Bali 2.0 IV: Journey to the West

The fourth day of our pilgrimage brought us to the western end of Bali. Journeyed nearly 4 hours by bus to Palasari with the usual long toilet break at the Alfa Mart outside of Kuta. The architecture of Gereja Hati Kudus Yesus was really unique, imbued with many local artistic influences. Most notable was the array of statues depicting the Twelve Apostles dressed in traditional garb. The church building was built like an aircraft hangar with an ornate altar. Mass was celebrated there followed by Stations of the Cross in the greater church compound. Once we finished the final station, we visited a hilltop Marian grotto with a giant crucifix.

The Palasari parishioners showed us excellent hospitality by preparing a traditional, home-cooked lunch for us. The spread included various local salads, satay lilit, and soup. A very delicious lunch. On the way back, we made short toilet stop at Soka Beach. 

Our journey back to Kuta took longer than usual due to bad traffic, delaying our dinner plans. Worried that we would be hungry, the considerate tour leader prepared snack boxes of local kuih for us. An interesting combination of sweet and savoury items. Much appreciated.

Dinner was at Babi Guling Candra, and I must say that it was one of the more disappointing meals on our trip. Later in the evening, we made an excursion to Krisna, the largest supplier of souvenirs in Bali. Went hunting for the delicious Balinese salted peanuts. Krisna sells all sorts of stuff, from clothes to crafts in a large one stop shop. Every group that enters is given a numbered sticker. During checkout, the cashiers refer to that sticker for commission calculation.