Leaving Lovina, on to Mt. Batur

What a relaxing morning! A leisurely breakfast, a stroll to the black sand beach (where Hoyt was immediately propositioned to buy a shirt and I yet another sarong), and back to our room to pack for our 12:30 departure. Then on the bus again with stops to visit a market – primarily food and the foodstuffs and supplies used for temple ceremonies. The vegetables were magnificent, especially the chilies, garlic and shallots. And we tried the black sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves that is used for temple ceremonies – quite a treat. Then, on to the old harbor area where an international mask exposition was underway, with displays not only from Indonesia but from all over the world.

Our sarong-tying skills were put to the test today as we visited a Hindu temple. A sash is also mandatory, but available at the entrance. Fortunately, I bought one at the market in Ubud. The sash has ceremonial significance but is also practical in that it keeps your sarong from falling off. The inner sanctum of the temple (actually, the third area in the compound, reached through a series of steps) is off-limits to everyone but priests. When someone is called to clean the temple, they must go through a purification ceremony; then, they can clean it. Since the temples are outdoor structures, this also involves pulling weeds that accumulate. On to Mt. Batur. It’s about 1500 meters up, and our hotel has a view of the lake below and of the volcano and craters from our room. They offer an optional trek to Mt. Batur, but this requires a 3:00 am wakeup call and two hours of trekking, and then you see the sunrise. We opted to see the sunrise from our room instead – been there, done that with Bromo. It’s nice and cool here, and by the time we arrived it was 6:00 pm. After resting, Hoyt and I joined the others for dinner at the hotel restaurant – really the only option, since everything else closes up here in the late afternoon. It was very good – we had chicken and coconut sate. So it’s time to turn in early to prepare for the sunset.