The temple’s carvings show ghouls, noblemen, home scenes, soft porn, and a riot of leaves and tendrils. One pedestal shows a horrifying rendition of Durga, another a large figure resembling Christ at the Last Supper. The center piece depicts a battle scene from the Ramayana. On the northern wall of the innermost shrine is a famous one-meter-high relief of a Dutch official riding a floral bicycle, a reproduction of a 1904 carving destroyed by an earthquake. The cyclist is W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, a famous Dutch landscape and portrait artist who rode his bike around Bali in the early 1900s, painting as he went. During restoration the bicycle was born anew with lotus-flower spokes; even Nieuwenkamp’s sarong and the bush in the background feature floral patterns. Between his feet and the wheels is a rat and small dog; Nieuwenkamp’s initials and moustache, however, are gone. To view this wonderment, ask for the key, then leave your donation in the shop opposite.

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