More trips

we finished up the week attending the ceremony in Manngu again to see dancing and more performances as well as woodcarving on friday.

today we went to the Tirta Empul Holy Spring in Tampaksiring and then had lunch in Kintamani, near Mt. Batur/overlooking Batur Lake. Hands down, the most beautiful view I have ever seen in my life. im trying to decide if Yosemite was comparable...i dont know, el cap, or volcano and crater lake? hmmm.

Tirta Empul: "Legend has it that the sacred spring was created by the god Indra. His forces had been poisoned by Mayadanawa, so he pierced the earth to create a fountain of immortality to revive them. An inscription dates the founding of a temple at the site to 926 AD. Ever since - for more than a thousand years - the Balinese have come to bathe in the sacred waters for healing and spiritual merit."

also, the government palace overlooks the holy spring. it was built int he 50's and is where SBY stays when he visits Bali.

Now we have begun our week...dancing and gamelon. and we have discovered a gym next door to our hotel...sinu, astrid adn i went to check out the aerobics dance class tonight. AWESOME. an hour of dancing and jumping around with about 40 indonesian women of all ages.