After seeing some monkeys, we wrapped up the day by going to Jimbaran, again! But this time with the rest of the family. Putri, Jeff and I came to Jimbaran for dinner the night before, this time we chose a different restaurant. This one had a Kecak performance which was lovely. And this time we arrived early enough to catch the beautiful sunset.
Jimbaran is a fishing village with its rows and rows of restaurant of the shore and a couple of hotels. This was the spot where the bombings of two "warung" (restaurants) happened in 2005.
Picture this: Hot day, but the Indian ocean breeze helped, the smell of fresh sea air, toes buried in the sand, devouring fresh seafood caught that morning sprinkled with some island spices grilled over coconut husks, the colorful parasol topped and cut up fruit cocktails that seems to magically reappear after the last one, the soothing gamelan music with exotic dancers entertained the ears and the eyes during dinner PLUS your loving family is with you. This is my take on heaven.
This was our table
Treyton enjoying his Sprite while waiting for the food
That's Jeff in white looking for shells
Chillin' waiting for the food to arrive. In most of the restaurants, this is how you place the order. Get seated, get your table, come up front and select your seafood. These are all live seafood caught that morning. Then you select how you want them prepared, either grilled or fried. They grilled their seafood mostly using coconut husks instead of charcoal.
We got some grilled corn NOT from the restaurant, rather from a street vendor
Corn seller at Jimbaran. Must be hard to push that cart on a sand!
To cool off we MUST drink! Once you're tipsy you'll be able to bear the scorching heat.
Loosen up after a few drinks.
Treyton was DRENCHED in sweat, notice his shirt looks wet? That's not because he went in the water.
Oh heaven... Taking all these beauty in was so therapeutic.
Can you spot the translucent crab?
FOOD IS HERE!
Clams with special sambal
Happy fish in the morning, Happy Dhila by evening.
Kangkung (watercrest) with strips of fried squid, caught that morning
John's Baramundi
The happy couple, John and Roosy
The gamelan player
Dinner and a SHOW!
The story below was taken from here
The story goes that Rangda, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, was condemned by Erlangga's father because she practiced black magic. After she became a widow, she summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leaks and the demons, to come after Erlangga. A fight occurred, but she and her black magic troops were too strong that Erlangga had to ask for the help of Barong. Barong came with Erlangga's soldiers, and fight ensued. Rangda casted a spell that made Erlangga soldiers all wanted to kill themselves, pointing their poisoned keris into their own stomachs and chests. Barong casted a spell that turned their body resistant to the sharp keris. At the end, Barong won, and Rangda ran away.
Somebody can die or get seriously injured in a Barong dance. It is said that if Rangda's spell is too strong, a weak soldier may not be able to resist it, even with the help of Barong. He may end up hurting himself with his own keris.
The masks of Barong and Rangda are considered sacred items, and before they are brought out, a priest must be present to offer blessings by sprinkling them with holy water taken from Mount Agung, and offerrings must be presented.
Notice that it takes two people to operate the Barong.
