Location: Besakih Temple, Bali, Indonesia (8� 22' 0 S 115� 27' 0 E)
Date: 15 May 2001; 9.10am
Camera: Canon EOS 500N (analogue) on slides and scanned
Besakih is the holiest Hindu temple in Bali. It is situated at the foot of the holiest mountain in Bali, Gunung Agung. The temple was constructed in the 11th century in the unique Balinese temple architecture style with several multiple-levels pagoda-like structure known as Meru. To visit the temple, one needs to be dressed appropriately with sarong, sash and so on, as well as paying an entrance fee. However all these smack of squeezing money from tourists as it had been regularly reported that the entrance guard had demanded as much as US$30 entrance fee from each tourist. On top of that, guides are supposedly compulsory- and more money to be spent. That's why we did not bother to enter the temple grounds when we visited the place a few years back.
