Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park began construction in 1997. Problems beset the project from the very beginning. Land had to be procured as only a hundred of the 250-hectare land belonged to the Badung regency. The rest had belonged to residents. The rocky and hilly area of Jimbaran of course had also to be cut and the 250-hectare land, cleared. The budget ballooned to hundreds of billions of rupiah and besides monetary problems, social and political crises which arose between l997 and l998 worsened the situation as did the fall of the Soeharto administration. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had however, promised that the project would be completed. Obtaining funds has always been a problem with big projects. Even with the Statue of Liberty (inset), there were great difficulties. While the statue was a gift from France, the Americans had to foot the bill for its pedestal and there was the economic depression to contend with. Construction stalled for years and it actually took over three-and-a-half decades for the project to be completed. It was therefore a privilege to be there at Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park and to be able to take snapshots of the uncompleted statue of Visnu and his mount, Garuda....Take a break...enjoy your privilege!
Traveling Tip: Take a break and take some photos!
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