Friday, May 1, 2009

Bali On The Go

Barong Dance
The Barong Dance represents an eternal fight between the good spirit and evil spirit. Barong, a mythologival animal represents a good spirit and Ragda,a mythological monster, represents an evil one.
The masks of Barong and Ragda are considered sacred items and before they are brought out
a priest must be present to offer blessings by sprinkling them with holy waters taken from Mount Agung, Bali.
Music is presented by a repertoire of musicians playing with traditional Balinese musical instruments.
Most modern Barong dances included skits incorporating jokes and humour as well as risque acts which are at times not tastefully demonstrated.

Pasar Badung, Denpasar
This local produce market is the largest market for all types of local Balinese products. It is situated in the heart of Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali. It consists of a multi-storey building as well as the surrounding open-air market for food, fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers & poultry. Connected to the building via a bridge over a river is another multi-storey building known as Pasar Kumbasari which offers a wide range of souvenir products.


Rice Terraces at Tegalalang
Many paddy terraces are found near the village of Tegalalang. However they compared poorly with the mountainous Banaue Rice Terraces located in Northern Luzon and built by the Ifugaos two thousand years ago. They also cannot compare with the majestic and scenic paddy terraces found in Longsheng, Guangxi Province, China

Dirty Duck (Bebek Bengil) Restaurant
The best crispy deep-fried duck I have eaten was at the Dirty Duck Restaurant or Bebek Bengil in Balinese language.
The restaurant faces a paddy field with newly constructed home-stay buildings lined on both sides of the restaurant. Indeed the rustic setting provides a tranquilising relief for "battle-wearied" tourists, fighting to keep their eyes open due to lack of sleep.





Gunung Batur and Danau Batur at Kintamani
Kintamani is a popular tourist destination due to the scenic beauty of its active volcano, Gunung Batur and the surrounding Lake Batur. There are six ancient villages at the foothills.
Gunung Batur is still an active volcano. It has erupted 24 times since the year 1800. The black lava can been visibly seen from the road built along the ridge of the next hill.
From the viewing gallery of the restaurants as well as from some spots along the road-side one can enjoy a panoramic view of Gunung Batur, Lake Batur and the tiny houses dotting the villages of the surrounding countryside.