Last night we went to bed early. Doing nothing much can be tiring. I think the weather is really starting to wear us down as it seems warmer than last year in August.
Up early. ( I wake at 5am again) Read some posts on the BTF check my emails and double check the places we are to go today. I forget to transfer my last blog page info over the to the BTF. I'll do it tonight I think.
We are breakfasted and all organised by 8. Today we are to meet Wayan who is to be our driver today. I've asked about going to the Lake Temple, Goa Gajah and to The Mother Temple at Besakih.
We head out to the front at 8.30 hoping to sneak in a coffee before we go but Wayan is there already. So introductions over we chat about our hoped for trip. The lake Temple is ruled out as it is in a different direction ( drats! maybe next time) He suggests instead that on the way back we stop near Klungkung for lunch and the go to the Kings Palace and see the museum there.
Off we set. Chatting about the villages we go through. The wood cavers, silver smiths, stone carvers etc. Eventually heading away from the towns and up into the mountains. We compare driving rules in Australia to Bali. Explain that all motor bike riders must wear helmets. That all drivers must be 17 at least. Even if just going to school. He is convinced our eldest of 15 1/2 could be riding a motor bike. He is tall. He's about 175cm ( 5'9 at least) He tells us that helmets are fairly strictly enforced if you go into a large town or cross the bypass but for local riding no one worries. I see lots of very small children wearing beanies, somehow I doubt this will help much in the event of a crash. At least locally the cars tend to stick to under 40 kms most of the time and its not uncommon to see cars going at 20-30 kms an hour. I've been watching the speed dials on the taksi's we've been taking. I explain that to go to work I travel 60 kms each way. Wayan is amazed at this. Then I tell him I usually drive at 100- 110 kms all the way there except in the towns I pass through. He can't imagine that. He asks why I don't use a motorbike and I explain I have o watch out for timber trucks. He points at a small van. "Like that one? he asks. I use the small van as a base size and explain at least twice as tall and threes times as long. He keeps repeating, "120 kms for work?" He can't quite believe it.
Soon we are at Goa Gajah. he gives us instructions on what to do at the ticket sellers and if we choose to accept a guide, what to pay. 20,000. Youngest son and I are wearing 3/4 shorts so just to be correct we wear sarongs as well as a sash. Eldest glares when the sarongs come out. He is worried he'll have to wear "a skirt" too. He is being difficult today. Doesn't want to be here out in the sun and on a "family" outing. he's till mumbling about going home tomorrow, feeling hungry, it being hot. etc. Husband and Eldest are given a sash to wear.
We walk past the inevitable stalls selling goods to the ticket counter. There is a man nearby with a big python trying to tempt everyone to have a photo with the python. I notice the python's mouth is taped shut with clear tape. Tickets bought. We pay for 3 adults and one child. (Can't remember the price now but later I can ask hubby.) and then are directed to some steps going down.
We go down the steps ( photos to be added) and it not the first part of the temple. A guide comes up. Telling us he is there to explain about the temple. He tells us that some people pay him 4 or 5 to guide him. We've been told by our driver to pay him 20,000 at the end of the tour and no more. We are shown around the various sections of the temple. There is both the remains of a Hindu temple completely destroyed in the early 1900's ( 1917? 1907?) and further down a Buddist temples which was also destroyed at the same time.We visit the cave. More pictures, though I'm not sure how many will turn out as I try turning my bi foclas upside down so that I can focus the camera.
There are 2 bathing areas in the centre of the temple grounds. One was for males and one for females to wash themselves in before praying. Now people sometimes wash their hands for luck. We decline. We'd be using all our hand sanitiser up afterwards. There are some huge black koi in the water and some smaller light coloured ones. As we watch one of the big black koi has a smaller one for lunch. The other black ones become quite worked up about this and there is quite a stir in the water. I don;t fancy putting my hands anywhere near the water.Have photos taken and then wander down more steps to the site of the what was the Buddhist temple. Everything is slightly overgrown, green and lush.. There are small rice pools and a good few steps. My knees are not thrilled. At one stage doing up a big step I trip. and fall. Fall 2 of our trip. I am trying to save my camera which is round my neck. Our guide undoes my sarong and sash, checks to see if I have hurt myself and then folds up the sarong. Oh dear. I'm not sure what the story is. Am I in trouble? Will I get them back? We are still heading down towards the buddhist temple. Later I realise he was checking I was wearing long enough trousers. That I didn't really need the sarong. But I'm not sure why he didn't leave me with the sash. 
At the end of our visit we hand over our 20,000 to the guide. He is not impressed. I hand him another 20,000. I'm not going tot tell Wayan we gave in.
Back up to Wayan and the car. Past all the sellers and time for some water. Wayan checks that it was ok. "Did we have a local guide?" Yes we say, but of course don't tell him about the extra Rp paid.
It's off to Besakih, The Mother temple. There are to be many steps. I take some extra panadol with my water. Through more small villages , we see many signs for spices, kopi luwak( I explain to hubby and the boys about this, though eldest claims he already knows)As we get further up into the mountains parts of the road are missing. Just small 10 m or so sections where there are huge ditches in the road where rain has washed it away. . Eldest continues to grumble. We are getting good at ignoring him.
We stop part way for some photos. Looking down at Lake Agung?. Wow. We have come so high I feel my ears pop several times. ( pics to come)We discover that the batteries in both the point and shoot cameras are useless. Despite being fully charged they are claiming to be flat. Youngest gets off about 5 shots before they refuse to work.
As we near the temple at Besakih we need to pay for parking. 15,000 each. Not for the driver. Just us tourists. We park, with market sellers around us and our driver, Wayan takes us up to the guide desk. There are several men there. He negotiates with them to makes sure we pay the correct amount. Then calls over one of the guides who is still across in an open pavillion. I should have taken a photo.
Soon our village guide. Made is walking us up the slope towards the temple. OMG steps! not a few. hundreds. I groan.
The guide tells us about the various temples without the complex. The ones for the royal family. The ones for locals. We'e already been told about the different sarong colours. (Black and white good/bad) yellow and white for ( argh can't remember) Batik sarongs for those who have business or work in the temples. Sorry if this is not correct. My main focus was the steps. I didn't want to trip or fall again. Up and up we go, and then Up some more. 1000 ft. we stop.
The views are amazing. More steps.
"We go to the top?" says Made. Hmm. More steps. "Just a slope," he says. "Ok". Up we go around a corner and more slope. But there are more steps!. Made laughs. Not for me. Eldest is complaining again. His stomach hurts. He sits with me and youngest and hubby follow the guide up, up up. They take the camera with them.
Eldest mumbles more about his stomach. He's not sure if he is just hungry or if it's something else. I tell him we are going for lunch next. it's 12.40. In my bag I have some emergency Mylanta and Panadol and Immodium. I begin to think we might need to use something.
Youngest and Hubby return and Made starts to lead us back down the hill. He does suggest further temples in the forest behind us but we decline. Down, down and finally back to Wayan. My knees have had enough.
It's time for some lunch. Hopefully that will fix eldest's stomach.
Down a bumpy track and past some homes. We see many people making bricks for fence walls. I explain to Wayan that in Australia people mostly use tin for their fences not often stone or bricks as it is too expensive.
Soon as are at the restaurant. You are paying for the view of course. We invite Wayan to join us but he tells us has already eaten while we are at the temple.
Once we are seated I offer eldest some Mylanta. and we go to get some food. He isn't took enthused though and soon disappears to the loos. The rest of us eat. There are a mix of simple asian dishes. and chips. :) youngest goes for some chicken, pork , white rice and chips. We all try a few things. Afterwards I try black rice which was done as a dessert for the first time. Nothing too exciting about it. I am more excited about the salak's I see. So I have one and actually manage to convince youngest to give one a try. I think it might have been a little under ripe. But still it was nice to have one after so long. Eventually eldest emerges. He's deathly pale. We finish our meal and decide to leave. We'll forgo the Kings Palace and get eldest home.
Eldest sleeps most of the way. I think it is just the heat getting to him more than anything.
We see many jackfruit bagged in trees and for sale as well as durian during the journey down the mountain.
We pass some new parts of road that are being built in solid cement rather than normal tarmac. Wayan says that it will be additional road for the heavier trucks to use.
We arrive back at the Gardenia and eldest heads for his bed. We all decide to have some quiet time. I want to finish the last few chapters of my book so I can start on the new one for the plane trip home.
It's soon 5 and eldest is feeling a little better. He wants to borrow the laptop. I hand it over. It's the last I see of it until morning. I decide to go for one last walk and perhaps to do a little shopping. We check what money we have and decide not to go for one of the lounge areas in the airport. I'm hoping Maria Fashions will be open.
Down past the taksi's, the street vendors, and to Maria's Shop. It's open but there have not had any more pants in. I look at some blouses and end up buying 3. They will be perfect for work . 125,000 each. I pay 360,000. She is fixed price.
Back up the street again. I get back to the G and find hubby in conversation with a bloke with a beer in hand. The bloke, not hubby. It is Ron. "Bloody Ron" He's come to say hello and see who this person is who has been checking out his pub. :) It turns out that many years ago he lived about 35 kms from where we now live. Was great to meet you Ron. I enjoyed our chinwag.
Several beers later Ron heads off home and we consider getting some tea.
Eldest is feeling better and in need of food.A hamburger for him. Youngest just feels like chips so he can squash in more icecream. 2 chicken snitzels for us. We are just about to tuck into our meal when there are more arrivals. Gloria and Ming the owners of the gardenia arrive. They are just back from Australia. So we get to meet them too. We talk in general about the costs of life in Bali and running a business. Jsut casual stuff. Passing the time. They ask if we've enjoyed our stay. Will we return? Of course, we hope to some day.
We declare that the chicken snitzel has topped our list of "must have" meals. She says, she is about to have the same. We are left to eat our meals.Youngest decides to save some of his chips. We are leaving so early in the morning that we can't have our normal breakfast. We've been offered cake, museli, and drinks to take with us to the room. Hubby and I opt for some pancakes and eldest chooses cake. He loves the chocolate cake, even managing to squeeze in a slice after his hamburger. I'm guessing he feels ok again.
We all head back to our rooms. Time to pack, see if everything will fit in. Then perhaps a swim and one last coffee. We pack, I accidentally pack my bathers and can't be bothered digging them back out. The boys bring in all their gear that they don't need for the morning. We realise we'll need anther bag for our purchased shoes.
2 pairs of sandshoes, 2 pairs of lace up shoes and 2 pairs of boots. I send hubby for a bag. he doesn't want to go by himself but my knees have had enough walking, climbing. One bag later we are packed.
Hubby and I go for one last coffee.
Looking towards the Gardenia. Left side of the road. Almost centre in the photo. It's the place with the white balustrade.
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