Around Central Bali

On a brochure of possible tours available, we discovered there was a butterfly park not far from Ubud and decided then that we wanted to experience it.. The day long tour that resulted included temples and the famous terraced rice fields as well as the Butterfly Park. The Taman Ayu Temple was exactly as its name describes, “Beautiful Garden”. The manicured and extensive areas and levels of green were especially calm and soothing due to our being the first people there that morning. The main temple was closed but the wall around it was low revealing the interior containing pagoda temples and the surrounding moat filled with pink blooming lotus plants. We also learned that the black thatching on the temple roofs is from palm tree bark, is special and expensive. To us it definitely added to the beauty of each temple. On the way out we saw a large covered pavillion and learned it was used for cock-fighting when gambling was legal and now is used as a theatre for the community

Continuing through villages and rice fields we soon began climbing upward to Lake Beratan, a lake within a volcanic crater, and the site of the Pura Ulan Danu Bratan temple. This temple guarded by two large frogs is in the water beyond the walkway seeming to float there. The high mountain fog rolling in on the water and the cool breezes add to the mystical atmosphere. The beauty of this temple is commemorated on the Indonesian 50,000 Rupiah note. We could understand why this green landscaped terraced setting was the background for wedding pictures for two Asian couples while we were there.





Questions filled our minds as we saw the steep terraced fields that covered the mountainsides. How was it humanly possible to make these terraces hundreds or even thousands of years ago? How have they continued to stay there? Higher up on the mountain cool weather vegetables were being grown on the terraces. The bright green of the rice terraces gradually took over as we descended. A stop was made where we were able to walk out on the terraces to get an intimate look at the rice paddies and landscape there. We marveled at the engineering feat it took to form these terraces and maneuver the water flow to all of them. Successful crops can only happen when all the farmers involved cooperate as they seem to have done for generations. There are small sheds scattered throughout the fields and we saw a cow used for tilling resting in one of them. Also, many small altars dot the landscape. Offerings are made at each one of them daily to ensure an abundant harvest.

No visitors were at the Butterfly Park when we arrived. That caused us to be concerned if this was worth doing. IT WAS1 Soon we found out we would be followed by many tourists but in the meanwhile we were alone with the butterflies and the lepidopterists and others working there. We entered the huge mesh enclosed garden Marianne became interested in photographing butterflies in the trees, bushes and plants while Rajiv was drawn to a smaller mesh enclosed gazebo area. When inside, a lady came up to him with a large butterfly which she put on his shirt. She explained that it had been hatched that morning and couldn’t fly yet. She put 4 more on his shirt, the most outstanding being a bright green and black striped one. Marianne came upon this scene excited for Rajiv and immediately had butterflies placed on her. This was the nursery where we later became aware of the rows of different kinds of cocoons hanging from racks. The cocoons were as varied as the butterflies and moths they housed. The moths’ cocoons resembled a 3” long dried up leaf curled around itself. Other smaller butterfly cocoons had a metallic green oil slick color and there were some that were totally clear revealing the wiggling chrysalis visible inside. The garden was home to 15 different species of butterflies from throughout Indonesian, ones that could survive and multiply in this environment. We walked into another room within the enclosure that housed unique “bugs”. The same lady put a long, 8“-10” straw colored stick bug we’d not seen in its cage on Rajiv’s arm. This was repeated with a smaller 4”-5” mottled green and brown stick bug, a 4” bright green leaf bug and then a big shiny black rhino beetle. The finale here was a small white hopping insect resembling an orchid blossom placed on Rajiv’s hand. The lepidopterist/entomologist was especially pleased to have found someone as enthusiastic about the living creatures as she was.

We only exist because of 
 diversity.
May we embrace our differences.
 



Orchid Praying Mantis



Let us be filled with a sense of lightness and awe.

With our love,

Rajiv and Marianne