and keep your eyes forward and say "No/Tidak" to everyone demanding payment.
It's a long walk up the hill to the temple (Putu was turned back from the shortcut to a closer parking lot!), but perhaps because of the misty weather the tourist traffic was slow and actually the full-court press was relatively lethargic. Once in the temple complex you climb steps and more steps to wander amongst the 23 "separate-but-related" family temples therein. Having climbed the steps we were then told we could not continue without a guide because ceremonies were in progress and only with a guide could we continue. To make a long debate short, in the end we caved, and took the services of a quiet young man who in the end earned the $5 he charged. We did not however pay him until we were on our way out
However, in the end, we were glad we went. If you can ignore the hustle -- the old ladies selling snacks from tubs on their heads, the children pushing postcards at 3/$1, and the hustlers at the entrance -- it is undeniably a most beautiful and spiritual place, perhaps particularly so in the misty weather.
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