Encounters with Monkeys and Delicious Food from BNBs in Uluwatu
Written by Kaelie Piscitello
A monkey jumped onto the scooter next to my own as my boyfriend pulled us in and parked it. It looked at us and then popped its head out of view behind the vehicle. When it popped up again, he held a water bottle in his hands! What fun! I had never seen a monkey in the wild before!
As I approached Uluwatu Temple in preparation for its Kecak Dance, I saw another monkey standing in my way. I smiled and waved at it. It paused for a moment, as if pondering what to do. Then, it bared its teeth and lunged at me! I shrieked and rushed in the other direction while my boyfriend called out to me, telling me to stand my ground.
The Smartest Monkeys I’ve Ever Seen
It turns out that you’re not supposed to look monkeys in the eye because they consider it a sign of aggression. However, because I did not know that Uluwatu Temple means “the monkey temple,” I showed up wildly unprepared.
They were everywhere! As we stood in line waiting to enter the dance theatre, the monkeys skipped around, stealing iPhones and wallets, and frightening all of the guests. Meanwhile, the temple’s staff stood on guard, always ready to charge at the creatures with a stick.
Uluwatu Temple’s monkeys are there specifically to play with tourists for food. They realized if they steal valuable items, such as phones and wallets, people bribe them with food in exchange for their belongings. They sometimes steal water bottles too, but know they will not get as much food back for them.
When I returned to my hotel for the evening, my BNB owner looked at my boyfriend and said, “you know you can’t leave her alone, right?” I assumed she meant because of men, but then she continued with, “yeah, the monkeys will attack women on their own because they think they’re weak.”
Though I ran into harmless monkeys again and again during my trip around Bali, I never trusted them the same way again.
A Fantastic Hindu Park
Before the excitement at Uluwatu Temple, I spent my first day in Uluwatu exploring its brand-new GWK Cultural Park, a Hindu heritage site designed to showcase Hindu gods in statue form for the public. GWk claims to have the tallest statue in the world, one of the god Garuda Wisnu Kencana. While Wikipedia and other sources claim otherwise, this statue still stands at an impressive height, and I noticed it as I flew into Bali for the first time.
Finding my way to the park proved confusing, as I first had to park my scooter in a parking lot and then take a free bus to the gates. After the bus, I had more options to pay extra for a shuttle to the central statue, but my boyfriend and I opted to walk the length of the park and see everything it had to offer.
Each statue offered a fascinating description sharing a story associated with each god and why people tend to pray to it. GWK Park featured a large section of giant concrete cubes with evenly spaced gaps in two rows. The park did not explain its purpose, and I guessed that they had broken down a mountain to make room for the statues and left these as an artistic choice.
A Rainy Day in Uluwatu
I planned to spend my second day in Uluwatu at the beach, and we had a strong start to the morning at one. We bought Radler beers from one of the stands outside and splurged $5 for an umbrella. We felt ready until it began to rain and rain and rain. So much for our beach day!
I decided to regroup for lunch, and we had stir-fried noodles and coffee at a small cafe three minutes away from the beach. My boyfriend and I took a look at TripAdvisor to find some indoor activities near us and found a silver jewelry-making workshop. We found one on TripAdvisor with two open spots for a reasonable $20 and decided to go there.
When my boyfriend and I arrived, our tutor provided us with approximately 40 options for types of rings we could make, and we settled on a pointed one with a textured band. I enjoyed melting down the silver with a blowtorch and wrapping it around the sizer so it would fit me. Then, I hit the metal with a hammer and gave it the desired texture. My ring made the perfect souvenir from Uluwatu in Bali.
The Most Wonderful BNB in the World
I loved Uluwatu for its interesting people and activities, but Pinokkio BNB Restaurant made the experience unforgettable. A family of three, along with their adorable dog and cat, owned the BNB, and they went out of their way to provide me with the best experience.
Nyoman, our hostess, provided me with many recommendations for activities and beaches to explore. In addition to her incredible hospitality, Nyoman was also one of the most phenomenal cooks I’ve ever had the pleasure of dining with.
She spent twenty years living in Italy, and treated us to a delicious carbonara when we first arrived. After a year of living in a country lacking Italian food, I could not believe my luck as I tasted the thick, crunchy bacon and savory cream sauce. My first meal at the BNB determined my meals for the rest of the stay. I ate breakfast with Nyoman and her family every day and enjoyed a delectable, traditional Balinese dinner prepared by her as well.
I couldn’t help but promise to return there if we ever went back to Uluwatu someday. Until then, I will always look at the Pinokkio magnet she gifted me and smile at the wonderful memories of the friendship we developed over three short days.
