08 Bali, Indonesia

Arrived at the port of Benoa (city of Denpasar). As the ship was jockeying to reach the pier we had several planes fly right over the ship on their way to the airport. You could see in the far distance a huge monument. The smoke seemed to be coming from a fire somewhere in the foreground. After leaving the ship we were bussed to the town square in Seminyak for a chance to shop and explore the area. On the beachside where the busses dropped us off was a Hindu temple that I walked around and then took short stroll on the beach. Then it was on to Tanah Lot. This temple is perched on a rocky outcropping just offshore and is an important element of Balinese spiritualism and mythology. Right beside Tanah Lot is the Taman Ayun Temple, whose name means 'garden temple in the water' where we had a chance to wander around before time to return to the bus.