Lingsar Temple is unique in that it is a multi-denominational temple used by the Balinese Hindus and the Wektu Telu Muslims, which combine local beliefs with Islamic beliefs. The temple was originally built in 1714 by King Anak Agung Ngurah.
We entered through the candi bentar, or split gateway. There are statues to local deities throughout the temple complex as well as a cleansing fountain where people go to purify themselves before offering prayers.
Offerings are an important aspect of the local religious customs and the bale pepelik, or offering pavilion, was one location where people left food, flowers, and other small personal items as a token of their devotion.
Canang sari, which are daily offerings made in woven baskets of palm leaves, were also abundant not only at the temple, but also at personal shrines located throughout the city.
While visiting the temple, we came across several interesting creatures.
The golden silk orb-weaver spider is one of the most impressive web makers in the spider world. In fact, the tips of their legs point inward in order to make them more efficient weavers. Their golden colored silk is incredibly strong and scientists have studied the proteins that make up the silk in order to reproduce it for use as a strong fabric.
The Emerald Tree Skink is a small carnivorous reptile that lives in trees. It is interesting to note that individuals seem to have a preferred tree that they call home throughout their life.
The Green Marsh Hawk Dragonfly is a very patient hunter. It has been known to sit motionless for long periods of time waiting to prey upon small butterflies and other insects.
Homes and businesses about town used a great deal of bamboo and corrugated metal sheeting in their construction. Most of the larger homes had satellite dishes and most of the businesses were small entrepreneurs with a single type of product, such as baskets or fruit, on display.
As we drove through town, we noticed a statue of two cows on a tandem bike and quite a few horse drawn carts weaving in and out of the other vehicles on the road.
In addition, there was a man with a very small tailor shop sitting with his sewing machine under a small awning. Looks like you can have alterations done while you wait.
People watching provided some interesting insights. Here are a few that we captured in photos.
Lombok has very rich volcanic soil good for growing things. Unfortunately, water is in short supply and this creates a problem for the farmers. Agriculture still plays an important role in the economy of the island and small farms were abundant.
The Nusa Tenggara Province Museum houses more than seven thousand artifacts relating to traditional arts as well as geology, biology, and archeology.
One unique exhibit highlighted a rocking horse with a padded seat that was used to comfort young boys following their circumcision.
The island of Bali, which is part of the country of Indonesia, has an area of about 2,200 square miles and a population of roughly 4.2 million people.
Since Bali is just 8 degrees south of the equator, year round temperatures tend to be in the 80s with a humidity level that runs between 85% and 90%.
Once again, performers in traditional costumes met our ship and entertained us with music and dance.
We spent our first couple of days in Bali in Ubud, which is in the more mountainous region of the island. There are many villages in Ubud and most of them specialize in producing a single product, such as batik, wooden carvings, or stone carvings.
Our home base in Ubud was the Uma Hotel. The hotel had beautiful grounds with lush tropical plants and a large koi pond next to the dining room where we had breakfast each morning.
