Wow, Bali!
Sanur, Bali, Indonesia
But first a word about cell phones. Since we began our trip, we've hit two places where Mel's cell phone does not work. One was Roratonga in the Cook Islands. The other was 23 Woodland Glen.
We arrived in Bali in the middle of the night. It is very close to the equator - hot and humid but even in the middle of the night I could see it is the most exotic place I've ever been in my life. A driver met us and took us to our hotel. Again, we arrived in the dark but walked through lush, tropical gardens with ponds, statutes, and fountains to our room for which, incidentally, we paid $35/night.
On the first morning, we relaxed and enjoyed the hotel. It is built in the traditional Balanese style with clusters of rooms around the gardens. The hotel provides breakfast (which Mel joked would have been a deal-breaker had it not been included). Breakfast involved someone making omelettes to order as well as several Balanese dishes - fried rice, noodles, etc. The hotel is on the beach (although the hotel restaurant occupies the beach-front area) so we walked along the beach, passing other hotels and small shops.
In the afternoon, the tour guide picked us up and we toured a Balanese temple, a monkey preserve (Resus monkeys - very tame - they ate out of your hand) and saw sunset at a temple on the west coast on the Indian Ocean. Of course, running true to form, it was cloudy by sunset; nonetheless, it was quite amazing since there was a temple ceremony going on. The temple was actually closed to everyone except certain Balanese, and I am not sure if they had to belong to the temple, but there was a long line of people dressed in their finest and bringing offerings to the temple. The men wore long wrap-around skirts (sarongs), shirts and small hats (not on the top of the head but around the forehead). The women wore long, wrap-around skirts and halter tops covered by long sleeve blouses, usually somewhat sheer but either crocheted or embroidered with gold thread. They carried the offerings on their heads. A typical offering was a straw basket of fruit, piled in circles, so that there might be a circle of apples, topped by a circle of oranges, etc. At the very top, there would be a decorative element, such as a feather design, made of coconut leaves. Of course, we also saw offerings of a small pig - again, carried in a decorated basket on someone's head. The people going to the temple had to walk across wet rocks to get to the temple, then walk up a huge, long flight of stone steps to enter it.
We ate dinner out, not at the hotel. We had chicken satay and fried rice. We had several glasses of "lemon juice" (lemonade). Cost us $4.50. (for both!)
Today, we were also picked up and began our day with a performance of a Balanese play on a temple grounds. It was the story of the fight between good and evil. Background music was performed by a gamelon orchestra. There was lots of dancing, traditional costumes such as a two-person lion and it was gorgeous. (Hope the
photos can convey the beauty and scope of this event.)
We were able to tour a family compound of a Balanese family. The grandparents have a small house in the complex as do the parents. But, the parents also have an outdoor platform where they sleep as do the sons. (Girls sleep with their parents until they are teens then they have a small house too.) There is an outdoor cooking room and washing room. A well supplies water.
Many of the villages specialize in a craft. Yesterday, we stopped in a batik village and went into a batik "factory" (seven artisans - not what we think of as a factory). Today, we stopped in a wood-carving village and saw a wood-carving facility - one whole family carving varius elements.
Then we went to see one of the most famous volcanoes. You guessed it. It was socked-in by clouds.
Afterwards, we saw terraced rice fields and walked along some of them.
During the day, we ran into several temple ceremonies with people either headed for temple with the offerings on their head or returning home. Many people travel by moped so it is not unusual to see a mother, father and two children all piled on the moped, and in their temple best!
There is a politicial party having a congress in the hotel next door so when we returned to our hotel, the streets are crowded with security guards, military guards and on-lookers. The candidates are Sukarno's daughter and son.
As for why this is the most exotic place I've been, besides the beautiful clothing, carrying things on the head (or on poles on the shoulders - men mostly), the villages that specialize in wonderful crafts, so far we have not found a single building that is not built in the Balanese style. Older buildings, gates and temples are often covered with moss. Newer buildings are still in the Balanese style. They just have't had time to develop moss. There are carved statutes everywhere. Those in town squares are the most elaborate. Every home has its own temple. And, everywhere you look, people have placed small offerings - small baskets with rice, flowers, etc.
By the way, Bali is Hindu - at least the Balanese version of it. There is a growing Moslem population, as atested by the many headscarves, but 90% of the population is Hindu.
Bali is suffering from a lack of tourism following the bombing in Kuta a couple of years ago so it is the least expensive place we've been but even without that, it is exotic beyond my expectations. I promise, photos are coming.
Love,
Janet
But first a word about cell phones. Since we began our trip, we've hit two places where Mel's cell phone does not work. One was Roratonga in the Cook Islands. The other was 23 Woodland Glen.
We arrived in Bali in the middle of the night. It is very close to the equator - hot and humid but even in the middle of the night I could see it is the most exotic place I've ever been in my life. A driver met us and took us to our hotel. Again, we arrived in the dark but walked through lush, tropical gardens with ponds, statutes, and fountains to our room for which, incidentally, we paid $35/night.
On the first morning, we relaxed and enjoyed the hotel. It is built in the traditional Balanese style with clusters of rooms around the gardens. The hotel provides breakfast (which Mel joked would have been a deal-breaker had it not been included). Breakfast involved someone making omelettes to order as well as several Balanese dishes - fried rice, noodles, etc. The hotel is on the beach (although the hotel restaurant occupies the beach-front area) so we walked along the beach, passing other hotels and small shops.
In the afternoon, the tour guide picked us up and we toured a Balanese temple, a monkey preserve (Resus monkeys - very tame - they ate out of your hand) and saw sunset at a temple on the west coast on the Indian Ocean. Of course, running true to form, it was cloudy by sunset; nonetheless, it was quite amazing since there was a temple ceremony going on. The temple was actually closed to everyone except certain Balanese, and I am not sure if they had to belong to the temple, but there was a long line of people dressed in their finest and bringing offerings to the temple. The men wore long wrap-around skirts (sarongs), shirts and small hats (not on the top of the head but around the forehead). The women wore long, wrap-around skirts and halter tops covered by long sleeve blouses, usually somewhat sheer but either crocheted or embroidered with gold thread. They carried the offerings on their heads. A typical offering was a straw basket of fruit, piled in circles, so that there might be a circle of apples, topped by a circle of oranges, etc. At the very top, there would be a decorative element, such as a feather design, made of coconut leaves. Of course, we also saw offerings of a small pig - again, carried in a decorated basket on someone's head. The people going to the temple had to walk across wet rocks to get to the temple, then walk up a huge, long flight of stone steps to enter it.
We ate dinner out, not at the hotel. We had chicken satay and fried rice. We had several glasses of "lemon juice" (lemonade). Cost us $4.50. (for both!)
Today, we were also picked up and began our day with a performance of a Balanese play on a temple grounds. It was the story of the fight between good and evil. Background music was performed by a gamelon orchestra. There was lots of dancing, traditional costumes such as a two-person lion and it was gorgeous. (Hope the
photos can convey the beauty and scope of this event.)
We were able to tour a family compound of a Balanese family. The grandparents have a small house in the complex as do the parents. But, the parents also have an outdoor platform where they sleep as do the sons. (Girls sleep with their parents until they are teens then they have a small house too.) There is an outdoor cooking room and washing room. A well supplies water.
Many of the villages specialize in a craft. Yesterday, we stopped in a batik village and went into a batik "factory" (seven artisans - not what we think of as a factory). Today, we stopped in a wood-carving village and saw a wood-carving facility - one whole family carving varius elements.
Then we went to see one of the most famous volcanoes. You guessed it. It was socked-in by clouds.
Afterwards, we saw terraced rice fields and walked along some of them.
During the day, we ran into several temple ceremonies with people either headed for temple with the offerings on their head or returning home. Many people travel by moped so it is not unusual to see a mother, father and two children all piled on the moped, and in their temple best!
There is a politicial party having a congress in the hotel next door so when we returned to our hotel, the streets are crowded with security guards, military guards and on-lookers. The candidates are Sukarno's daughter and son.
As for why this is the most exotic place I've been, besides the beautiful clothing, carrying things on the head (or on poles on the shoulders - men mostly), the villages that specialize in wonderful crafts, so far we have not found a single building that is not built in the Balanese style. Older buildings, gates and temples are often covered with moss. Newer buildings are still in the Balanese style. They just have't had time to develop moss. There are carved statutes everywhere. Those in town squares are the most elaborate. Every home has its own temple. And, everywhere you look, people have placed small offerings - small baskets with rice, flowers, etc.
By the way, Bali is Hindu - at least the Balanese version of it. There is a growing Moslem population, as atested by the many headscarves, but 90% of the population is Hindu.
Bali is suffering from a lack of tourism following the bombing in Kuta a couple of years ago so it is the least expensive place we've been but even without that, it is exotic beyond my expectations. I promise, photos are coming.
Love,
Janet
posted by Mel and Janet Muchnik | 3:58 AM
2 Comments:
Note from sydney -stop-
Post pictures of monkeys -stop-
Today's (Sunday) NYTimes travel section focuses on Bali and talks about its tourist resurgence after the incidents of a couple of years ago. Very evocative writing, Janet. Btw, I second the call for monkey photos. How 'bout those Illini? I can't believe they won yesterday. It was the ultimate bandwagon jump -- a week ago we were shrugging; last night we were leaping to our feet and shouting at the TV.
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