Bali Day 3 GWK and Beach

Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK), is a cultural park dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and home to the largest statues in SE Asia.

The statue, which stands 400 feet tall, is a representation of the Hindu god Vishnu and his mount, the Garuda bird. It was completed in September 2018 and took 25 years to finish.

Rising above it all, the grand and captivating statue was inspired by a famous story in Hindu mythology about the search for Amerta (the elixir of life). According to the myth, Garuda agreed to be ridden by Vishnu in return for the right to use the elixir to liberate his enslaved mother.

We were lucky to be in Bali during the Bali Galungan Celebration, which marks the return of the deceased to visit their homeland. Current inhabitants have a responsibility to be hospitable through prayers and offerings. The most obvious sign of the celebration is the tall Penjor Bamboo poles decoarated with offerings along the road at the entrance to every home.

Next stop - Uluwatu Seaside 11th Century Temple, Bali's most sacred, 230 feet above the ocean.
The Uluwatu Temple is not just home to the gods. It's the physical home to hundreds of long-tailed macaque monkeys. They are famous for stealing things from visitors and then holding them to ransom. One lady on our cruise had her iPhone snatched, and a guy had his glasses taken off his head while he was wearing them. Luckily, the guides were able to retrieve both ... for a fee.

On our way back, we saw a poster for the most expensive coffee in the world. Kopi Luwak is a coffee that consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and pooped out by Asian palm civets (think face of a raccoon, body of a cat). The cherries are fermented as they pass through a civet's intestines, then collected and processed. Yukkk. No, we did not try it, and the locals affectionately refer it it as CatPooChino. They say it's delicious.

After a hot and humid day, we headed to Nusa Dua Beach. Home to beautiful roads, gardens, and 5 star hotels that were built to host the G20 summit in 2022. Headed to the beach and local resort for a swim.
Big Thank you, as we sail on, to the Balinese people for sharing their culture, family life, and hospitality.Read more