I started June 20, 2016 right, with a breakfast of fried rice (nasi goreng) and watermelon juice. Dave and I hired Rajin, the taxi driver we met near the Ubud Palace last Friday, to show us some new adventures on our last day in Bali. Bali only has so many great things, and so there were some repeats.
We visited another wood carving factory, and we were again awed by the carvers' expertise. Bali and China produce the best, most affordable wood carvings in the world.
We watched a father, already a master carver, teaching his son to carve. The son was at least the third generation of carvers.
In the showroom, we exclaimed over the huge, expensive pieces, and then bought ourselves something smaller--two beautifully carved statutes of Indonesian lovers, with the elongated, sinuous lines I have loved all my life in my mother's statue from Indonesia, which I inherited from her. One statue we bought was made by the father in the anteroom, teaching his son to carve. The other statue was made by the father's father, who died several months ago.
Rajin drove us through the farmland around Sukawati, his home town, 30 minutes south of Ubud. He pointed out the fields of rice, soybeans, and vegetables. We watched a farmer in his field, planting rice.
Rajin took us to the Sukawati Puraer Jeruk temple, near the sea, and said proudly, "Real Bali! No tourists!" He pulled sarongs and sashes from his car trunk and encouraged us to explore the temple, alone and undisturbed by the throngs of tourists and their cameras which we saw at some of the other sites.
I loved this statue of Garuda, one of the Hindu gods. Garuda is the symbol of Indonesian Airlines.
We also took an up-close look at a temple offering, composed of different varieties of leaves and flowers.
We looked across the strait to Nusa Penida, a small island off Bali's coast.
As we drove Bali's roads, we saw hundreds of temples inside stone walls. When we asked what they were, Rajin said, "house temples." Today, Rajin took us inside the compound where he lives with his wife, three adult children, and his brother's family. Half the compound is taken up by a group of ten or more temples upon which his daughter places offerings each morning. Twice a year Rajin and his family invite their friends and relatives for a large celebration at their "house temple." Rajin said that everything is top quality, including real volcanic rock instead of cement, and that he paid $400,000 US for his temples.
Rajin introduced us to his "number one" daughter, Kata, who designs clothes which are sold at a boutique in Ubud. She lives in her husband's parents' compound with her husband and two children. Kata also does tarot readings. We signed up as Facebook friends.
Rajin posed with Dave next to his temples.
Rajin took us to the Masari Villas in Sukawati, where we reserved our RCI time share week. We canceled the time share when Sophia got sick and rented something simpler and cheaper in Ubud. Masari Villas was spectacular, with individual villas, individual pools, and suites of bedroom, bathroom, and sitting rooms. Another time, we'll have to come back to Masari Villas and relax in Balinese splendor!
Rajin took us to one more batik factory, and we watched with fascination as women traced intricate designs with wax. The fabric was then dyed and the wax removed. I bought several batik tablecloths to take home.
We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Bali Bird Park. It was an impressive place, with a huge selection of tropical birds shown in large, covered aviaries and individual cages.
We attended a bird show at which cockatoos, pelicans, and other birds zoomed from spot to spot around a park, rewarded by treats offered by their trainers. A gaggle of geese and peacocks, which had been roaming the bird park free, bustled up to share in the treats.
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