The Exotic Ceto Temple On The Side Of Mount Lawu

At 1,400 meter's above sea level, on the western slopes of Mount Lawu, Surakarta, Central Jawa, there stands a temple. These are the archeological remains of the Kingdom of Majapahit from the mid 14th century and the temple is believed to have supranatural powers within its exotic shape.

Candi Ceto, candi means temple looks like the building of Pura Besakih, one of the biggest Hindu temples in Bali. Its grandiose main entrance, layered on all levels, indeed gives an impression of the concept of Hindu worship. And, in accordance with the king who commisioned its building, that is King Brawijaya V of the Kingdom of Majapahit in East Jawa, this temple does have a history rooted in Hindu teaching, the religion that the king embraced.

Although it has a Hindu background, Candi Ceto's form is different from other Hindu temples built in 7th and 8th centuries in Centra Java such as Prambanan Temple. It is fair to say that this temple is a building with special and unique form of architecture, a work of contemporary art in its time. To reach this temple from Solo in a car, you'll need about an hour. Around 10 kilometres from the Ceto's temple, the roads starts to twist and climb.
The higher you get, the more it twists and the steeper it gets. Another note for drivers do not be tempted to look right and left to enjoy the gorgeous views of the fertile slopes, if you want to savour the equatorial beauty of this absolute gem of a location, you'd better stop your vehicle and enjoy the views across the lovely expanse of tea plantations.The air of Ceto Temple region is cool up here at 1,400 metres and there is a spectacular panorama. It is even more beautiful in the evening when Karanganyar and Surakarta are bathed in colourful lights. From the courtyard, we can already feel the vibe of the temple's Ceto grandeur and sacredness.
The towering gate with Mount Lawu in the background feels as though it is taking visitors into another dimension. Walking onto the first terrace, we encounter two statues in respectful poses as if they are welcoming us to go up to the next level. Archeologists say when the temple was found by one of their Dutch predecessors in 1842, there were about 14 levels (courtyard).
But in the 1970s the Ceto temple was restored by people entrusted with the task by President Suharto and their work was based on mystical concepts and so now there are only 9 terraces. Experts think that the renovation not following archeological references was a mistake.
This explains the announcement posted on the Candi Sukuh information board that the restoration was carried out by a new order businessman and is in conflict with archeological principles. However, despite the for and against arguments, the artefact from the end of the kingdom of Majapahit is both unique and artistic.
It is terraced and each terrace is marked with a gate. Perhaps one of the most defining things in Ceto temple is the statue on the seventh terrace. A phallus with a ball pierced on its top beside a mortar (for pounding rice) which probably symbolizes female genitals.
The two genitals symbols with exotic shape are believed to have several meanings, one of which is fertility. Then there are a big turtle and various creepy crawlies artistically arranged.
On this terrace the followers of Kejawen (Javanese traditional beliefs) perform their rituals and meditations.These symbols of phallus and vagina are actually a different form of the statues of Lingga and Yoni found in many earlier Hindu temples, with a different design which makes them look like a UFO landing site if seen from above.
On subsequent terraces there are many statues and reliefs of Sudhamala, and also of Sabdo Palon and Noyoginggong believed to be King Brawijaya V's beloved servants. On the 8th terraces, on the left side, there is a quite big phallus complete with an incense bowl in front of it. On the last terrace there is a cut pyramid on top of which sits a cubical altar which always has a red and white cloth wrapped around it.
That's the exotic Candi Ceto on the slopes of Mount Lawu, which right up till the present day is used for worship by the followers of Kejawen and Hindus from Java and Bali.

Green School | Jatiluwih

Green School

When heads of state and business people are too foolish to agree on anti-global warming protocols, environmental activities shift their campaign target towards children. Through environmentally conscious educational institutions, students now learn about the importance of saving energy. So that these potential future leaders may be wiser in managing the earth.

One educational institutions in Bali carrying out this mission is the Green School (www.greenschool.org), founded by John and Cynhtia Hardy in 2008, this institutions combines a general interntional curriculum with green studies and creative arts for its Pre-K to Grade 10 students. The aim is to give students appropriate, relevant and inspirational knowledge so that in the future, they will develop into individuals who are both critical and creative in their constributions to Mother Earth.

Teaching and learning activities in the school are implemented through a "Learning by doing" approach. Studies include research on insects and river animals, rice planting projects, paper recycling, batik painting, and ethnic musical instrument lessons.

The Green School also burnishes its environmental credentials through its eco-friendly architecture. The classroom in the 10.3 hectare school are all built using natural materials, such as bamboo, palm fibres, and grass. Moreover, during every full moon, the school also organises an art show in its mudpond. The Green School offers regular tours for curious member of the general public on Mondays, and Wednesdays at 3pm. After the tour, visitors, are encouraged to make a voluntary donations towards scholarships for disadvantaged local children. World famous figures who have visited the school include David Copperfield, Thomas L.Friedman and Sir RIchard Branson.

How To Get There

Green School is located in Jalan Raya Sibangkaja (Abiansemal Badung). Drive along Jalan Raya A.Yani in North Denpasar, and after passing the Sibang Gede Bridge, head straight up Jalan Raya Sibangkaja. Turn left into the small road decorated with tall, colourful banners and a sign for Green School, and then head down the gravel road, which will take you to the school gate.

Jatiluwih

Bali is justly for its beautiful terraced paddy fields, which are similar to the UNESCO Heritage Site Fields found in Ifugao in Philipines. Indeed, someof Bali's paddies have also been earmarked for inclusion on this prestigious list. The paddy fields in question are located in the village of Jatiluwih, in the district of Tabanan. They lie 700 metres above sea level and Mount Batukaru the second highest mountain on the island of the Gods, provides a stunning backdrop.
The beauty of nature, combined with human creativity and local wisdom, which manifest themselves through a system of traditional irrigation known as subak, make for an amazing combination and Jatiluwih is surely worthy of World Heritage Site Status. A Sacred atmosphere is fostered by the farmers here, who habitually offer prayers at the pura (temple) before going to work. The locals here practise Hindu teachings, which instruct devotees to maintain good relationships with God, other people and nature.
Cultivation patterns here are organised  according to tradition and the cycle of the seasons. In cultivating their paddy field, the farmers use organic fertiliser made of cow and water buffalo dung. This system brings in relatively higher yields in comparison with chemically fertilised fields.
And Jatiluwih is not only suitable for visitors who love nature tourism, because the village also regulary present cultural performances known as Upacara Petoyan at Pura Petali. These performances can be experienced every Kliwon Ugu Wednesday, and this ceremony affirms people's devotion to God for all the blessing He bestows.
Historically, Jatiluwih has been a tourist destination since the Dutch colonial era. Access at the time was still limited, but at the beginning at the 1970's, the government began to develop infrastructure in the region. Nowadays, the access road has been given an asphalt surface and there are also public facilities such as rest houses, toilets, and parking area here.

How to get there

From Denpasar, the recommended route is to head towards Kediri and Tabanan, and then to proceed north to the sub-district of Penebel. Then head towards Gunung Batukaru, and head down the twisting road that leads to the village of Jatiluwih.

Munduk Region | Turtle Conservation and Education Centre

Munduk Region

This region, located deep in Bali's interior, is rapidly becoming as popular as the island's beaches. After the much visited inland destination of Ubud and mount Batur, Munduk is now starting to attract some serious attention as a great trekking destination, as well as for its agritourism.

Trekking tracks at Munduk vary from soft beginner's trek lasting approximately two hours, to a stenuous trek lasting up to seven hours. The choice of route will determine what views you will see along the way. If you choose the soft trekking option, you can take in the beauty of the local villages and check out the number of clove, coffee, avocado, cacao and orchid plantations, before heading off to the Tanah Barak Waterfall. Two other waterfalls that are also popular are Air Terjun Melanting and Laangan, both of which are surrounded by coffee and clove forests.

Munduk's cultural aspects become more visible if you opt for some more moderate trekking. 

Trekkers are introduced to the Bali Aga tribe who live in the village of Pedawa. In addition to enjoying the unique local bamboo houses and traditions, you can also watch palm sugar processing. For those who love a bit of olde-worlde adventure, a historical trek will take you to the Tamblingan Temple. For around four hours, this endlessly fascinating trek, follow artefacts and building left by the ancient Majapahit Kingdom.

Although Munduk is relatively unknown, this charming village has historically played a central role in the history of Balinese trade. During their occupation of Bali in 1908, the Dutch build a guesthouse in Munduk as a holiday house for their staff. The Colonial Government then started exporting coffee, cloves and vanilla from the area via businesses which were later inherited by the local community.    

Turtle Conservation and Education Centre

The island's of the Gods Beaches are a paradise not only for sunset and muscle-relaxing massage lovers, but also for wild turtles. Often called "Turtle Island", Serangan Island to the south of Bali is blessed with one of the largest turtle population in Indonesia. In its turtle poaching heyday, up untill around a decade ago, thirty thousand of these lovely creatures were caught annually on average. This tragedy, coupled with a reclamation project carried out in 1994, contributed greatly to the declined of the turtle population here.

In order to stop the illegal trade in turtles and maintain their population, the local government, in cooparation with the USAID Bali recovery program and the WWF, founded the Turtle Conservation and Education Centre (TCEC) in Serangan on 20 January 2006.

At the TCEC, visitor can learn all about the life of turtles, and visit the hatching centre, the baby and adult turtle pond. Visitors can also check out the audio visual centre, in which marine-themed documentary films are screened. When visited the place, the TCEC staff explained that there were six kinds of turtle living in Indonesia. Three of these come to Bali to lay their eggs, namely the green, hawksbill and olive ridley turtles, and there also found out 500 eggs that hatch, ten of the junior turtles will survive and flourish if they are taken care of in the centres whereas, on average, only one will if they are released into the sea. Apart from turtles hunters threats come from the turtle's natural predators. 

Admission to the TCEC is free, however visitors are encouraged to make voluntary donations to support the centre's efforts to maintain the turtles population. Tip for visitors : don't take flash photograps of the turtles, especially close up, and do not make to much noise, because it can have an impact on the animals psychological wellbeing which, in turn, may prevent eggs from hatching. A more important tip for visitors : don't buy turtle meat......