Today we have done another walk to visit a waterfall before it get too hot and then drove towards Toya Bungkah from where we will start a trek to the summit of Mount Batur. Apparently there is a certain concern about Mount Batur and the fact we can not climb it without a guide (which cost about 300.000 IDR per person > $30 AUD). Some people have been in trouble when they tried. A bunch of 20 guides started to kick them in the legs and even grab a person to threaten her with a cigarette in the eye. Well, we might take a guide and avoid this kind of exceptional problem. Some guide book call for a boycott of this area as it getting worse and worse over the years.
Map.
Back to this morning we’ve started walking towards the waterfall. From what told us the manager of the hotel there is about 2 hours return. Let’s go!
As always, the nature is very generous.
About 30 minutes later we have climbed already quite a bit. The view is good!
Often along the road we can see those roosters lock in their cage. This might be a kind of birth control process. I don’t really know why the chicken are mainly free but not the roosters.
We have reached a village. Not much people in the streets but still some scooters driving around.
These are cloves. People harvest them and let them dry onto those big blue tarp.
These ones have started to dry already.
And these look more like the one we usually buy at the supermarket.
Some doors’ header are really amazing and very detailed.
We must have bought our tickets for the waterfall (20.000 IDR) and we are now walking towards it. The guy told us to turn left only at some point because if we turn right we will have to pay again. What? Apparently this is cause by the fact there is different villages or communities from where we can access to the waterfall. Weird system…
The waterfall!
And its swimming hole.
Lets go down :-)
Nearly their.
Now we must follow the river.
The waterfall in action.
I like those big leaves which move all together with the same pace. The atmosphere is great.
Gilles is already in the water :-)
I hesitated to go but finally I’ve joined him. We did such a long walk to come here, I must have a swim :-)
Coming back though the river :-)
The swim was fresh! We are now on our way up to the hotel. We had a serie of hard big stairs and right at the end we discover a local shop. They sell some drink and other snacks. Let’s have a short break.
We can see the sea from here!
Finally after 3 hours walk in total (That was longer than we expected) we came back to the hotel. Soon we will leave to go to Toya Bungkah.
On our way we stopped for lunch in a Warung. This time we must eat with our hands like do the local people. They proposed us spoon and fork but this is not fun. Better to copy the locals ;-)
We are back in the mountains again.
The clouds are actually very low. We expect that tomorrow will be better if we want to enjoy the sunrise.
Mount Batur and its lake.
The road to get here (our hotel) was very tricky. It was very windy, narrow and to sum up all full of trucks.
Our hotel.
Just on the edge of the lake.
In the water Balinese cultivate fish kept in bamboo cages.
Tomorrow morning we’ll wake up at 3:45am to start the climb to the summit of Mount Batur and enjoy the sunrise. We arrange a guide tour to avoid any further problem. Time to go to bed now because the night will be short! ;-) See ya!
Ah là là ce volcan ! Rien que d’y repenser j’ai mal aux jambes !
Beautiful location! The lunch looks great, I wanted to see the photo everyone’s struggle with their fingers. :D
First time that I saw fresh cloves, very interesting color.
Love the waterfall in action!
Damien you are so white! (where is the monkey emoji) Btw, I wont sleep if I have to get up that early.