Few snapshots of sunrises from few places in Bali

Sunrise at Sanur

Cloudy Sunrise at Amed

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I found this amazing view on the way to Pura Pasar agung and Wikipedia says:

There are two routes up the mountain, one from Besakih which proceeds to a higher peak and starts at approximately 1100metres and another which commences higher from Pura Pasar Agung, on the southern slope of the mountain, near Selat and which is reputed to take 4 hours. There is no path between the two routes at the top. Cecilie Scott provides an account of the ascent from Pura Pasar Agung. The mountain can be seen from various directions in video, there is a well produced video of the climb from Pura Pasar Agung and a short video from the top above Besakih. Greg Slayden describes a climb from Besakih claimed to have taken a remarkable four and a half hours to the peak and Ken Taylor describes a climb that took much longer and which included getting lost.

Guides are available in Besakih and the mountain can also be climbed without a guide. The climb from Besakih is quite tough. It is sometimes tackled as a single climb generally starting about 10.00pm for a dawn arrival at the peak and sometimes with an overnight camp about three quarters of the way up. It is far harder than the more popular Balinese climb up Gunung Batur. It is not a mountain that needs ropes and not quite high enough for altitude sickness but adverse weather conditions develop quickly and warm waterproof clothing is required and should be carried. There is no water available along the route.

Proceed through the temple complex then continue on a path that travels continuously upwards on a steep narrow spur through open forest and jungle most of the way. There is little potential to get lost until the route opens up towards the top where the correct route doubles backwards. Many climbers miss this turn and continue up a small valley which can be climbed out of with some difficulty.
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As a result, from Chinese immigration to Bali there are some numbers of assimilation products (for the former explanation see on the previous posting). “Uang kepeng” or Chinese coin and ceramics have been discussed in previous article; the others product of the assimilation between Chinese and Balinese culture are Chinese Baris Dance and Pelinggih Ratu Subandar.

Baris Cina / Chinese Baris dance.

One of famous Balinese dance is Baris or warrior dance. There are many kinds of Baris and Chinese Baris is one of them. This dance appeared for the first time in Semawang and Blanjong (Sanur) and it still exists there until now. Semawang and Blanjong were known as harbor where Chinese and other traders hang down.

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The first evidences of human appearance in Bali date back to the Stone Age, tens of thousands years ago, with the founding of few artifacts that are believed to be reminiscent of small bands of hunter-gatherers. These prehistoric bands lived and foraged in Bali’s jungle and scavenged the tidal pools of the island. Many Paleolithic implements have been found near Sembiran in northen Bali, and there is also evidence in the form of rectangular stone adzes, axes, blades, hoes and picks used by a Neolithic people of Bali.

The most spectacular remains of Neolithic civilization in Bali are remain of Neolithic settlement and a burial site of 100 mongoloid adults and children which were found in Cekik, south of Gilimanuk, West Bali. These are the mortal remains of coastal people who swam the strait and walked across to Bali via land bridge from East Java to Bali in their migration east through the islands from Indochina. Bali was already well populated by the time of Bronze Age began around 300 B.C.

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At the beginning of the creation, when earth was only 70 years old, the island of Bali was instable; earthquakes happened everyday for months, torrents rains, with constant lightning and thunders was the only weather. The god Pacupati, who resides in Mount Sumeru saw this condition and sent his three children to stabilize the island of Bali. His three children Hyang Gni Jaya, Hyang Putra Jaya and Dewi Danu came to Bali and reside in three different places; Dewi Danu resides on Mount Batur, Hyang Putra Jaya resides on Mount Agung, and Hyang Gni Jaya resides in Lempuyang Luhur.

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Lempuyang Luhur temple is a sacred temple which is located on the top of Belibis Hill, northeast of Mount Agung, in Karangasem regency. Lempuyang is one of the six major Temple in Bali besides Andakasa Temple, Uluwatu Temple, Watukaru Temple, Ulun Danu Batur Temple and Besakih Temple. In Balinese cosmogony, Lempuyang Luhur is considered temple of the East, the abode of god Iswara, keeper of the peace.

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There was a kingdom named Singgasana which is located in Tabanan. The King of Singgasana was a wise ruler and had one prime wife (prami) and several concubines (penawing). From the prami he had a son named Arya Rangon , he was the oldest children so he would replace his father as a king soon or later but he had bad temper, envious and jealous to his other brothers. From the penawing he had several sons and daughters but the most prominent of all was Ki Pucangan. He was named Ki Pucangan since his mother came from the village of Buahan. Ki Pucangan was the favorite of Tabanan people since he was kind and wise.

Arya Rangon hated Ki Pucangan to extreme point because when he was grown up he had a chance to be named as the successor since Tabanan people loved him. Arya Rangon contrived many attempts to kill Ki Pucangan but Ki Pucangan always managed to escape. One day Arya Rangon told Ki Pucangan to cut the biggest bough of a sacred banyan tree which grew in the center of the kingdom. The banyan tree was inhabited by evil spirits and demons no one dared to even to climb or linger around the tree. Ki Pucangan obeyed his step brother order, he climbed the tree and cut the biggest bough, he even sat on the falling bough, he felt to the ground but he suffered no injury.

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