14 December 19 - Bali, Indonesia

This morning we arrived in Bali. This is a scenic land of active volcanoes, dense jungle, stunning beaches and a rich ancient culture.Bali is an island of tranquility in the often tumultuous Indonesian Archipelago. Bali's peaceful way of life, one marked by colorful ritual and genuine hospitality, has drawn tourists, artists and escapists for generations.

Today I opted to visit the highlands of Bali. The first stop was the Sangeh Monkey Forest a 34 acre sanctuary for hundreds of monkeys who roam wild. Monkeys are believe to be sacred in Bali and have unlimited reign so we were told to be careful that they did not steal our sunglasses or water bottles. The place is serene with gigantic nutmeg trees towering over you some that reach as high as 131 feet. 

The moment I stepped foot in there a large monkey jumped on my shoulder and head and he scared the life out of me! One of the locals took my picture and although not that clear it made for a cool experience and fun souvenir.

Inside a grove of trees sits the 400 year old Pura Bukit Sari Sangeh Temple.....just beautiful!

Next on our journey we went to Lake Bratan. Located almost 4000 feet above sea level this sparkling lake sits in the crater of Mt. Catur. Perched on the shore of the lake is a temple so famous it's featured on the country's 50,000 IDR note. Since it's completion in 1663 , Ulun Danu Temple has been the site of festivals honoring Dewi Danu, the Balinese water, lake and river goddess.

Unfortunately it started to rain so it was quite a challenge getting photos but somehow I managed. It would have been so much nicer in the sunshine but that's nature.

We then headed towards the twin lakes of Buyan and Tamblingan for a photo stop...again rain played a part but we made the best of it.

We were supposed to stop in the village of Tohpati to see a Batik demonstration but because of heavy traffic we were an hour late getting back to the ship so we had to cancel that stop.....was disappointing and people were not happy. I can't believe I did not spend a dollar the whole day..lol.