WE SET OFF THIS MORNING TO EXPLORE BALI. It’s about 95 miles from Jimbaran to Pemuteran in northwestern Bali but the drive took nearly five hours. We didn’t drive ourselves—only a local or a maniacal tourist should challenge Denpasar’s traffic, squadrons of motor scooters, lumbering lorries and Bali’s survival of the fittest driving style. Under the circumstances the $100 fare felt like a bargain.
The Scooter Scourge Fills Up
Sure it's pretty but we still have no idea where we are
Durians, they taste better than they smell
I had an idea of the route we would take from Google Maps and Connie tried to follow our course with her phone but mostly we had no idea where we were. There are few road signs and even fewer recognizable Indonesian words to help. Many of the towns had gilded statues depicting scenes from the Hindu Vedas and nearly all had some kind of a market taking place.
Four Rice Crops per Year
View of Lake Buyan
Long-Tailed Macaque
Once into the countryside rice predominated. August, our driver, said that there are four rice crops a year in Bali so some paddies were being planted while others were ready for harvest. Our route eventually switchbacked into the hills and we stopped for a view of Lake Buyan, one of a pair of lakes formed in an ancient caldera. Reminiscent of India, Long-tailed Macaques lined the road like sentries hailing our arrival.
Adi Assri Beach Resort between two mosques
Dueling Mosques
Bali may be predominantly Hindu but there is a thriving Muslim presence around Pemuteran. I think Adi Assri, where we are staying, may mean “between two mosques.” Two muezzins were vying for airtime when we arrived and continue to duel it out five times a day, sadly eliminating the need for an alarm clock.
