Our last stop on Bali was in Kuta, which is where the airport is located. As I’ve mentioned previously, traffic on Bali can be bad, and we didn’t want to chance anything with our flight to Java, so we stayed near the airport. Our lodgings was at another homestay guesthouse, this time down a narrow side street and at the end of the road (literally). It was decent, the price was right, and they had some cool temples on site.
We ventured out into our local neighborhood,
checked out the local Catholic Church (St. Francis Xavier),
and did a little shopping at the local outlet mall. Then a walk to Panti Jerman beach (Pantai is beach in Indonesian) to see the Patung Triratna Amreta Bhuwana Statue (Patung is statue in Indonesian), rising from the water.
We returned to the hotel, and past a couple nice looking Bonsai trees at a neighboring guest house.
Our last full day on Bali we started out at Garuda Wisnu Kencana Culture Park. It is devoted to the Hindu god Wishnu (or Vishnu), and his mount, Garuda, the mythical bird. The main statue of Wishnu riding Garuda is 75 m (246 ft) tall and 65 m (213 ft) wide. On top of a gift shop/theater, the whole structure is 30 m (98 ft) taller than the Statue of Liberty. It is massive, and can be seen miles away.
To reach the Wishnu & Garuda statue, there is a shuttle that took us to it. It is definitely worth the nominal price, as the walk is a couple kilometers and uphill. There are huge stone blocks in the main park, which we saw on the way back down from the big statue.
There are two other huge statues on the site, one of just Garuda…
…and the other of Vishnu, by himself.
The view from in front of Vishnu is pretty great too.
We walked down a set of stairs adorned with yellow umbrellas, and past the Lakshmi pond, for a much needed ice cream break on this really hot and humid day.
Our last stop was the Saka Museum, which is located within the fancy AYANA Bali Resort. We had to go through security gate to enter the Resort area and then were dropped off at the museum. Just outside the museum is this pond with bougainvillea petals.
Saka is the Balinese Hindu Calendar, and the Saka year is a little shorter than our 365 day one; each month begins the day after the New Moon. The museum celebrates the Balinese culture and heritage, and its origins in Hinduism combined with ancient Balinese rituals. The museum has many examples of Balinese art and artwork, all displayed in a first class museum setting.
The most significant event in the Saka calendar is Nyepi, known as the Day of Silence, which marks the start of the new Saka year. The entire island shuts down on Nyepi, and no one leaves their home. The airport closes, there are no cars allowed on the roads, all shops and restaurants are closed; even if a tourist is staying at a hotel, they are required to stay in their room for the day. It is a day of quiet contemplation, “where light fades, yet insight awakens.” The four absences, it is called: No fire (or lights), no work, no travel, no entertainment.
At the museum there is a short video that talks about Nyepi, and the day before Nyepi, which is also quite important. Balinese villages hold the Ogoh-Ogoh Parade. Giant demonic effigies — some up to 26 feet (8 meters) tall, from bamboo or wire and papier-mâché — are carried through the streets accompanied by gamelan music, chanting, and noise-making to drive away evil spirits, getting loud before the day of silence. After the parade, many Ogoh-Ogoh are burned to cleanse the island before the Day of Silence. It is the loudest day of the year. Here are some miniature examples of Ogoh Ogoh:
The museum also has some massive statues (as big as some ogoh-ogoh) depicting different battles and gods from Hindu lore.
You may notice the beautiful natural scenery in the background; we exited the museum and took it in, as the multitude of bougainvillea shone brightly in the sun. You may even notice the Wishnu & Garuda statue way off in the distance in the bottom picture.
It is a truly memorable museum and should not be missed if in the area. We returned to the hotel, and were really hungry after our day out and ice cream lunch, so of course we went for cheeseburgers. Not just any kind, though, these were double cheeseburger with bacon, tomato, shredded cabbage, onions and pickles and were dynamite.
We left the next morning for the airport, and even from the plane we could see the Vishnu & Garuda statue; it is that big.
Bali and the surrounding islands were really fun; the vibe is truly unique and I’ve never visited a place with such friendly people that have their own peaceful flow, even when there’s lots of busyness; it’s not controlled chaos, more like chaotic harmony. It was a great visit and one we won’t soon forget. On to the next stop is the island of Java and the second largest city in Indonesia, Surabaya. Until next time!
Phil's WayPastCool 