Sweet Bali Hai Part. 2

Everyday the Balinese place these around their homes,
1 offering for the good spirits , in hopes to keep them around and 1 for the evil spirits to
 keep them away. They are placed on different levels good high up and closer to home and the evil on the ground and in the entrance way.


**This blog is a continuation you can read Part 1 Here!**

    So here we are on day 6, in Bali, Indonesia. This place really is special, so much to do and see. We are finally fully rested and ready for a day of fun. What is on the agenda today? Renting moto bikes and cruising around the island. Moto bikes are a great way to get around, and usually don't cost to much. I get pretty scared on them mainly because I have absolutely no control over what happens, and traffic all over Asia is crazy and unpredictable. Luckily for me, Nick is a great driver, and respects my wishes when it comes to the speed... It could be the speech I give him every time we hop on, "If you kill me you will have 2 very angry Italian parents that will come and hunt you down!" lol


First stop on our tour of the island is a beautiful Sacred Monkey Temple. It took us about a half hour to get there, with some amazing scenery along the way. I really enjoy going to temples because you get to learn the religion and it helps you to understand the culture. Unlike the rest of Indonesia, Bali is mostly a Hindu country (about 93%), Muslim (5%), and the rest is Christian and Buddist. When we spoke to most of the Balinese we got many mixed feelings about all the religions. We sat down to eat one day and our server asked us where we were from and we said of course 
        "America", he responds with.. 
        "Ohhh Obama, I don't like him" 
        I kindly inquired, "Why Not?"
       "Because he is Muslim, and they try to take over our country, I love George Bush, he is a very strong man!" 


I kindly smiled and tried my best not to vomit in my mouth a little. This has been one of the only negative responses I have heard about Obama since being abroad. Most of the time it is a pretty positive response. The Muslim community has such a strong influence on Indonesia especially since the rest of the country is muslim. However, like most places it is not always a positive one. Today was actually the 5th anniversary of Bali bombings from the muslims. They planted bombs and blew up a very tourist populated area killing many people. But, I am not here to preach about religion or politics! 


So back to the Sacred Monkey Temple! 

          Upon arrival we have to sign a waver and if desired purchase life insurance! Why would we need something like this in a temple you ask? Well, unlike most temples this one is inhabited with over 300 monkeys! They run around freely and you can play with them if you wish, but at your own risk! lol 
 
        The temple itself was very beautiful and naturally designed with Monkeys all over it. Unlike Thai temples that usually have Elephants! Monkeys are highly respected in this country and treated accordingly. We were able to enter the temple as long as we were dressed properly. Shoulders, and legs covered they provided cloths for us to cover up with! Here is our motley crew, Monkeying around..[pun intended]
































         After we paid our respects to the temples, it was time to go play! It was really scary at first because there were monkeys everywhere!! You really had to keep your head on a swivel because these monkeys were very cheeky!  

Adorable Monkey Family! 

Me and my new friend, who tried to steal
my earrings right out of my ears!

We were warned ahead of time, not to wear sunglasses, hats, or anything that could easily be removed by them. Naturally, Nick ignored this warning and got his glasses stolen by this little guy! He took them right off his face and ran up into the tree...

                                                                                                                                  

         


...and put them on! One of the security guards spotted this and took his sling shot out.. shot him and he dropped them immediately. It was pretty entertaining! 


















        After about 2 hours of playing around, we headed out and got some lunch, hopped on our moto bikes and headed home! There were some beautiful sites along the way. Rice fields, temples, and beautiful art work, which Balinese is famous for, so of course I had to purchase some! Overall, it was an amazing day! We got a little lost on our way home but after swerving in and out of traffic arrived safely at our Guest house, just in time for dinner!

Until next time...

Cheers!