Odalan ceremony in Songan Bali

Since the Mountain Mafia has taken control of Mt. Batur and I wasn't going to climb it, I decided to check out another cool little hike with a view. By riding around the western side of Lake Batur you come to the village of Songan. Another mile or so you come to the lovely temple at Pura Ulun Danau Batur. A 30-minute hike up the cliff behind leads to the rim of the caldera (larger crater) in which Mt. And Lake Batur sits. I jumped on my bike and headed off around 2pm, only to run into a Balinese procession. Asking a local I heard there was an odalan ceremony at the Pura Desa (village temple) in Songan. It was a lovely scene with brightly dressed Balinese people coming out of everywhere to join the throng towards the temple. I had to stop as the narrow road around the lake was blocked with pedestrians.

People were friendly and I talked to many people. Along the route from Kedisan to Songan I passed the spot where Barrie hurt his foot and thought of him. Of course it was daytime and I was on my motorbike so it was a totally different experience. The route has sections with lava chunks and others that are extremely fertile. Small market gardens are all along the route and the smell of fresh onions and other crops fill the air. Living inside a volcano would give me the creeps, but its has its advantages, plenty of rich volcanic soil and fresh water.