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KINTAMANI
 In scripts
from the 10th century indicate that this high mountain
district which takes its name from the ancient,
windblown town at 1,500 meters-was the earliest
known kingdom in Bali. Its small houses are constructed
of wood and bamboo tiles to give warmth in the cold
evenings of the highlands. Plentiful vegetables
and fruits prosper in the damp climate. Like many
of the old villages in Bali, the center of community
affairs is the bale agung, the village
assembly hall, where the elders of the desa
authority meet once a month.
The dances of Kintamani are varieties of the Sanghyang
trance dance, rar ely
performed in other parts of the island. Every third
morning, the main street becomes a gay bazaar for
all the surrounding villages. There are several
small hotels for an overnight stay :while exploring
the area. Not far north of town, a dirt road branches
left down towards Lake Bratan, and to the village
of Slulung with its interesting little, stepped
pyramids.
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