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