Another short scooter ride outside of Ubud is Gunung Kawi, an 11th century funerary complex carved into rock cliffs. It spans both sides of the Pakerisan River, with ten rock-cut shrines carved into 23 foot high sheltering niches along the two cliffs, which face each other. There are also pools and fountains for purification, along with more plainly carved cave sanctuaries and newer walled courtyards with decorated wooden shrines.
Our friend, Pascal, getting fitted for his required sarong.
This 3 inch wide beauty could jump 2 to 3 feet & scared the crap out of us!
Garuda is the eagle-like protection god depicted in many houses, stores & shrines.
Bright magenta on the outside of its wings, but fluorescent teal on the inside! Too fast to get a clear picture of, though.
Ubud is the artistic center of Bali. We went to many shows & galleries while staying here. Also, geckos are super cool!
Wayang Kulit, the traditional Indonesian shadow puppet theater.
Tari Kecak is a Hindu dance and musical drama developed in Bali in the 1930's.
The evil King Ravana gets the chorus all flustered!
Hanuman, the monkey king, gets his turn
There are no musical instruments, just a seated chorus around which the characters perform.
Sanghyang Dedari, the Balinese trance dance. The girls perform with eyes closed, while in a trance.
Sanghyang Jaran, where a dancer “on horseback” kicks burning coconut husks.
Amazing sculptures carved from single tree trunks, displayed in the I Made Ada Gallery.
The men in this family have been carving for 4 generations!
The women do the painting after the carving is finished.
This was our prized purchase from our visit to Bali, and is now proudly displayed in our bedroom : )
A work of art in itself - the Tokay Gecko....
.... or as l like to call it, the F U Gecko.....
.... since it’s call sounds very much like it’s telling everyone to F___ off!
