Yesterday all our driving was done on the flat; today it was the exact opposite. We spent most of the day moving around in the mountains. I don't think we encountered a 100 metre straight stretch the whole day. I've never been on so many hairpin bends.
As usual we did more temples; today we did three of them. The first two had extensive park around the temple so we could walk around enjoying the flowers. One was next to a mountain lake and while we were in the area we bought some strawberries. I haven't had one for quite a while but these were delicious. In India they've hybridised the local strawberry so that it's enormous, but the centre is a solid white core. These Balinese strawberries were juicy and dark red - delicious.
As we drove around I noticed that most of the temples have been built using a red brick. There are structures that are like the Cambodian stupas so I presume they are graves of some sort. Most of the religious buildings have thatched roofs but I never saw it being used for houses. My Buddhist friends were surprised to learn that the Hindu priests don't live in the temple. I reminded them that they are most likely married, with families so they live at home. I didn't see a single priest and I didn't see a single statue to a god. If I'd seen Hanuman I'd have definitely had words with him as I'm still single. At one of the temples we saw a tableau depicting what cock fighting was like. I can't for the life of me figure out why it needs to be in a religious place.
At one temple, if we were showing the slightest amount of bare leg we were told to wear a green sarong. It didn't matter that the ladies had bare shoulders - if you could see any flesh above the ankle they had to wear a sarong. I was in shorts so I had to wear one; it's amazing how hot it is. For the first time I saw a sign that said, "Drones are not allowed". Another asked ladies to be aware of cleanliness in the temple and therefore they shouldn't enter if they were menstruating. The place was full of young ladies so I'm sure some entered illegally.
I went around to find a place to change some money. I saw a sign with a very good rate but I couldn't find the office. I asked a young lady and she said, "It's outside but don't go - it's not safe. Just go across the road." I got a bit less but it was good to know that I wasn't being cheated.
I've come to the conclusion that the Cambodians have a big role to play in deforestation. I wonder if there are other people around the world who clean their cutlery and crockery before every meal? They believe they are dirty, even if the restaurant is spotless; they even clean them with tissue at home.
I'm fascinated watching people while we are travelling. Some people in the group talk non-stop and pay no attention to what's going on outside until the van stops and they are told to get out. Others stare straight ahead as if it's important to know where they are going. I am a 'roamer' my eyes are wandering all over the place as I'm fascinated by what I'm seeing. A friend said there were two kinds of travellers; those who are journey people (taking an interest in everything on the way) and the destination people, who are keen to get to where they are supposed to be going. I'm definitely a journey person.
While we were having our meal there was suddenly a lot of conversation at the table with people pulling a face as if they've eaten something they didn't like. It turned out they were upset that someone had sat at the next table and was smoking. It seems to me that smoking in Bali is a very popular pastime.
We were able to see an area with rice terraces and it really is a lovely sight. For me, the green of rice is a dazzling green. We could have paid a few dollars to walk through the fields but seeing as Cambodians know all about rice growing we decided to sit and soak up the view. Vuth's father is quite a character. He can't speak English so he communicates with his hands. Whenever we are together he takes my hand and massages it, squeezes my shoulders, tickles my legs. He's a lovely man so I don't mind one bit.
The motorbike is the king in Bali as so many of the side roads are too narrow for a car. All of the motorbikes had a little posy, made from dried straw, attached to their mirrors. It reminded me of the lime that we used to see in India, hanging from the bumper of vehicles.
I love reading signs. The highlight today was a clothing shop with a large sign above the store saying, "Dumpshit".
Our last temple is possibly the most famous in Bali. It juts out into the sea and can only be reached during row tide. It was swarming with people. Some were paying to go into a shallow cave to see a holy snake - I couldn't be bothered. We walked over the rocks with little tidal pools, left when the tide went out. It was interesting seeing sea anemones and other creatures waiting for the sea to come back in. In Bali I don't think we actually went into a temple but rather walked around them. In one temple an area was closed off with a sign that it could only be used for worship so maybe we aren't allowed in the temples. It's definitely a money making business for someone as we paid around $5 to enter each temple. When you can get a street meal for 50 cents it's a lot of money.
Thus ended our second day in Bali. It was a long day but people were happy.
