Temple Tanan HOT!

Tanan Lot Temple

No longer needing an alarm, I was awakened by the rumble of the wheels, on the path and the odor of incense. Looking over at Phyl from my single bed, I could see she was partially awake.


G- Why are we up by 6:30 am every morning? Aren't we on vacation?

P- There are too many new sounds and smells, in Bali, that wake us up. Besides, our bodies are still on Nola time. I hate that you're way over there and we can't snuggle in the mornings.

G- I know. It reminds me of the convent where we stayed in Venice. At least in Bali we don't have large pictures of The Blessed Mother above our beds. I guess we might as well get up and go have breakfast. Mede (the hotel driver) said we'd leave for Tanan Lot Temple (Temple on the rock) around 10:00 am and I want to eat and complete all necessary bathroom activities before we get into a van for the hour drive.

P- I hear ya! So far I'm not having any bathroom activity, but I'm a little worried about where I might be when that does happen.

G- Yep. Me too.

At breakfast we met new arrivals Cecil (Cec), Janine (his wife) and Shirley (Janine's former sister-in-law). Cec & Janine are from Perth, Australia and Shirley is from London. They were quite amusing and we hit it off quickly. In Europe it was always assumed that we were Americans, but in Bali it is assumed that we are Australians. I asked why the dramatic difference in our accents didn't give it away and was told that because English is a 2nd language, it is difficult to discern the difference. After thinking about it for a while, it seemed obvious. When traveling in Europe we sometimes have difficulty discerning Italian from Spanish; it would be impossible to discern accent differences between a northern Italian dialect and a southern Italian dialect.

The ride to Tanan Lot took us north along the west coast of Bali and gave us our first views of the countryside as we had been in the city since our arrival. Many stone carvers' shops and their creations lined the road as well as wooden furniture & doors. We drove through rice fields and were introduced to the insane way the Balinese drive.

P- Are you going to get car sick? Did you take something this morning?

G- I didn't take anything because I want to conserve my motion sickness pills and patches and because I didn't think the ride would be very bad. We're not going into the mountains, but I did bring one of the barf bags I pilfered from the plane, just in case.

P- This driving is insane! It's a wonder people aren't killed. Constant passing and jockeying to get ahead. I feel like I'm in a horse race but all the horses share one lane.

G- I know, and it scares the hell out of me the way they play chicken on these 2 lane roads. Mede wants to pass the truck in front, he honks, goes around, and thinks nothing of the fact that another van is coming head on to hit us. He just gets over at the last minute. The guy driving the other van seems to think nothing of it either. I guess if Mede couldn't get back over in time the oncoming driver would slow down.

P- I guess so. This just seems to be the way they drive.

After an hour we paid the 25,000 rph to enter the temple parking lot and Mede advised he would wait with the van. We walked through the market which is attached to every tourist attraction. You want to buy a sarong, wood carving, little piece of crap, sandals, or cold drink? We continued to smile and say no thank you.

“Maybe on way back?”

“Maybe.”

G- Gawd! Look at that HUGE snake!!!!!

P- Wow! I'm ok with snakes, but I wouldn't go near that one!

G- Thank Gawd it's mostly in that giant cloth sack. What is it?

P- It looks like a boa constrictor, but I'm not sure. It's as big around as my thigh!

G- You want me to take a picture of you with it? His sign says you can take a picture for a fee.

P- No way! That thing gets me in a grip and I'm dead!

We walked through the gates to the temple grounds and followed the tourists to a promontory of rocks where the Indian Ocean crashed ashore. Tanan Lot Temple could be seen but could not be reached as the water covered the rocks forming the pathway. We watched the ocean rise and fall at the base of the Temple's island and strained to see the actual temple which was obstructed by trees and plants. We watched the throngs of tourists walk as far to the edge of the promontory as they dared to take their photos.

P- Listen! The guys are whistling and waving for people to come back off those rocks and that chick is still walking out there.

G- Her husband, boyfriend, or whatever is positioning her for a perfect shot.

P- Well she'd better watch out because she looks like she's gonna fall and those waves are strong....................... bwah, hahahahahahahahahah....................that wave just took her out! That was priceless! I guess she'll move back to the shoreline now, won't she. Dumb ass! These guys are out here to protect stupid people from themselves, but I guess they can't make them heed the warnings.

G- Hysterical! I'm glad she didn't fall, but now she's the only participant in the wet, white sundress contest. Hahahahahah

P- People crack me up!! Dear God, it's hot! This water does feel good on my feet, but it's too crowded here and I'm afraid I'm going to slip. Let's walk around for a better view of the Temple.

We walked around the corner and up a path that climbed to restaurants (Warungs) where tourists could sit and watch the sunset over the Temple.

G- Um, do you see the carved wooden penises?

Balinese lady – You want to buy?

P- No, thank you. I have no use for those things.

G- They do crack me up! I wonder whose idea it was to carve them in all sizes. I wonder what it says about the person who buys one of these and further, what it says about them based on the size they purchase. Interesting. Look at this one with a monkey climbing up the side. Hahahahahah

P- That gives a whole new meaning to “spank your monkey”. Hahahahah

Balinese lady- You buy? I make good price.

G- No, definitely not. Thank you.

We walked along the ocean to the various temples, or offering spots.

P- This whole temple area is very confusing. What is actually the temple?

G- I don't get it either. We need to Google it because I find it very confusing too. These little walled areas all along the path, are they little temples unto themselves or are they just places to make offerings?  I saw that our hotel has a little walled area like this in the back left corner of the courtyard. The woman who places the offerings starts there and blesses them, or whatever she's doing, before she sets them around the hotel.

P- Is that where she lights the incense?

G- I think so. She has all the little flat baskets containing the flowers and things inside of a larger flat basket which she takes to the walled “temple” or alter area before she carries them around and deposits them on the steps and wherever else she puts them.

P- It's interesting. We have to learn more about it.

At one “alter” on a point reaching into the sea, hundreds of little offering baskets were flung on the rocks below.

P- I guess the Gods have blown the old ones to the sea in preparation for the new ones.

G- Wow! Look at this beautiful cove and that arch in the rock out there. The beach is black!!

P- I guess this is what the black beach in Hawaii looks like.

G- They're both formed by volcanoes, so that would make sense. Look at the beautiful colors of the water. What an incredible shade of green!

P- Let's sit here in the shade for a while. I'm about to pass out, it's so damn hot.

G- My whole body is covered in sweat! I'm so wet it looks like I just got out of a pool. Damn! I forgot to put my A&D Ointment on this morning.

P- Me too! That was pretty stupid of us.

G- Well, I'm just not use to sweating like this. The last time I remember sweating this profusely is when we moved our furniture into that truck when we left for California. Blech! And we swore then that we'd never go back to Nola in the summer because we couldn't stand the heat and the sweating. Now we've spent 4 days traveling to Bali so we could sweat to death. Are we nuts?

P- Something about being in Bali makes it not so bad.

G- I agree to a point, but I'm pretty miserable.

P- Just keep thinking............Asian diet, Asian diet................. You heard of Sweatin to the Oldies”? Well Richard Simmons has nothing on Bali! I'm losing weight “Sweatin with the Balinese”!!!

G- I need an ice cold beer. Let's buy a cold water from this lady.

After a while we returned to Mede, the van, and the a/c.

Mede – You enjoyed? Very hot.

G- Yes, Mede. It was very beautiful, but I think we're about to die. Let's get that a/c crankin.

P- (saying to Gina) Turn that bitch up to Hi and point the vents at me!

We returned to the hotel and jumped immediately into the pool. After a time we split a lunch of pasta & prawns with an avocado sauce. It was delicious and very light for a pasta. We spent the rest of the day around the pool talking to Pita, Garth & Pam, and Janine & Shirley. Still exhausted.... we had forgotten how much the heat wears you out being in Cali for 2 years.........we elected to eat dinner at the hotel restaurant. We each ordered a traditional Indonesian dish and they were very good. Being the party animals that we are, we were sleeping by 9:30 pm.