Benoa, Bali, Indonesia - Temples and monkeys

 

Pura Taman Ayun inner courtyard

We started our day touring a 17^th century temple, Pura Taman Ayun. It follows the traditional design of three courtyards separated by split gates.  It has a large moat surrounding the temple and a smaller one around the inner courtyard.

Making Bali Cake

Then we stopped for a snack at a wonderful restaurant and they fed us a number of local specialties including Bali cake. On to the Sacred Monkey Forest with over a thousand macaque monkeys. Dating back to the 14^th century, the monkeys are considered sacred animals Apparently there are 3 clans, each led by a dominant male. Unfortunately, the “rangers” that guided us through the short walk, end the tour at their shop, where they sell souvenirs.

Sacred Monkey Forest

Our final stop was the Tanah Lot temple built on the rocks above the Java Sea. It is a temple to the sea god of Bali.

Tanah Lot Temple

I must say, Bali isn’t what I expected. I pictured an idealistic tropical island with beautiful beaches. Little did I expect the crowded island with vast traffic jams that we encountered. Still a fascinating place of Hindu culture, but not a place I would want to live.

Family Life and the Caste system in Bali

The first name is based on your birth order: first, second, third, or fourth child. More than four? Start over again. A variation of the name indicates male or female. Your Hindu caste is indicated by your title:  one of four castes. The lowest caste has no title. The women change caste when they marry a man from a different caste. There is no shame in marrying a different cast in Bali, even into a different religion. Yesterday’s guide had a Moslem daughter and a Christian son. When a woman marries, she moves into her husband’s family home. When the father dies, the ownership of the home remains with all his sons. Even if the wife is widowed she remains in her husband’s family home. They all share a kitchen, and family area, but have separate bedrooms.