A sunny afternoon turned into a cloudy afternoon. That didn’t stop Devin and I from making a trip to the coastal temple of Tanah Lot. From Seminyak we headed to the small village of Beraban via Canggu, before hanging a left and finishing at Tanah Lot. Devin was eager to use his new camera so the cloudy weather was good, as clouds diffuse the light. Devin weighs about as much as Ika and Jevon together, so riding the bike with him is no worries at all. The journey to Tanah Lot took around 20 minutes, passing through some rice-fields in Canggu and closer to the temple. As we arrived, parties of Balinese people came and left wearing ceremonial attire, the women bearing offerings. I joked with one lady, asking if she had a snake in her basket.
Tanah Lot seems like another version of Disneyland when you first arrive, 2 lanes one for ‘domestic’ , the other for ‘international’. Devin and I couldn’t pass for locals, so drove through the international lane, paying 2,000rp parking and 10,000rp each for entry. Got to hand it to the Balinese, they make everything into a turnstile.
Down at the temple, parties of Japanese and Taiwanese people posed for photos, while Devin and I snapped the Balinese who were exiting the temple. One of the draws of Tanah Lot, is the fact that it is cut off from land at high tide, making it a bit of a lark to go over to the base of temple at appropriate moments. Devin and I went over to check out the fresh water spring and get a blessing from the priests, gathered there. They were cool and my donation was 5,000rp. One old guy invited me to splash the water on my face and sip a palm full. The water came out of a bamboo pipe and was fresh. No wonder this place is holy for locals. After the sip of water, a priest splashed holy water on my head and pressed some grains of rice on my forehead, planting a flower behind my left ear. Its all part of the Bali experience, these guys are doing it for cash, but one can get a taste of what Balinese people experience.
Tanah Lot has a ton of handicraft shops, warung, drink sellers, toilets and nick-nack vendors. Its an okay stop off for a hour.
