Bali temples

Unlike the rest of Indonesia, which is Muslim, Bali is predominantly Hindu. Traditions and rituals are very noticeable in Balinese everyday life. Each home has its own shrine with a statue of a god, where incense is burned and food and flowers are offered daily. Offerings are also placed in public spaces: in front of doors, on bridges, on steps, on pavements -- a constant reminder of another world.

In Hindu belief, God is in everything, and so there are many, many gods. Ganesh, the elephant god, is a popular incarnation. This shrine below is on one floor of the smoked duck restaurant.

This is the entrance to the house next to our Ubud villa. As I was taking the photo, the man appeared unexpectedly with a snake he’d just caught. I loathe snakes and I nearly fainted with shock … Not happy, Ganesh.

We’ve been to a number of very old, very beautiful temples. We visited this temple, which was built around a natural spring, during a festival in which people enter the water for purification. In the second photo, you can see circular dark patches at the bottom of the water. This is where the spring is bubbling up through the silt.

Huge, ancient banyan trees are also considered sacred, and banyan trees in temples are often wrapped in fabric. Visitors also have to wrap their bare legs in fabric as a mark of respect. Smuts, who was wearing shorts, looks great in a Balinese sarong!