Pictures from the bus aren't that great but managed to get a couple. Here is one of many, many temples. This one has a thatched roof.
We are near the coast as several times there was a glimpse of the water.
Just a neat looking tower.
Ogoh-ogoh are statues built for the Ngrupuk parade, which takes place on the eve of Nyepi day in Bali, Indonesia.
Ogoh-ogoh normally have form of mythological beings, mostly demons.
Here is my first monster sighting from the bus.
All day long the people are out looking at the Ogoh-Ogoh, saying prayers at temples, making offerings of food to the Gods and generally making merry. Today is the day before Nyepi, the start of the new year.
I decided to hire a taxi to my hotel so added some extra time to drive me around in Denpasar.
Here I am going into a temple. Everyone is dressed in special clothing. I was allowed in if I took the large cotton scarf I was wearing around my neck and tied it over my pants.
My driver didn't speak enough English to answer many questions, so I am just guessing by their location these are guardians, but they could be Gods.
Inside the temple are many different small buildings.
One of the gates overgrown with moss,
This is a view of the temple from the street.
There was so much traffic and people milling around it was hard to even get a position to take a photo from.
Across from the temple more people, food stands and a park.
There were demons all over the city. They are paper mache images of the demons of the people to be exorcised by the ritual.
They were all very much action figures and showed gruesome postures of catching or chasing the people.
There extremities were free to flop a bit when the demon was moved which added to the reality.
A number had large sagging breasts.
In this picture you can see the bamboo frame that supports the figure. In the parade it was lifted by many young people and they turned and wiggled it is they walked which made it seem even more scary.
Here they are moving one.
These evil spirits are believed to be around the town so tomorrow everyone will stay inside fasting all day and the following day the images will be burned.
Bali has three Kings. This is the Palace of King number three. I didn't get his name.
A view inside the Palace Yard.
Now we come to the most famous temple called Jagatnata.
I donned my scarf skirt again and in I went.
It looks very old
Again, I think these must be guards. They have been dressed for the occasion.
Every temple had lots of activity. People were praying and chanting here. Others were visiting and eating.
They were filling bags with something which looked like water. More research needed here.
Finally arrived at my hotel in Legian which is a different town but it didn't seem we left the city to get here.
This flower is 2 feet long and in the garden here.
The stores and resturants were quickly closing so I dashed out to find some supper and have a quick look around.
This is the main gang we use to get to the hotel.
Later, several of us went out to the street for the parade. It was awesome! There are no streetlights but that just added to the mystery. All the ghosts were being caried along the street. They had lights on them, our only illumination, making them look even more errie and they were jiggled and twisted so they apeared to be moving. It was also raining lightly. Wow!
The people were chanting the same thing over and over.
The hotel told us that the lights all go off at midnight and we were confined to the hotel tomorrow all day until sunrise the next day.
Well, we have a pool and they will cook food for us. Things are really tough.
The staff is not allowed to eat because the locals fast for the day.
Read rest and swim. How bad can it be?
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