As we were zipping from one isolated beach to the next, I caught a glimpse of these umbrellas in a patch of grass and asked what they were. Made told us that some families are too poor to properly cremate their dead. Instead, they bury them until they have saved enough money for a proper ceremony in which they would exhume the bones. These few scattered umbrellas covered the little bamboo tripods marking the burial sites. There was no noticeable family name placard which made the whole scene so sad. Was it coincidence that the temple stood only a few feet away - the dead waiting to get in???

The narrow road winding through the villages and past Nusa Dua's 5 star hotels to this marine recreation hotspot was congested with tour buses and taxis. Although we weren't sure what to expect, we were definitely not expecting a buffet of action adventure companies lined up along the beach hawking various water activity packages from parasailing for $35 for 10 min, banana boats, glass bottom boat tour, Turtle Island to see the rescued turtles, diving, snorkelling, and more. Asians were lined up everywhere soaking in their fun! I'm sure our driver wasn't pleased that we didn't purchase anything from the company he dropped us off at. No commission for him.

Ramadan was in full swing but here in Bali, people are mainly Hindus so it didn't affect us like on previous trips. In a row, an Islamic mosque stood beside a Hindu temple, followed by a Catholic church, a Buddhist temple, and another religious temple at the end rounding off the collection of beliefs standing altogether. Wonder if a cartoonist or comic can make a joke about this??? I personally like the feeling of a global spiritual unity here.

Uluwatu Temple is one of the six key temples believed to be Bali's spiritual pillars. To enter the complex, you must wear a sarong and sash. Fortunately, they provided purple sarongs and golden yellow sashes. Only worshippers could enter the inner temple area so most tourists just stood along the path, overlooking the cliff edge, to take photos of the dramatic cliffs over the Indian Ocean.

Hundreds of monkeys, believed to be guarding the temple from bad spirits, live in the nearby forests. Be alert though since they were eager to steal sunglasses, treats, and purses. Tour guides brought along a stick or umbrella to shoo them away!

This time, the guidebook warned us of the monkeys. If they weren't stealing your items, they were busy fornicating. Again, they weren't kidding!

The little fishing village of Pandawa was given gov't funding to build a road to connect them to the main highway. They blew through a mountain! As a result, this once quiet, isolated hideaway became a popular tourist spot in a blink.

Five large statues were situated in deep alcoves in the cliff wall on the way to the seemingly Air Asia sponsored beachfront.

Situated in a small cove, Pandang Pandang Beach draws in surfers with its great waves. It's quite crowded here with hordes of Asian tourists testing out the waters and Aussie sun worshippers spread out on the sand. Zipcurl banners and tents were displayed all around this cove, promoting this picturesque spot as a hip, happening scene. Construction of new restaurants and sleeping accommodations are also occurring to take advantage of this prime spot.