Although we were entirely happy and content at this point in our trip to stay put at our villa in Puri Asri, we were advised that a scenic trip to the coast would be a valuable venture for us. Our trusty guide, Made, planned to take us on a temple tour along the way. Made drove us up through windy steep mountain roads toward the temple, where we donned our sarongs and ventured in. We paid the small entrance fee and were advised that we needed a guide, which really frustrated us. This guide concept was one that we battled in Morrocco as well. It’s not that we have a problem with having a guide, it’s just that in these locations it’s forced upon tourists and often times it actually detracts from the overall experience. So we got a guide and he led us up the many steps toward the expansive temple complex. We were told that it would take two hours to tour around the many temples on the site. We were guided through a prayer in Indonesian style because as we were told “everyone is a Hindu when they enter the temple”. The largest temple was also the highest on the mountain and one could see all of the way down to the ocean from the temple steps. Our guide told us that once a year, the Balinese make a pilgrimage from the temple to the sea, which takes an entire day of walking through the thick brush and rice fields.
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