Travelistar: Nusa Penida the Left Over Paradise (part 3 of 3)

White Stone Balinese Hindu Temple nearby the Port

The Giri Putri Cave

We then continue to Goa Giri Putri, it's actually the same way to the port where fast boat are available for going back to Bali mainland. But then, another hiking ahead of us. Not to high though, it has well developed steps. But before going up the hill, we stop to get our lunch on the souvenir shop across the road. Some Bules were also arriving there.

Once we were at the top of the hill, a Balinese temple entrance welcomed us. We had to pay retribution for about IRD 10k each person. A holy water was splashed to our head by local priest to get blessing before entering the cave. One small dark hole was in front of us. Getting in is tricky, I would say the big fat lady wouldn't be fit to get in there. Once we are through the entrance, we need to crawl for about 10 meters. Yet it is jaw dropping to see a huge cave ahead. It is a 3 story high from the floor to the ceiling of the cave. More like a huge tunnel. I couldn't see the end of the cave. It is approximately more than 1 km long.

Dark and humid, I got my shirt wet by my own sweat. There is an altar with the Hindu deity statue marks the beginning of the cave journey. Few big stones covered with Balinese sacred cloth were seen during our walk deeper in the cave. I saw a painting of a woman in green Balinese traditional cloth painted on the wall. This may has connection to the name of Giri Putri. We walked on a pedestrian built on sides of the cave floor, one for entering, another for going back. Some people were laying down on the cave floor, and one woman were praying in front of the big altar built in the middle of the cave.

Bad words are forbidden in this sacred location. If I were an Indigo person, I would be able to see beings from another realm crawling in this cave. The feeling of not being alone was so strong during our journey. I started to feel anxious. We stop nearby the altar as we saw a beautiful crafted wall with stairs going up the cave, as if there is a secret chamber up there. We were not allowed to go up though. So we took photos around the area.

Goa Giri Putri

In Front of Crafted Wall

We then continue our journey until we see the end of this huge natural tunnel. At the end of the cave, there is another altar with chinese deity statues like one that Indonesian called as Dewi Kwan Im. I'm not sure what is the correlation between this idols of Chinese culture with the local Hinduism beliefs.

The exit door was there with steps going down. I said better we go back from the main entrance, coz going out from that door, we have to walk circling the hill. That will make us more tired. But it has nice view though. From the back door, we can see green lush on the hills. Some monkeys were playing on the roof, they happen to be the local residents beside the Balinese. So we went back to the first entrance.

The Altar

The Chinese Altar at the end of the Cave

Dream Comes True

Our driver then drove us to the port. We set our departing time at 03.00 pm. I saw a very beautiful Balinese temple nearby the port, so I requested him to take us there while waiting for the boat to depart. It is weird when I feel that I saw these Images of White stone temple before. Then I remember my dream weeks earlier.

In my dream, I went to Mt.Bromo, the famous and most visited volcano in Indonesia. I went to Mt.Bromo by motorbike, I guess. So I ride venturing the Bromo Caldera from the sea of sand to the savanna area with the huge caldera wall on the side. This first image came to reality as I recently went to Bromo by motor bike weeks ago, during the Raya season. The story goes when I finally found a village on Mt.Bromo Slope, which in reality doesn't exist. There were a lot of volcanic ashes as the volcano had just erupted.

Then I went around that village until I found white structures made of stone exactly like one of the temple structure here. Everything was made of white stone, I thought it was the Balinese temple. Until I saw this temple in Nusa Penida. I feel like dream came true, or more like De Ja vu. I think my dreams are like the prophecy of where I would go in the future. One more thing, in my dream I saw the statue of Siva in ancient Javanese style. Then I went to Yogyakarta to Prambanan ancient ruins for real, and saw the exact same statue of Siva with four hands. The trip was after the Mt.Bromo trip. And that is so weird.

It was the time to leave the paradise Island. Our boat had called us to get on board, once we paid the rest of the trip budget to the driver with, of course, a personal tips to the driver just to say thank you for accompanying us the whole trip. I would never forget the journey to Nusa Penida, or, I call it the left over Paradise on earth. Hoping to go back and explore more.