A touch of Bali from Batubulan<\/p>\n
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Gianyar, Bali<\/p>\n
Any visitors who are enchanted by Bali's cultural richness and
\nare determined to take a piece of this island, in this case a
\nheavy one, back home should not miss the opportunity to pay a
\nvisit to the small village of Batubulan in Gianyar regency.<\/p>\n
Art shops specializing in stone statues and panels are
\nscattered along the village's main street, providing visitors
\nwith a huge array and collection of stone figures, from open-
\nmouthed frog statues that weigh just a few kilograms to giant
\nelephants weighing several tons.<\/p>\n
Want a small Buddha statue for that wooden table back home? Or
\na huge, larger-than-life one, for that Zen garden you have just
\nconstructed? Or how about a menacing Raksasa (ogre) statue that
\nwould work perfectly with an electronically controlled steel gate
\nand those vicious Presa Canario of yours in scaring away even the
\nmost intrepid door-to-door salesman?<\/p>\n
\"We have it all here, and if what you want is not here, we can
\nalways make especially for you,\" a shop owner, Ayu of Murda Stone
\nCarving, said.<\/p>\n
True to her words, the front yard of her shop, like other
\nshops in Batubulan, is packed with hundreds of stone statues and
\npanels, varying both in size and form. They also come at various
\nprices, ranging from Rp 200,000 for a 30-centimeter-high Buddha
\nstatue to Rp 50 million for a 1.5-meter-high Buddha statue.<\/p>\n
\"The size and level of ornamentation are two important factors
\nin determining the price. Another important factor is the
\nmaterial. A statue carved out of volcanic rock will definitely
\ncost more than the one made of ordinary rock. But don't worry,
\nhere the prices are not fixed.<\/p>\n
\"Here you can always bargain to get the best price for both of
\nus,\" Ayu said with a smile.<\/p>\n
After two and a half years in the business, Ayu employs six
\nstone carvers. Her monthly sales average Rp 50 million.<\/p>\n
For buyers who do not want to get lost in the notorious jungle
\nof Indonesian red tape while trying to send their newly acquired
\nstatues back home, most Batubulan's art shops can offer cargo and
\nshipping services.<\/p>\n
\"I have my own cargo and shipping company. It comes in handy
\nwhen a customer purchases a large quantity of statues and wants
\nto have them sent as soon as possible to his country,\" Ayu said.<\/p>\n
For years, Batubulan has been known as the central market of
\nBalinese stone statues. It also has become a market hub for
\nJavanese stone carvers who want to tap into the international
\nmarket from Bali.<\/p>\n
\"Their main products are Buddha statues and Chinese pagodas.
\nWe order these from stone carvers in several Javanese towns, such
\nas Yogyakarta, Muntilan and Trowulan,\" Ayu said.<\/p>\n
Just a 15-minute drive to the east from the Bali capital of
\nDenpasar, Batubulan is on the main highway that connects all
\nmajor tourist areas in southern Bali.<\/p>\n
It is possible to get there by taxi or even bemo (three-
\nwheeled public van), the most common mode of transportation in
\nBali.<\/p>\n
The cramped and often erratically driven bemo, not to mention
\nthe choking heat and chain-smoking passengers, give visitors to
\nBali an in-depth picture of the real Bali and a good excuse to
\ncontinue one's exploring by foot, which is more rewarding than
\njust hopping into a cab and driving directly to a particular art
\nshop.<\/p>\n
And if the statues fail to impress you, then there are always
\nBatubulan's major tourist attractions of Barong and Kris dance
\nperformances to see, or the walk back to the bemo depot on the
\nsouthern tip of Batubulan village, but this time not to board a
\nbemo but to sample a fine Balinese seafood gourmet in an
\ninconspicuous yet widely known warung right across the street
\nfrom the depot.<\/p>",
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