The most striking sights, for us, were the carefully terraced rice fields climbing up steep slopes like the contour lines of a topographical map, the bright green rice shoots glowing in the sun, the water shining and strips of bright plastic waving on tall sticks in the wind to shoo away birds. Rice is the primary crop on Bali, and a whole set of rituals and festivals is built up around rice planting and harvesting. We were not on the island long enough to learn much about them, so we simply admired the sight of the fields. The temples were also fascinating. We never figured out the rules but simply let our driver let us know where we could go.
Balinese temples are open-air places comprised of at least two walled courtyards.
The entrance to the first courtyard is guarded by a special tower that looks like an intricately carved spear tip that has been sliced in half and the halves positioned like bookends on either side of the stairs. The entry to the inner courtyard is guarded by carved figures who keep out evil spirits, and the stairs are arranged to make a sharp right-angle turn, which is easy for people but hard for evil spirits. Shrines of varying size are scattered inside the inner courtyard, from small ones several feet high to tall shrines with eleven roofs stacked on each other. Both courtyards contain pavilions, some roofed and some not, where gamelan music is played, dances or cockfights are held, or offerings are stacked. Many lovely buildings were not old temples at all, but fairly recent homes, shops, and commercial buildings.