She Likes Skulls + A Burning Ring of Fire: Discovering Kintamani and Trunyan Graveyard

Volcano buffs will not want to miss Kintamani near Gunung Batur and those interested in things bizarre and necromantic may want to visit Trunyan Graveyard. From Ubud, one can hire a driver or book a planned volcano tour that will take you far into the mountains to the region of Bangli. There are hiking trails take you to the rim of Batur, the look out point being Penelokan (which means ‘look out’…ha). Gunung Abang, situated facing Gunung Batur with the pristine Lake Batur nestled between the both of them, is less often visited although it may be preferred because unlike Gunung Batur which is relatively barren, Gunung Abang provides forest cover to protect from the oppressively hot Bali sun (although temperatures here are markedly cooler). At night the volcano glows a surreal orange light against the star speckled sky.

The Bangli region is well known for its rumored black magic practitioners as wells as balian trance healers who use their workings for good. Kintamani has an active market that is open every three days and their own breed of dog which it takes tremendous pride in. Kintamani, relaxing with gorgeous views, is ideal for a place to unwind.

Situated between the shore of Lake Batur and a steep crater wall is Trunyan, which is virtually inaccessible except by boat. Boat drivers were not warmly open to bartering either, which surprised me after they quoted us a significantly higher price than we were prepared for to cross the lake. Landing at Trunyan, natives will enthusiastically wade out to great you and graciously take you for everything you have. Even Grandma gets in the act when cash is at stake. But don’t be mistaken, they are actually quite nice, especially once you’ve paid them.
The natives of Trunyan differ from most inhabitants of Bali in retaining their prehistoric traditions. They call themselves the Bali-Aga, which means original Balinese. They never adopted the Majapahit's heirarchical system, instead keeping their own more democratic one of priests and like most Balinese believe that the balance between man and nature is sacred and must be kept in place through ceremony. Of course, living at the foot of an active volcano, I'd want to keep some balance with nature as well.

One of their most interesting features is their treatment of the deceased. Unlike most Balinese, who cremate their dead in elaborate ceremonies that can consume their life’s savings, the Trunyan natives lay out their dead in a graveyard, arranged exposed but for a little triangular wood hut built over them, laid out beneath a sacred tree which is reported to prevent the dead from stinking to high hell. Although I didn’t see any fresh corpses during my visit, it was still quite a sight to see. An offering bowl with a piece of paper marked “Genah” (Give) along with a human skull are a touching reminder that even the Bali-Aga have embraced capitalism and tourism hand in hand.

Oh and one more strange thing about Kintamani. Judging by this sign, you can leave your tubas at home, thank you:

So, this ends our exploration of Bali. Recommended reading: Making Scenes: Reggae, Punk, and Death Metal in 1990s BaliBy Emma Baulch, Emma Baulch for some insight into the spread of counter-culture to exotic locals. You can find it by clicking to the right on The Punk Rock Traveler amazon store and order it directly here: http://astore.amazon.com/thepunroctra-20/detail/0822341158/104-1924646-6937515. You'll also find some other books on topic which I've personally perused and recommend.

Tweet