Tanah Lot

Bali - Tanah Lot The Hindu temple of Tanah Lot is set on a small island about 45 minutes drive from Kuta. During low tide visitors can walk out there and look at the caves and take pictures but are not allowed in the temple itself. My friend Ketut tells me that the temples in Bali are arranged geographically to provide maximum protection for the people of Bali. Many years ago the gods showed the locations for them to be placed with a ray of light from the heavens. Some are locate on cliffs some on islands as is the case in Tanak Lot and Manjangan. All in dangerous places. There are 8 main temples that protect from the north, south, east, and west. And the other 4 winds NE, NW, SE, and SW. Tanah Lot, Pura Uluwatu, and Pure Sakenan protect from the south. Pura Panjok protects from the north. PuraBaji is a lesser temple to the north that is for the water. (Not quite sure what it does but it has something to do with the water.) Pulaki, Yehembang and one on Menjangan Island are ready in the west. And  Pura Lemouyang is in the East. Besakih near Mt. Agung is a mother temple protecting the center. It gets a lot of tourists but I recommend giving it a pass because of the relentless pressure from the touts and guides there. The family temples scattered around Bali are far more interesting and the ceremonies are a real experience. Ketut says that in America the people are surrounded by ballistic missles for protection but in Bali they are protected by the temples and he feels that they are protecting him and his family from harm. The people here take their religion quite seriously. The cleansing ceremonies after the bombings were a very real and sincere effort to ward off any new evils from Bali. That is one reason it is good to dress appropriatly at their ceremonies so as to not insult the people or the spirits. At sunset it is really a beautiful place with the surf rolling in for a background it makes a beautiful postcard picture. There are tour buses or you could ride a rented motorcycle from Kuta. Another option would be to take a taxi from Kuta and have the driver wait for an hour or two while you have a look around. Around 150,000 rupiah is a good price. Make sure to organize a round trip because it would be difficult to get a lift back if your ride is not waiting for you. Many tourists from Java will be there also and will often ask if they can have a picture taken with you. That is kind of a neat phenomonan and they love to do it especially if you have kids along. That is pretty common at the tourist sites around Java as well. It makes it kind of fun. There is a 10,000 rupiah entry for foreigners and 5,000 rupiah parking fee for the car. Row after row of shops line the walk way down to the beach. The vendors are not as aggressive as in some other parts of Bali and if you don't show any interest they don't bother you too much. There are some scenic rice fields on the way and it makes a nice afternoon trip if you want to escape from Kuta for a while. Bali - Tanah Lot 2006  www.dutchpickle.com