My first trip to Bali was during Chinese New Year of 2012. People there are very devoted in their religion same like the Thais. A very spiritual island, many religious sites to visit and some with a touch of mysterious stories.

My first spiritual encounter was inside a hotel. Unlike in Thailand where I would hear strange sound, door knocking, woman crying and such…I was going through a Bali guide book to scout for some interesting places for my next day tour. Halfway through I felt there is a drop in room temperature and a bit hazy. Maybe I was too tired after a full day tour. I being to smell fragrant of flower and heard some traditional old Bali music. Could it be from outside, its possible why not?

Suddenly I saw moving shadow on the wall. It was a bit like those wayang show. I try to calm myself down by chanting some mantra but it was useless. He began to speak in unknown language which I have not heard of. But surprisingly I somehow managed to understand what he trying to say.

I was told to visit few places. The location was given to me and I wrote it on a piece of paper in case I can’t remember. I asked “the shadow” who are you. He replied that he is one of the mountain guardian in Bali. And informed me to meditate in those few places that he mentioned. As I’m about to ask more questions, my HP rang, it was my alarm tone. I woke up and realised it’s a dream.

BUT if it was a dream why is that piece of paper which I recorded all the name of those places doing on the bedside table?!? And yes with my handwriting on it.

Woke up in the morning and I’m still trying to figure out was it a dream or real spiritual encounter. Or perhaps I was connected with the mountain guardian during meditation that night. Anyway till today I do not have the answer.

I showed that piece of paper to my driver and plan for the journey. He was having difficulty understand the name of those places because I had written in hanyu pinyin.

Out of the 3 places there is one place called Trunyan or Truyan which he refused to bring me there. Even despite offering him more money. I don’t know why and he looked really scared when I asked further.

First destination is about 1.5hr ride from hotel. But to reach the actual cave I need to travel on foot for another 30+mins. Quite a difficult terrain to walk due to slippery surface, climb over some rocks and across a small stream.

Before leaving the place I did a short meditation there. I seated in one of the holes on the wall. Well I guess it’s cleaner than on the ground. Half way through I visualized that all the holes on the wall were occupied by yogis with long messy hair. So there are really people meditating in those holes in the past. During the meditation I can feel palms area feeling lots of numbness and tingling effects and my back was feeling some kind of slight burning effect.

According to my research after, Trunyan is a traditional Balinese village and located on the shore of Lake Batur and at the foot of Mt. Abang. This culturally isolated village is inhabited by Bali Aga(mountain Balinese) people. These people live in their own world, away from the outer world, are more conservative, and still follow the olden Neolithic customs. One of the weird customs of this tribe is the dead bodies here are not cremated in conventional manner but are left to decay in a bamboo cage in open. When there,s any new death, the old bodies are removed and replaced with the recent ones. The bones of the older bodies are then taken away and the skull will be placed near a Taru Menyan(banyan tree) which literally means ‘a nice smelling tree’. This tree exudes a fragrance that cancels the smell of decaying dead bodies.

I was told that I am lucky to experience this fate of understanding this culture in a part of Bali where very few tourists would venture to.