Goa Lawah                                                          Back
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Goa Lawah (Bat cave temple) sits directly across the road from a magnificent black sand beach on Bali's southern east
coast.
Ceiling of Goa Lawah with roosting bats.	The black sand beach at Goa Lawah.
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I got to see the splendor of this lovely temple for myself one afternoon on a cloudy day. When Nyoman & I first got to
the cave we had to fight our way through a hive of hawkers selling everything from bone carvings to postcards.
Once through the hawkers we paid our guest fee to the temple elders 35c and went to the cave. The bats were still
roosting, about 2 hours later they would fill the sky as they went out to dinner but for now there were only an occasional
bat or two coming or going from their home. I couldn't believe the amount of bats that filled the roof of the cave. The
photo above was taken near the entrance (For light) but the farther into the cave you went the thicker they became.
I had both my still & video cameras with me and used both, talked to some of the other tourists and some of the
Balinese who had come to worship. I learned that at one time a prince had entered the cave and wasn't seen again until
he emerged almost 20 kms. north at Besakih. It has never been done since and since this is a legend there is no prove
that the cave goes that far but since the black sand of the beach is volcanic & Mt. Agung is a Volcano I assume it's
possible.
We spent a little time there, since I wanted to see the bats as they left the cave. We walked over to the beach where
I decided to cool off by taking a dip. Mistake! never walk on a black sand beach without shoes. (Sandals won't help.) I
thought of the fire walkers I'd seen earlier that month & wished I had been in a trance. Black remember holds heat, it
doesn't reflect sunlight the way regular sand does. If you've ever walked barefoot on a beach, on a hot day, you can
imagine what it felt like. By the time the pain got to a point where it started to bother me I was at the point of no return,
half way between the sea and my sandals. I ran the last 25 or so yards to the water.
With my feet now in the warm water of the Indian Ocean (I'd rather they had been in the North Atlantic.) I ask
Nyoman who still had his feet incased in a comfortable pair of shoes to PLEASE go and get my sandals and video
camera out of the car. The sandals for the walk back and the camera because I had met a group of kids & wanted to get
them to say hello to Tiffany & Melanie. They did "L lo Tippany L lo Melanie. giggle, giggle." The girls got a big kick out
of that video.
Well I told you sandals wouldn't help and they didn't, as I started back (Thinking I was safe.) the fire slid between my
feet and the soles of the sandals. Running on loose sand in sandals is extremely hard, the toes dig in. So I had to stop and
carry my sandals back to the car. Grass never felt so good under my feet as it did that day.
My ordeal over we went back to the cave to watch the bats take off. It was impressive to say the least.
Afterwards, on the way to the car, I was attacked by the hawkers. I thought they were selling themselves "Buy me."
"No no buy me." while holding hands full of shell, bamboo & string necklaces in my face. I said I would but my money
was in the car, so as an entourage we walked to the car. I bought quite a large amount of their trinkets at a very good
price and we left the cave; the bats, the kids, the hawkers, And that damn black sand & headed out to dinner and home.
(I bought some of that damn sand home & the kids took  it to show & tell.)    Go to Goa Lawah