TravelBio

The next morning I made a trip to the beach before renting a motorbike.  Since the hostel didn't seem exciting I cut my losses and planned to spend the night in Ubud, known as a major center of Balinese culture.  Before heading that way I drove south to the Bukit Peninsula, a hilly and surprisingly arid piece of land (the natural scenery changed considerably driving only 10 kilometers south of Kuta).  On the south coast I visited the temple of Uluwatu, perched perilously close to steep cliffs plunging to the ocean and affording amazing views. Uluwatu at sunset The views of the cliffs alone are worth the trip Be careful when visiting!  Monkeys who live near the temple like to steal tourists' food and even their belongings; I've been told they will give up stolen property for bananas.  But peanuts are their favorite, although the monkeys supposedly get very aggressive when it comes to nuts.  While I was there a monkey took my bottle of Gatorade and drank it!

I doubt you have heard of many places I visited in Indonesia: Bengkulu, Bandarlampung, Bondowoso anyone?  Bali, on the other hand, is world famous.  It may even be more well known in the West than the country of Indonesia itself!  Although the island, just east of Java, is inundated with hype, I'd say Bali manages to live up to it. What is so great about Bali?  Well for starters there is no other culture quite like it anywhere else in the world.  Before the arrival of Islam much of the Indonesian archipelago practiced Hinduism, brought from the subcontinent by Indian traders.  A Hindu kingdom united Bali and eastern Java in the 11th century.  Over the following centuries, as Islamic kingdoms grew more powerful on Java, Hindus either converted or fled to Bali (the last royal exodus took place in the late 15th century). Bali, in red, is a small island separated from Java by a narrow channel The Muslims did not pursue the fleeing royal court, which continued its Hindu t