印尼记遊（三）
Travelogue in Indonesia 03

我对巴厘的第一个印象是：她是一个好静、幽丽、纯朴，而更具有一种魅力的海岛。

「巴厘！」这个地名，在喜欢游历的外国人的印象中，并不陌生。巴厘岛的景物，已⻅诸多数游记，并且有过不少关与巴厘岛的赞美与歌颂！她吸引了不少的游客，我们也是慕名而来的。当我们到达的时候，已是夜阑人静，万籁俱寂的午夜二时了，所以，无法窥⻅她的真面目。

我们是住在巴厘岛南部的星那Sanur，市区旅馆咸报客满，幸而我们早在半月前已接洽妥旅舍。否则，真无以为寐呢！翌晨游览附近的乡镇，随处都可⻅到一座座的佛塔庙宇，洋溢着浓厚的宗教气息。我不能说这里是如何的美丽，如何的伟大，只是有一种神秘古朴的意象，产生了另一种奥妙不可测的力量，深深地慑伏了我们。大家都被这充满诗情画意的眼前景致，紧紧地扣住了心弦 ，都贪婪地地观览着、描画着、拍摄着。凡足迹所至，都令人留连而不忍遽离。

五日清晨，我们准备八时出发到「不孤独」Bedugul去作画。「不独孤」是在巴厘岛的中北部，距离我们的居所约六十英里。由谢君向导。他全家上至岳母大人、太太、下至妻舅，外甥全部总动员，他事先替我们雇了一辆巴士，并准备了⻝物，预备在山上野餐，谢先生是出名的巴厘的画家、作⻛朴实，十年前与李曼峰先生同时至印尼，由作画而认识了现在的谢太太 ，而后才定居於此，我们这次到巴厘岛，蒙他热情招待，真是衷心感激。

沿路山光水色，映带左右，佛塔巍峨，茅舍稀落，农田井然，各种景物配合得非常紧凑，确是令人生美的感觉而不觉丝毫乏味，我们不啻在看一幕大自然的电影，竟忘了积日的疲劳、六十英里的路程不算短，⻋子沿着公路疾进，忽⻅两旁稻草一望无垠，忽⻅成熟待割的禾稻隐约於林间村落，与阳光辉映成为一片金⻩色，⻋子转了几个弯，眼前又展开了另一境地，只⻅辛勤的农夫，在那一方方的稻田里，正偻着身子插着嫩绿的新秧，由此看来，这里的稻田，并无分季候，稻熟既割，随时下种，全无次数的限制，土地既肥沃，收获必丰富，走完了这一段算是平直的公路，⻋子开始沿山足盘旋，拖逦而上了，气温也渐渐降低，俯视山下，密林丛树，下笼烟舍，有如画境，罗列上下，则梯田⻘葱，层层叠叠至山腰，有如刀切一般的均整，尤为美观，气候越上越冷，暑气已尽，抵至目的地时已十点多了，纵目远眺，乃知上帝造物之奇美，在这么高的山顶上，竟有这么大的湖，远处白茫茫一片，湖旁有高达十一层之古塔，倒影湖中，可爱极了 我想天山高处的天然湖，那奇丽的美景，是否可与此媲美呢？ 古塔的右旁有一座古刹，残垣颓壁，野草与石像并列，饶有荒凉的古味。那镂刻精致的⻔楼，更显得惨澹而凄厉。步入栅⻔，又⻅五六佛塔，佛座，古意盎然，均为三百年以上的古迹。我们在这里只觉得一切似梦，似诗，似画，既不会有人来，扰乱清思，大可以暂时忘记了自己，忘记了这嚣尘的世界这种幽邃宜人，绝无凡尘俗气的境地，实为不可多得之所。可入画面的材料真是太多了，使我们目不暇接。我祗作了三四幅粉画，其中最满意的一幅是这样的构图：「远处是起伏的山峦，白色的云气弥漫峰巅及远处的山腰，右边是高可迫天的十一层古塔，塔下古树⺎立，缀以红花三四点，左边是古石刻与石像，中则颓坏之座磴，石上鲜苔⻘郁，右下⻆有一小石猴，绕生以凤尾草，远近层次既能表达，群绿之中透出嫣红，轻渺的云烟配合着有古意浓厚之石像，真是轻重都有。只是天公不作美，竟而下起雨来了，天气乍冷，我们都感到阵阵寒意，好在可供避雨的地方很多，我们躲在草棚中继续作画。

正午十二时，我们驱⻋回程至巴布安Pupuan，那又是另一个湖，面积稍小於前者，湖畔有精致雅洁的旅馆，内有游泳池设备，有新式的洋楼，碧绿整⻬的草地，树木林列，花卉盛开，完全是一个现代化的公园。我们似乎从一个单纯的美和神秘的境界，回到文明的世界中来。谢太太说 「这儿顶好」 谢先生取笑地说：「我太太的眼睛里没有艺术」我们就在这里吃一顿野餐，却也别饶⻛味，只是忙煞了谢太太！

肚子问题解决了，又拍了几帧照片就下山去，我们径至「达巴南」Tabanan，参观古皇宫，瑰丽宏伟的⻔楼，墙下一道流水，我们经过石桥，进入了第一⻔，园内有喷水池，那古意斑斑的喷水塔，是巴厘的古雕刻。我们通过广阔的草地，进入了第二⻔，⻔后有石级，右旁矗立著八座佛塔中央有皇座，左旁为供养台。我祗在⻔楼旁画了一幅画，其余的只好以摄影来传真了。

下午三时半，回到南巴厘的「丹•巴刹」Den Pasar，为了时间尚早，就去拜访名模特家，并在那里作画，直到天色已黑，才回到旅馆去，草草地用过晚餐后，疲倦和劳顿交瘁的我们，已不能再做什么了，只好酣然地爬进了梦乡。

My first impression of Bali was that it is a tranquil, picturesque, and genuinely charming island.

"Bali!" This place name is not unfamiliar to foreign travelers who enjoy exploring. The landscapes of Bali have been chronicled in countless travelogues, and many have praised and sung its praises. It has drawn numerous tourists, and we were among those who came eagerly. When we arrived, it was late at night, the world was quiet, and the clock had struck midnight, making it impossible to catch a glimpse of her true face.

We stayed in Sanur, a town in the southern part of Bali, as the city hotels were fully booked. Fortunately, we had made arrangements for accommodations well in advance. Otherwise, we would have been sleepless. The next morning, we explored the nearby towns, and everywhere we went, we saw temples and pagodas, imbued with a strong sense of spirituality. I cannot describe this place as beautiful or magnificent, but it had a mysterious and rustic charm that emanated an enigmatic force, deeply captivating us. We were all captivated by the poetic and picturesque scenery that surrounded us, greedily observing, sketching, and photographing. Wherever our footsteps led us, we lingered, unable to tear ourselves away.

On the fifth morning, we prepared to depart for Bedugul to create our art. Bedugul is located in the central-northern part of Bali, about sixty miles from our residence in Sanur. Mr. Tan, our guide, and his entire family, from his mother-in-law to his wife and even his nephew, all joined forces for this journey. He had arranged for a bus and prepared food for a picnic on the mountain. Mr. Tan was a renowned Balinese painter, known for his simplicity and sincerity. Ten years ago, he traveled to Indonesia like Mr. Lim Boon Keng and met his future wife through painting, later settling on this island. We were deeply grateful for his warm hospitality during our visit to Bali.

The journey was filled with stunning scenery – rolling hills, pristine waters, majestic pagodas, scattered huts, and well-organized fields. Everything seemed to fit together seamlessly, creating an exquisite tapestry. We were immersed in a continuous visual feast, as if we were watching a natural movie. We forgot our fatigue, even though the sixty-mile journey along the winding roads was not short. The car sped along the highway, and the landscapes unfolded – endless stretches of rice paddies, ripe for harvest, shone golden in the sunlight. The car turned a few corners, and another picturesque scene unveiled itself. Diligent farmers tended to the rice paddies, planting young green shoots. It seemed that here, there was no strict agricultural season. When the rice was ready, it was harvested, and new shoots were planted anytime. The fertile soil promised bountiful harvests. Completing this relatively straight stretch of road, the car began ascending the mountainside. The temperature gradually dropped, and we were greeted by coolness.

Looking down from the mountains, the lush forest and scattered cottages created a picturesque view, like something out of a painting. When arranged from top to bottom, the terraced fields created a pleasing visual effect, remarkably organized. The climate became cooler as we ascended, and the summer heat was left far behind. When we reached our destination, it was already past 10 o'clock. Gazing into the distance, we saw the breathtaking beauty of a vast lake, with eleven ancient pagodas rising from its shores, their reflections shimmering in the water. It reminded me of the natural lakes in the mountains, with their magnificent beauty. To the right of the pagodas, there was an ancient temple, with its dilapidated walls and stone statues standing amidst wild grasses, exuding a sense of desolation. The intricately carved gate was particularly stark, revealing a bleak beauty. We ventured through the gate and found five or six pagodas, Buddha statues, and ancient stone seats, all bearing the weight of history, having stood for over three centuries. We were all in awe of this place, and it felt like a dream, a poem, a painting. We had temporarily forgotten ourselves, forgotten the noisy world, immersed in this serene and ethereal place. It was indeed a rare find, devoid of the mundane and worldly. The material for painting was abundant, leaving us overwhelmed. I only managed to create three or four pastel paintings, one of which I was particularly satisfied with. It depicted a composition of rolling hills with white clouds shrouding the peaks and slopes.

On the right side, there stood eleven towering ancient pagodas, their reflections shimmering in the lake. To the left, there were ancient stone carvings and statues, while in the center, a stone path led to the temple ruins, where moss grew lushly on the stones. In the bottom right corner, a small stone monkey sat, surrounded by phoenix tail grass, creating a vivid contrast amidst the lush greenery. The light and delicate clouds complemented the ancient and profound stone statues, creating a harmonious composition. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, and it began to rain. The sudden cold was felt by all of us, but fortunately, there were plenty of places to take shelter. We continued our artistic endeavors beneath a thatched roof.

At noon, we began our journey back to Pupuan, another area in Bali with a lake, albeit slightly smaller than the previous one. There was an elegant and tidy hotel by the lake with swimming pool facilities, modern European-style buildings, and well-manicured lawns, creating a modern park. It seemed like we had returned from a world of simplicity and mystery to civilization. Mrs. Tan commented, "This place is the best." Mr. Tan jokingly replied, "My wife doesn't have an artistic eye." We had a picnic here but didn't linger as Mrs. Tan was kept busy with preparations.

Once our hunger was satisfied, we took a few more photographs and descended the mountain. We went to Tabanan in the afternoon to visit the ancient royal palace, with its magnificent gate and a flowing stream below it. After crossing a stone bridge, we entered the first gate. Inside, there was a fountain, a beautifully carved fountain tower, a testament to Bali's ancient carvings. We crossed a vast grassy area and entered the second gate, where stone steps led to the right, with eight pagodas. In the center was a royal seat, and to the left was an offering platform. I painted a picture near the gate, but we had to rely on photography for the rest.

At 3:30 in the afternoon, we returned to Den Pasar, the capital of Bali, where, with time still on our side, we visited a famous model's home and created art there until it grew dark. Exhausted and worn from a long day, we returned to our hotel. After a hasty dinner, we, fatigued and weary, crawled into bed and drifted into a peaceful sleep.