east java oasis_ bale kambang _ international andrea

8/11/2019 East Java Oasis_ Bale Kambang _ International Andrea

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East Java Oasis: Bale Kambang

n first impression Java’s 3 biggest city Malang doesn’t offer much except less traffic and a cool

mperature than Surabaya and Jakarta. However, if you know where to look this city has hidden g

king beyond the burning piles of trash, and motorcycle exhaust. When the smoke of the city cen

ars it reveals a beautiful landscape of emerald greens and sapphire blues that serve to remind me

m actually living on a breathtaking tropical island if I can only charm the goddess Java enough tocover her secret oases.

was this quest for more from what had become my more or less sleepy little hometown for the p

onths that brought me to Bale Kambang beach. A mere 2 hour drive from my humble apartment

dents had been recommending this location to me for months, but since I had no idea how to ge

ere, it remained uncharted territory and I didn’t really believe that Malang stretched all the way to

ast. It turns out I was wrong. Named for it’s resemblance to the famous beaches of the neighbor

and of Bali: Bale Kambang (meaning small floating house)exists as a part of Malang. And since

possible to reach with public transportation, it has remained a well kept secr et of the East Javane

ople.

y day started at 5 a.m. to beat the heat and the crowds. My friend Nita and our driver for the dayked up Stephanie and I to begin our journey. Our first destination was the flower stall at the loca

rd

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ditional market to buy some roses, jasmine and fragrant leaves to act as our offering to the Hind

ds of the temple on Bale Kambang. Bright trays of flowers littered the stalls on the street beckon

become our vessel for prayer. It wasn’t long before Nita had a bag full of heavenly foliage and w

re on our way armed with offerings.



nsformed from grey graffiti buildings supporting Arema, the local soccer team, to green rice padd

mboo and farms. Yet, this was still Malang. My mouth dropped and I asked the driver to pull ov

at I could capture the beauty of the landscape with some snapshots. During our Impromptu photo

ssion, a woman passed by on her way to tending the farm. We somehow convinced her to take a

oto with us despite her protests. Her lack of enthusiasm only served to fuel ours. We ended up

tting her to enthusiastically pose with us, instead of getting shanked by her sickle.

le Kambang is a popular destination for local East Javanese tourists, but as it turns out is a secret

m most foreigners. Its beautiful Hindu temple juts out of the water on a large rock that most like

ed to be covered in underwater coral in another time. It is considered a sacred beach, and holy pl

here the Javanese Goddess of the South Seas resides among the Hindu gods to invoke awe and

orship among mortals.





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e met the Hindu priest and caretaker of the temple,a close friend of Nita’s and after visiting with

d his wife at their very humble beachfront home, we were granted the key to go inside the templnor usually reserved for high Hindu spirituals and family. We tied yellow sashes around our wais

ceremony and made our way across the bridge jutting out of crystal clear turquoise water to the

mple where we would pay tribute to the deities.

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e scenery that the temple offers is healing to the soul. All my stresses melted, washed away by t

ashing of waves, the fragrance of burning incense, and the fellowship of friends in a peaceful plache inner courtyard of the temple has exquisite stone carvings, sand beneath visitors feet, and a vi

the 10 foot waves crashing to remind visitors of the power of the ocean goddess and the smallne

humans in the world mere grains of sand like those under our feet in the scheme of the universe

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ter a while enjoying the temple we headed out to the water to cleanse ourselves in the refreshing

nsparent sea salt. The water was amazing. It was cleaner than the water that attracts most touris

li or Gili Trawangan. It’s also teeming with life, but armed with a strong current protecting the re

m most destructive swimmers. The tide took us down the coastline lounging and floating and picshells and dead coral along the way. Fish nibbled at my feet like I was an all you can eat buffet

nnected with my inner mermaid.




nchtime brought us to a tasty fried rice stall where we each got our own coconut cut open to drin





m. Hydration was never so delicious.




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HANKS TO NITA FOR MAKING THIS TRIP POSSIBLE!


east java oasis_ bale kambang _ international andrea

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