We stopped for lunch along the mountain ridge overlooking the lake and mount Batur, the most recent volcano to erupt in Bali. The black lava flow along the southern side of this volcano is evidence of an eruption from early 2006. Apparently the villagers at the foot of the volcano were calm enough not to have evacuated at the time. Personally, I can’t imagine living that close to an erupting volcano, looking out the window & thinking,,, “Nah,,, that hot magma won’t reach my house…”

45 minutes later, we reached Pura Besakih, the largest Hindu temple complex in Asia, and possibly the world, according to Pak Suwamana. It’s larger than Borobudur!
Huh! Funny that I’d never heard of it before.

Well, ok- yes, it does indeed cover a larger space than Borobudur, but only because it is more spread out as a collection of temples on a larger hill. Besakih lays at the foot of Gunung Agung, a 3142 meter volcano (10,308 feet). Borobudur, by contrast, is a single structure far larger than any one of the temples here. Enough nit-picking though.

Besakih is a striking place to visit and is particularly significant for Balinese Hindus. No one is quite certain how old it is. That part of it’s history seems to have disappeared with time, but it is considered to be older than Borobudur, which puts it’s construction before the 9th century.
While we were there, many Hindus were praying at different temples within the complex, as tourists (as myself) walked around & up the hill.