Mount Batur is an active volcano on Bali. The south east side of the huge outer caldera contains Lake Batur, which you can see in this picture.
The town of Kintamani is on the SW ridge of the caldera. We stopped here for the best view.
The inner caldera (about 5 miles wide) was formed around 25,000 years ago. The first documented eruption was in 1804 and the most recent one was in 2000. The mountain on the left is the Batur cone which is higher than the outer crater’s rim. There are lots of vents in the caldera and you can see a lava field from the eruption in 1968.
Next up was the water temple, Tirta Empul, founded around a large water spring in 962 AD. The spring is considered holy by the Balinese Hindus and they come here for ritual purification. Islam is the dominant religion in Indonesia but in Bali over 80% of the people are Balinese Hindu, a combination of Buddhism and Shivaism.
Every visitor was given a wrap to wear as a skirt.
It’s quite a large complex with several pools and lots of Hindu shrines.
Time for a late lunch. The restaurant we planned to visit was closed so our driver suggested this fabulous spot. It pays to have a local guide.
A nice view of rice paddies.
And the food was fantastic.
The temps were in the nineties and it was very humid, so we headed back to the Marriott to cool off at the pool.
On the way we passed by some of the most unique traffic circles I’ve ever seen!
Not a bad idea to have your Gods oversee the roadways!
Gracia's Travels - a photo-blog 
WOW! This is one of my very favorites of all your fabulous traveling! In college, I majored in Philosophy and we spent a lot of time on Hinduism and Buddahism so your photo show was an extraordinary experience for me ;-)Thank you, thank you, thank you … CatherineMzcat369@aol.com
Hi Catherine, So glad you are enjoying this!
Would you be so wonderfully kind and send a copy of your fabulous Bali to Steven? I tried to forward this to him but he can’t open it on his machine — have no idea why. At any rate, I would love to have him see your fabulous photos and words if it’s not too much trouble. His e-mail address is Catnip369@aol.com. If you have a moment to do this, I would be so grateful. Cheers, Cat
I love seeing your colorful photos and captions!
Thanks, Mary! Glad you like the blog.
Thanks Gracia. Such exotic places and beautiful. Also I do enjoy the various customs like the skirts everyone were. Also the material on the statues “skirts” was the same material. Does that have a special meaning? It’s so interesting. I appreciate your pictures and what I learn from your description. Love and hugs, Janet
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What a great question! I just looked it up. The black and white checks have to do with their philosophy of balance. The colorful skirts may be for modesty at the shrines. Read more here. https://villabossibali.com/en/blog/why-does-bali-statue-wear-black-and-white-checkered-clothes