Treasures in Sanur, Bali

Believe it or not, in all the years I have been to Bali I have never visited the Sanur area. I can however recall the only time I went.

The one place I wanted to visit was Pura Sakenan on Serangan Island. The 16th century temple thought to be founded by the Javanese priest, Niratha, is the first sight you see after crossing the pot-holed causeway from the mainland.

It was fortunate because when I arrived a ceremony was in progress. A colourful affair with devotees dressed in full ceremonial gear walked single file into the temple carrying offerings upon their heads. Pemangku or temple priests were praying and then carried the offerings to the Pedanda for blessing.

After spending two hours at Pura Sakenan I drove over to Jalan Danau Poso in southern Sanur to find one of Bali's little treasures, Plasarti Blanjong. Found at the rear of Pura Blanjong this ancient stone pillar dates back to 913AD and is inscribed with the written history of Sanur. Enshrined in a glass case, the pillar is wrapped in cloth. Unfortunately, when we arrived and eventually found the shrine, all that was left was the base. I asked the Pemangku where the pillar was. He pointed to the encased base and shrugged his shoulders.

A tad disappointed we headed to northern Sanur to have a look at the Le Mayeur Museum. After paying the requisite Rp5,000 entry fee, we wandered around the small but beautifully kept house with its many artifacts and Mayeur's paintings. Le Mayeur (1880-1958) was one of Sanur's earliest expats. The Belgian born artist married Ni Polok, a chief Legong dancer who posed for many of his paintings.

My stomach rumbled the usual midday sounds - "I'm hungry" –- and I found a lovely restaurant, Hyde Park Corner. Simple but elegant, the bale style restaurant served the norm in Indonesian tucker and all at reasonable prices. I talked to the owner Wayan who was disappointed there were not many tourists in Sanur and then he proudly told me about Sanur and its history (perhaps he had the pillar!) and how he liked to refer to the area as the City of Sanur. Interesting point I thought!.

After a more than satisfactory meal a serious bit of shopping was in order. I headed down to Sindhu Art Market on Jalan Sindhu. Great place to empty your wallet and the hawkers are irrepressible. In fact, downright annoying!.
In the end I finished up sitting at a table on the beach at the Bonsai Café sipping ice-cold lemon tea and watched the tide recede. Another piece of Bali magic.