(22mei08)
Just 16km from Gianyar, KLUNGKUNG, also known by its older name of Semarapura, is a bustling town, with plenty of sights. Its highlights are the remains of the ancient Kerta Gosa painted ceiling. These murals are the only surviving examples of clasical wayang painting in situ on the island. They underwater major restorations in the 1930s, and in 1960 and 1982, and although the pictures are decidedly grubby, located on the corner of the main Klungkung crossroads, they remain required viewing. The centre of modern classical style Balinese painting is at Kamasan, a few kilometers south of town, while the Gunarsa Museum of Modern and Classical Art to the west of Klungkung houses a moderately diverting collection. South of Klungkung, the sleepy village of Gelgel is these days a shadowy remnant of the thriving royal capital that ruled Bali for three hundred years.