Bali Online Information |Amlapura

Amlapura - Tirtagangga

Looks like a low of brick shops decorated with Hindu symbols. As is the tradition in Asia , the shopkeepers' tightly- packed homes rise above the narrow shops, the potted on their balconies dropping cascades of foliage over the street. The whole area resonates with a busy, yet timeless air.

Enter inside the market through narrow alleyways, passing by frail old ladies selling ready-made flower offerings. The northern ( utara ) section of the market displays row upon row of T-shirts and pants hanging over neat arrangement of underwear, sewing kits, and flip-flops in all colours and styles - though sizes larger than 9 may be in short supply.

For a feast of the senses, head towards the wet section in the south ( selatan ) amidst a bounty of grains, fruits, tobacco, bizarrely-shaped vegetables, and cakes in every conceivable - or inconceivable - shade of pink and green. This is the realm of local women who sit perched behind their scales or crouched on the floor amongst baskets of lime. Travellers with sensitive stomachs may want to avoid the lower or outside sections where meat and fish are sold. No one, however, will escape the pungent assault of the durian, the king of Asian fruits.

Between the market's dry and wet sections, men sit in a little selling gold rings set with polished stones the size of pigeons' eggs, as well as all kinds of sickles and knives, including the dreaded keris - the snake shaped traditional weapon of the archipelago. Stone rings and keris can be taken a to dukun , or shaman, who, in exchange for an offering, will charge them with positive energy, protecting their owners against all evil.

The best keris are potent bearers of magic, an effective weapon in a country where nearly everyone believes in occult powers. Check on the condition of the blade and the ornamentation on the handle before buying, and bargain hard. Beware, it is impossible to know who the previous of a keris may have been, and what sort of spirits you may be bringing home...

Handicrafts used by the Balinese in their homes - woven baskets and mats, clay pots - make attractive, authentic, and inexpensive souvenirs. Find them on the western side of the market, behind the bemo station. Your money will directly benefit the local women.

surrounding verdant hills

simple bamboo furniture

including vegetarian dishes

bungalows built above

brick shops decorated

treks into highland

small road climbs

This lower temple