Rice pudding, banana fritters and Ralph Lauren - Bali Trip 6

My x-colleague and best friend Sri is celebrating her birthday today. This year is double exciting because she is on family way; please join me in wishing her all the very best and fun filled Birthday. I dedicate this post to her. I sent her this video today and couldn’t stop humming it since then: P

As we got higher on the mountain of Bali, the air became cooler and felt much like our kodaikanal or ooty. We arraived at Ulun Danu Beratan Temple which is located at the banks of a Beratan lake in Candi Kuning countryside.The temple with lake and mountain back drop is wonderful sight to watch.

Path to the temple, click to see the lake and mountain back drop.

The split gate, every temple, resort or traditional home has this entrance

Danu Beratan mount is the goddess of the prosperity and fertility, the lake goes by the same name. Ulun comes from Hulu word which means power. Many Balinese come here with family to pray just like India. We even saw a bride getting ready for photo shoot.

This guy agreed with a smile, when I asked him for a picture with his family.

The courtyard , check out the thatch roof

Balinese residents call this as “Kahyangan Jagat” - The biggest group of Hindu temple. It has 4 sanctums, for Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma and Lakshmi. 

This is the scene printed in 50,000 rupiah of Indonesia.

This is the first time I went below the equator; Bali is located 8 degree to the south of it. It has no time difference from Singapore, although the life here is more relaxed. The traffic is closer to that of India. It’s fairly clean and has sunny tropical climate.

We sat there in the bank for sometime soaking into this view

Later we travelled to one of the rice terrace of Bali for lunch. Bali has its volcanic origin like most of Indonesia, the high rainfall and rich volcanic soil is perfect for Agriculture.

The rice terrace

The terracing and complex irrigation system is the success of growing abundant rice, which is used as main diet and also for export. I felt like prince, owing to the view , the food and the hospitality I recieved in the afternoon. These are the moments I feel so blessed.

The restaurant

With this view

Indonesian  fried rice, Mixed veggie, spring roll, cracker, salad and even pickle

Black rice pudding, banana fritters with cinnamon coconut Sauce

Tourism has over taken this main occupation of Bali only recently. Now people prefer to work for tourists (in shops,hotels and cabs) than doing agriculture. The tourism can make or break a place; in most cases it does the latter. The challenge is to maintain a constant internal food supply, revenue and minimize the exploitation by tourism.

Globalisation? if I have to see the same cloth or coffee shop everywhere I would rather stay at home.

Be it place or person, preserving the Identity is the life’s most precious goal.