I wish so much you would see the spot where I am right now with my laptop… somewhere in the middle on my way to the top of the Holly Mountain Lempuyang with the most sacred Temple for Balinese people - Pura Lempuyang. Trapped in a rain cloud that suddenly bursted into pouring rain, sitting in a half ruined small temple with an imaginable panorama of the Mount Agung in front of me, unfortunately covered in heavy rain mist… I am so brilliant to have my laptop with me! It feels unreal to write in here with heavy rain pouring in the distance of 10 cm from my nose:) Well, what the hell… might take a short break after all:) No way I shall make it to the top today… it is a 4 hours stair climb up to the top temple on the peak of the mountain, it is afternoon and the rain started, all the people are coming down, I am alone here… The temple people downstairs begged me not to go up to the top temple as the way to it is packed with aggressive monkeys who in the last few days bit 15 tourists, most of them beeing sick now, two people broke their legs on the slippery stairs too … Have to admit these talks only tempted me to choose that way and a good stick along with unconditional love for monkeys in my hearth… Took 10 minutes on the crossroad to the up and middle temple. Chose the last out of simple reason - am LAZY! Come on - 2 more hours after already one hour up in sweat and rain is simply too much for a lady like me! Did not sin lately, have to reason so suffer for my mistakes that hard:))) Decided to search for local spirits and gods in the midway:) am happy and content in my solitude in this discovered half ruined temple… just trees, jungle sounds and hidden valley around and beneath me! Much better as I could have expected!!! A good platform for MA-URI dance and meditation, which was unimaginably powerful in the stormy rain and blessed by God as the moment I opened my eyes the top of the Mount Agung appeared in front of me as if the clouds spread for me to see it… Isn't that a sign of God that am sitting just in the most perfect place in this mountain? :)
My rest day on a bike turned to be hard work for my "bumcheecks"… hahaha:) It is quite a torture to sit for two hours on a scooter on a mountain road! However, what a delight for my eyes and spirit! If you ever come to Amed in Bali make sure that you take the panoramic road towards Seraya that twingles along the coast and discloses all its valleys, bays, mountain terraces, rice paddy fields, local villages… I was so thrilled to discover that a few km from my beach there is nothing left of the luxury Bali for tourists - no villas, no spa and seaside resorts, just pure original local villages and the untouched beauty of Bali. I would not be surprised if that is the most picturesque road in Bali. A way full of mountain springs with bathing children in them and their white souped waters from laundry, a road of culture with water palaces and minor village temples and of course the gem of Bali at it's end - the Holy Mountain. Spirits are present in every moment of daily life of every Balinese. Every day numerous times offerings are being given to spirits that guard the family house. Every house has at least one shrine where rice and flower offering are left for the Gods at every possible occasion. Even in the shops and tourist restaurants you are expected to leave your shoes outside and there was an offering to Gods right in the middle of the dance floor yesterday at the disco bar (had to be careful not to step on it in my salsa). Every time you come back to your hotel cottage you find new flower offerings left on your entrance. No big pujas as in India, just numerous daily offerings and small rituals… And even though Bali is a hindu island in the islamic Indonesia I often have a feeling that indigenous believes rule this island of beauty. Right here right now on this mountain this feeling penetrates to the core of my soul…
Few more moments to contemplate in here in the silence and then I shall pull my raincoat out and make my way down the slippery stones to the footprints of this adorable mountain. More rice paddy field terraces awaiting for me and another water palace… A day of Balinese culture on the back of a bike:) … and then some cool beer or whine in the seafront restaurant back in my village with my feet dipped into the refreshing ocean waters… can't wait! And just made my mind - am coming back to this mountain. Have to make to the top even if that means fight with furious monkeys:) … yet preferably not in the rain so that I can enjoy the majestic panorama of the Agung!
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