11 - Balinese Special Number

We enjoyed our last day's breakfast at Swiss Belhotel Tuban, before we proceed with the last leg of our itinerary.

Our last day in Bali was quite productive.  First, we had quick stop at a Catholic church on the way to Taman Ayun:   Gereja Katolik Kristus Raja Abianbase,

Arriving in Taman Ayun, it was noticeable that the place is surrounded  by a wide river.  It is a compound of Balinese temple and garden with water features located in Mengwi district.

Near entrance had Cockfighting Pavilion, depicting a past time not just in Bali, but for other South East Asian people, like Philippines.

Included in Bali's landscape is the 18th-century Royal Water Temple of Pura Taman Ayun, the largest and most impressive architectural edifice of its type on the island. 

The main entrance was like a fortress, and behind this fortress are well alighted pagodas across each hut.

This temple is believed to ensure the harmonious circulation of water from the mountains to the rice fields, to the sea, and then back again to the mountains. Built by a King of the Mengwi dynasty, the inner temple is surrounded by a moat on three sides and features 11 towers known as merus.  

If you have read my previous post on the past 2 days in Bali, you would have notice that each day we visited a Unesco Heritage site with temple architectures related to number 11! 

As I did my little research, these elaborate tiered shrine is called a meru and symbolizes the world mountain, Gunung Maha Meru. Something like a Chinese pagoda, a meru is constructed of an odd number - up to eleven - of thatched tiers.

In Numerology number 11 is a Master number. A Master number is a double-digit number which also comes from a single root number.

Perhaps Bali has a special connection personally, since I was born on 11th day as well. 

After Taman Ayun, we had lunch on the way to Tanah Lot.

The eating place in the middle of a rice field is named: Warung Gueek.

We had BBQ Pork ribs,

Angry duck,

 Snapper fish

After the lunch, we proceed to Tanah Lot, we initially walked on the right side temple - Batu Bolong.

Batu Bolong Temple, Batu it's mean Rock and Bolong it's mean hole. 

Batu Bolong Temple is located in the west side of Tanah Lot Temple which is featured by beautiful panorama with the big hole under the temple. Batu Bolong Temple is also built on the rock with the reef bank and own the small temple yard. 

On the left of the cliff, is the Tanah Lot temple.  The temple is built on the rock with 3 acre size and reachable in a few minute by walk, because it is just 20 meters from the coastal lip. 

This temple is very famous among tourist destinations in Bali with spectacular view of sunset. At some nooks of coral reef around Tanah Lot Temple there are holy tame snake in black and white color where according to the local society believe that it as a deity property and as the guard of the temple from the bad influence.

The word of Tanah Lot is consisted of two words that are Tanah word interpreted as a reef looking like gili or isle. Lot or Lod word has meaning the sea. So Tanah Lot is meaning the small island floating on the sea. 

The function of this temple can be realized from the function of the main temple building which is located in the temple main area. In this place, there is a main temple to worship the god in form of Dewa Baruna or Bhatara Segara, the sea power. 

Since our flight back was on 9 pm, we had to go straight to Denpasar airport at around 7pm to checkin our luggage.

Spent the rest of the time inside the lounge, to freshen up in their shower room, and took some dinner.