Tirta Empul

After lunch, we headed out of the crater, and back up to Penelokan. We stopped and attempted to visit a temple at Penelokan, but we were put off by the touts.

Getting back into the car, it was on to the village of Tampaksiring where we visited Tirta Empul, source of a holy spring and one of Bali's holiest sites. There, we saw worshipers bathing in the pool where the holy spring water collects. We also looked around the temple grounds. Tirta Empul has since become one of my favorite sites in Bali because it is a living cultural site that has not been repurposed solely into a tourist spot. There is also a great vibe to the place.

After Tirta Empul, we headed back to Ubud. Rae's expert navigation got us back safely to Santra Putra with no wrong turns. Pretty amazing! Arriving back in Penestanan, we ate an early dinner at Made's Warung next door. Made's Warung is a friendly, atmospheric place and we had a pleasant dinner there. We also looked at houses that Made had for rent as Rae was looking into staying in Ubud for a while.

We had heard that there was a temple performance at Kedewatan that evening, and we planned to head there after eating. Getting back in the car after dinner, we headed out to Kedewatan temple, arriving there around 8pm. There were a few people at the temple when we arrived but it was obvious that something had happened there and it was over. Darn it! We walked around dejectedly for a few minutes before a young man named Gyan approached us and struck up a conversation. Gyan told us about upcoming events at the temple and he invited us to these events, but they were scheduled for after my departure. Rae jumped at the opportunity and I was green with envy over the photos he posted on Facebook - including a full, unabridged, non-touristy barong and kris dance - in the weeks following our chance meeting with Gyan.Read more