Water Palace

We also visited the Water Palace on Lombok Island. In 722, the island’s king used the nearby river to create several pools on the grounds of the home he lived in during the dry season.

Locals still come here to swim, either in the paid pool, or in the free ones. I’m not sure what the difference is.

Many statues, and even some trees were festooned with checkered cloth called “saput paleng.” The black and white pattern symbolizes balanced forces of the universe.

I also saw “canang sari” which are offerings created to thank various deities. To create canang sari, worshipers use banana leaves and other natural fibers to create little baskets, then they add flowers and maybe some fruit and other items as offerings.

Since preparing them takes time, the act of creating canang sari is considered a prayerful expression of gratitude. I like the idea of combining prayer with a task that lets your mind both wander and focus.Read more