For some time I have wanted to travel all of the coast roads of Bali so that I can say, if only to myself, that I have been 'everywhere' on the island.

My first real adventure away from the security of Sanur or Tuban or (dare I say it?) from the high and easy life of Nusa Dua was to Ubud in 1999. From this beginning it was an easy step to Sukawati, Ubud again, Bedugul and Singaraja/Lovina as well as Candi Dasa in the following years. In 2003 we seriously ventured forth to Negara in the west and the idea of going along all of the coastal roads gelled.

This year I was determined to make a dent in the largest part remaining, the east coast road from Lovina/Singaraja around towards Tulumben and Amed, which had disappointed us so much on an earlier holiday in Candi Dasa.

Along this road I had read of a carved stone wall that I wanted to see. It clearly depicts a cyclist, generally thought to be W O J Niewenkamp, a Dutch Colonial Administrator sent out from the Dutch capital of Singaraja in 1904. Although at this time the Dutch had long been in control of north Bali, around their capital of Singaraja, they had little influence elsewhere, particularly beyond the central mountain and further south. His mission was to report on the geography, culture, political organisation, allegiances, agriculture and, generally, the potential value (to the Dutch East India Company) of this unknown land. He was also to recommend means by which the Dutch might divide and control the various regents and the populace.
Apart from the rather unique link with the history of the island and the astounding feat of endurance shown by his circuit of the island, riding on only village paths and stock tracks, the remarkable feature of the carving is the way the bicycle's wheels are depicted. This might have been the first time the carver had seen a bicycle, or perhaps he never really saw it but relied only on reports from others who themselves could only have seen a bicycle for the first time. Bicycle wheels, of course, were an unknown concept but they were circular, like the outline of well known flowers - so the bicycle's wheels were carved as flowers!
This carving is on the wall of Pura Meduwe Karang (the Temple of the Masters of the Lands) in the village of Kubutam Bahan only about 10 Km out of Singaraja. Be ready for it or, like us, you will be past it in a flash and have to save this objet d' art for a future trip.

About 25 Km east of Singaraja the road veers ever so slightly away from the views of the coastal beaches but at the end of this deviation, through the scrubby trees, you can see a black, old fashioned, high-sterned boat sitting atop a rock. This signals the Temple on the Rocky Corner, Pura Baru Pojok Batu.
Pull over to the left into the car park of the temple and cast an eye down the slope to the rocky shore of a beautiful little bay.

To get the most out of this wayside stop you will need to hire temple garb from the priest's stall. Also buy a container if you want to collect Holy Water for your driver or Balinese friends and purchase an offering basket from the small warung. Thus armed, one of the several priests will lead you down the steps to the rocky beach and the carved boat on the rock and tell you the story of the temple before showing you just where to place your offering and  filling your container from the spring that flows freely from the rocks just at the base of the steps.

The story -
Nirartha was a famous priest and scholar of the Majapahit Kingdom in Java before the spread of Islam there in the 16th century. As the influence and power of the Majapahit waned on Java Nirartha moved to Bali where it still influenced the royal houses and court life.

As he wandered the coasts of Bali frequent miraculous events occurred which today are marked by revered temples, perhaps the most famous of which is Tanah Lot, the seaside 'sunset' temple on the south west coast not far from Kuta/Legian/Seminyak.  (Others are Pura Rambut Siwi on the far west coast and Pura Ulu Watu perched high on the spectacular cliffs on the very south coast.)

As Nirartha passed the along north coast he spent some time meditating at 'the rocky corner'. One morning he saw that a shipwrecked boat of merchants and pilgrims from the neighbouring island of Lombok had drifted into the bay and was up just off the shore. The seafarers were starved and dying of thirst when they fortuitously grounded in this cove.

Nirartha caused a fresh water spring to flow from the rocks on the shore and so saved the people.

Some years later, as the miraculous nature of this event became widely known and recognised, a temple was built to commemorate the occasion and over time it has grown into the Pura Baru Pojok Batu of today where the (now holy) spring still flows.

Returning to the car park, we found Made sitting cross-legged receiving a blessing and purification. We gave him the water bottle and received the 'tourist special' blessing which allowed us up the steps past the Kul-kul (the warning drum) tower and into the temple courtyard.

We've found before that Made really likes the holy water from temples we visit where it is on offer. He rarely gathers it himself as it would not do to leave the car and our possessions unguarded. We have heard before that when he takes it home to the warung where his wife Ketut will still be working the whole family is called, the neighbours stop as they pass and others  are summonsed to arrive. Ketut handles the blessing of Made, all of the family, friends and passers by, 'The whole damn warung', as Made told us on one occasion.

An interesting note is that the water bottles are never placed on the floor of the car ('Too close to the demons') but are usually put into plastic bags and tied up to the hand grabs above the doors.

 
Soaring 'penjors', the highly decorated bamboo poles which signify a ceremony, near Puri Baru Pojok Batu and Her purified self (rice grains at throat and forehead) with Her own special temple priest.

The boat which is the focal point in the story of the creation of the temple on the rocky corner.

The culmination of this little adventure came the following afternoon.
We had been talking to friends about Made's plight since the old 'boss' went bankrupt and Made found himself without a vehicle to drive, seeking their suggestions and advice. Without any pressure on our part we suddenly became the catalyst for the accumulation of a deposit, a letter of guarantee for a loan and the promise of work at a villa all of which would make it possible for our friend to sign up for a new Suzuki passenger van.
We surreptitiously arranged to visit Made, Ketut and eldest brother Wayan at the warung the next morning where we had a little family gathering in the back room to make the offer to them. As we had hoped the opportunity was accepted and Made slowly came to grips not only with the prospect of daily work again but also with a monthly repayment cost of two and a half million rupiah for the next three years.

We left them to talk in private and wandered off to the Pantai Restaurant for lunch with Made scheduled to pick us up in an hour or so for a visit to the huge new Carrefour shopping complex. On the way out there I casually asked him about the Ketut's reaction to the holy water when he got home the previous night. He regaled us with the usual story of everyone arriving and the water flying everywhere.
'Pretty damned good holy water it was too I reckon. Maybe the best yet.' I said with a grin from ear to ear.
He looked at me and I could almost see the mental link between holy water and new vehicle in his eyes.
He couldn't help himself and burst into spasms of laughter.
I had to steady the wheel for him.

Wayan, Made and the new vehicle. 'Brothers Transport, Bali.'

I was a little amazed at the degree of development as we went further along the road towards Tulumben. Making assumptions from a perusal of the map, one would believe that there were only a few scattered villages between Singaraja and Tulumben but the reality is quite different and I found the drive very interesting, fixing a desire to do it again, but more slowly so that there will be time to investigate the by-ways. One of the places I want to go is to the Yeh Mempeh waterfalls near the village of Les (therefore often called the Les Waterfalls) and another is to Tulumben where there is a World War II Liberty ship wreck just a few metres off the shore that makes a great snorkelling site. Also along this coast there are at least two sea salt panning enterprises and I am curious to find out if they differ at all to the one we've seen at Kusamba* on the south coast.
*(Go to page 5 at this link and the salt story is about half way down the page.)
We made a belated effort to find the shipwreck at Tulumben but, although we found a nice beach and some friendly locals we had long passed our intended destination. We should have been on 'jam karet', Bali time, and going much slower.
 

Black sand beaches at Tulumben near the wreck of the Liberty ship and lucky children who can spend their days playing in this beautiful place while mama sleeps nearby.
 

A little further on we came to a bleak landscape of stunted trees and seared grass where the road ran through a cutting. In the distance Mount Agung, the highest in Bali at 2567 metres, pulled cotton wool clouds down over its eyes as if to hide the destruction it had caused with its last eruption.
What a contrast to the lush greenery that we usually associate with Bali.

The most recent lava flows from Mount Agung were during 1963-4 and they ran towards the coast here near Tulumben. After over 40 years this is the stunted re-growth of what was once a tropical forest.

Not much further on past Tulumben the road swings gradually to the right, heading inland and up the lower slopes between Agung and Mt Seraya (1238 metres) through Culik and towards Abang and the water palace at Tirthagangga, named after the revered River Ganges in India.
Along this road are some of the most spectacular rice fields and terraces to be found anywhere, or at least anywhere I've been, in Bali.
From the edge of the road, without even getting out of your car, you can look down on vistas like these.

Rice terraces along the road near Abang which is between Tulumben and Tirthagangga, a nice days drive from Kuta or Sanur with stops at Padang Bai and Kusamba along the way and refreshments at Candi Dasa too. I think these are the most spectacular and extensive in all of Bali and they're easily viewed from the road.
 

From Abang we drove without stopping at Tirthagangga or Amlapura or Bug Bug, straight to Candi Dasa where hunger and thirst, as well as a desire to re-acquaint ourselves with the 2003 memories on the Grand Natia hotel and particularly its dining bale that is suspended high above the edge of the shore with views across the Badung Strait to the islands of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida.

It's still there and we enjoyed the food, the Bintangs, the views and the memories again before heading off on the last leg back to the Dynasty at Tuban.

It is the recent completion of this fairly flat and straight road inland from the south-eastern coast, a real super highway by Bali standards, that makes this eastern route to the north now so much more viable than in the past. The 40 or 50 kilometres passed so quickly, even with the late afternoon traffic around and through Denpasar, and we settled in with ample time for a swim and a refreshment or two at the pool bar before heading out to dinner.

Just another day in Paradise, as they say.

Kermit the Gym Junkie and world-travelling frog ready for Peking Duck at the Golden Lotus restaurant in the Dynasty hotel.

Links:

*  Back to the 2007 selection page to either move on or move back to another part of our holiday.

*  Back to our Home Pages for a different selection of information sheets, stories and pictures.

*  A couple of photos of the Water Palace at Tirthagangga in east Bali, a 'must-stop' place if you venture out this way.

*  Some photos of Candi Dasa including the Grand Natia Hotel and its bale that hangs over the water.

*  Stuck in an Aussie winter but dreaming of Bali? So did I once, or maybe more than once.

*  'An Evening on Legian Beach.' Badak Sinting' ('Crazy Rhinoceros') recounts.

*  The Bali Travel Forum summary. All you ever wanted to know about Bali. The pages that most visitors to our pages are looking for.

*  The on-going source of up-to-date Bali information, The Bali Travel Forum. Ask your questions here and get personal answers. You will need to be on-line and give it time to make the connection