Sergio’s Bali Adventure 2009
When Islam triumphed over Hinduism in Java (16th century), Bali became a refuge for many Hindus. Balinese Hinduism is an amalgam in which gods and demigods are worshipped together with Buddhist heroes, the spirits of ancestors, indigenous agricultural deities, and sacred places.
Religion, as it is practiced in Bali, is a composite belief system that embraces not only theology, philosophy, and mythology, but ancestor worship, animism, and magic. It pervades nearly every aspect of traditional life. Caste is observed, though less strictly than in India. Balinese Hinduism has roots in Indian Hinduism and in Buddhism and adopted the animistic traditions of the indigenous people. This influence strengthened the belief that the gods and goddesses are present in all things. Every element of nature, therefore, possesses its own power, which reflects the power of the gods. A rock, tree, dagger, bridge, or woven cloth is a potential home for spirits whose energy can be directed for good or evil.
Balinese Hinduism is deeply interwoven with art and ritual and is less preoccupied with scripture, law, and belief. Ritualizing states of self-control are a notable feature of religious expression among the people, who for this reason have become famous for their graceful and decorous behavior.
From a western observer, one can make the conclusion that Balinese Hinduism is heavily rooted in superstition. This spirit to explore brought us to this wonderful magical spellbinding place after 20 hours of flight time from Los Angeles.
With an estimated 20,000 temples and shrines, Bali is known as the “Island of the Gods”.
And thus our adventure begins;
We were met at Denpasar International Airport, by our guide and driver Angus and Agus, which by the second day of our trip; they felt more like old friends than new acquaintances’.
Our first stop our Hotel the Pitha Maha, on the outskirts of Ubud our home for the next 6 days. It took a bit over an hour, traffic in Bali is congested with motorcycles, cars, busses, and trucks are fighting for the same little space – another observation there is not a road in Bali that is straighter for longer than a mile.
Our Hotel was set up in a Balinese-style compound with private villas covering large spaces and luxurious, lush surroundings; we had our own plunge pool to keep cool from the intense Balinese heat and humidity.
After such a long trip, we had pre-schedule side by side massages, this took place on a poolside pavilion overlooking a ravine and lush green forest and the sound of the river below — after the massage we were offered the sweetest but fortifying tea – the weariness our body that we felt after the long trip, magically disappeared after all this is Bali.
After our first taste of a sumptuous Balinese meal, we retired to our villa for the evening with the sound of Gamelan Rindik Music mixing with the country night sounds.
1st Day – arose early and refresh today’s schedule will bring us to our first temple and a visit with a Balinese healer.
After breakfast we took off into a 30 minutes’ walk into Ubud the cultural center of Bali, this town boasts more galleries and restaurants than any other places I have preciously visited – lots of shopping opportunities and not let’s forget the central market.
On the way to town, we got to experience first hands the daily offerings (flowers, fruits, rice) ritual performed at every home, or place of business, and yes the bridge into town. There is such solemnity as they perform that you almost felt that by taking their pictures, you will upsetting the GOD’s, well I guess they did not get that upset, because my camera lenses took a life of its own in Bali.
At the assigned time our guides picked us up for our first stop. A visit with a healer in the outskirts of Ubud — we had no idea that we were in for such a big surprise. I enjoyed reading “Eat, Pray, and Love” although not a literary masterpiece, it was a good read. Never in my life would I had imagined sitting across Mr. Ketut Liyer, the healer described in the book – if any two-character, I would have like to meet from that story was Mr. Ketut and Richard the Texan she met in India. I felt both were realistic nonsense characters. Hate to admit but I got extremely emotional during my private session with Mr. Ketut. There was something about him the simple surroundings, that I have never felt so safe or loved in my entire life.
As we left the compound David and I just looked at each other and said nothing – what was there to say?
Our next stop the Bangli Temple, and with over 20,000 temples in Bali, we had just started. We also made a stop at the store to buy appropriate temple clothing for our upcoming Hindu Purification ceremony…………who knows you can spend so much time picking a sarong – the choices were unlimited.
Back to the Hotel for another great dinner at a local restaurant.
2nd Day – it found us at Leisure the day was ours to do what we pleased. After a very tasty Balinese Breakfast, David chose the American we set off for a trail walk across the ridge from our hotel that went across rice paddies, fields, and typical Balinese countryside the walk lasted for about an hour and ended at the back of a school close to the center of town.
I shopped around a bit, had lunch in town, excellent grilled fish, and returned to our hotel to rest, read and plunge in our pool to escape the heat. For those of you who know me and we have been on vacation together does that sounds like me………………let me tell you Bali showed me another side of me.
Our jet lag caught up with us so it was an early and restful night, looking for tomorrow’s adventure.
3rd Day – dressed in our Balinese finest we went to the mineral sacred waters at Tampaksiring Temple, for our Hindu purification ceremony. The temple grounds are divided into 3 sections, and each of them represents a specific ritual – temple effigies are only brought out during festivals so it’s odd to be walking through a temple with empty altars. It ours our fortune to be in Bali during Galumgan a key Balinese festival celebrated every 210 days. They celebrate good prevailing over evil – most statues temples, sacred objects are covered in a checkered white and black cloth always reminding us of the fine line between good and evil.
Agung located a priest to preside over our purification ceremony – basically, the prayers and the water purification is for atonements of past sins and the knowledge awareness of making the right decision in the future. We brought our own small offerings. After the ceremony, we jumped in the water along with the Balinese and presided to let the 11 spouts of fresh sacred spring water, flow over our bodies. The beautiful thing here is that the Balinese people did not look at us as an oddity, but welcomes us with large smiles as if telling us, you are now one of us as we participated in one of their most sacred rituals.
After drying and leaving the temple we felt clean but also a lot lighter, maybe the rush of the water relieved us of some of the extra luggage we carry with us.
Off we went to see more temples this one Tanah Lot by the seashore which during high tide is not accessible, the Royal Temple Tamna Ayun which we arrived at sundown and the shading made for some spectacular pictures and before that the Alas Kedaton Monkey forest…………yes we had monkeys climbing our backs, they were all over and in all sizes. We were both very cautious but were a very enjoyable experience.
We had lunch at this little restaurant overlooking the sea, where lunch was picked straight out of water tanks and cooked to your liking, grill, fried, sauté…………………we had a spread of fresh grilled fish, king prawns, and fried calamari, accompanied by an assortment of Balinese sauces, the garlic and shallots was our favorite in fact there was nothing left.
So we covered 4 temples in one day not a problem with only have 19,996 to go.
4th Day – it found us driving into the Munduk countryside an area with spectacular terraced rice fields. With a stopover at the spice and flower market – along with a few more temples along the way to a beautiful hike in the mountains to reach a waterfall, no wonder this is Island is called Paradise, the God has truly blessed it.
We stopped at Purin Lumbung a small hotel high in the mountains for a private cooking lesson – where we proceed to grind spices for our dishes and cooking them in an outside hut. Light Chicken Curry – David ate most of it, I just tasted the sauce and if I would have a loaf of French bread he would not have gotten any. Fish grilled in banana Leaves – awesome. A fresh salad of long bean, papaya, sprouts, what they called water spinach seasoned to perfection. Dessert was white and chocolate crepes (made with tapioca flour) filled with palm cane sugar and coconut.
We ate this overlooking mountain scenery – we left felt that our physical and spiritual soul completely filled.
Along the way, we had a look at all the Galungan decorations being erected called Penjurus in front of each house as we drove through the villages. Just think of them as us placing our decorated Christmas trees by the sidewalk a wonderful spectacle to see the whole Island decorated for the holiday.
Day 5th – today our adventures take us to Agung village deep into the countryside – what a day was ahead for us. We made a straw hat of fresh palm; we plowed the rice fields behind a team of bulls, planted rice. As we planted the rice I thought of the show on the FOOD network called to follow that food – wonder where our row of rice once cultivated will end up.
We had a wonderful 8-course lunch served in banana leaf; we asked Agung was it customary to leave something on the plate because we almost ate the banana leaves.
After lunch we rocked with the village Gamelan orchestra, just we played the instruments but their music is trance-like and you fall quickly into its spell.
We said goodbye to the village and moved to our next location Canggu Beach on the southwest coast of Bali, which is a surfer’s paradise.
We arrived at another beautiful location, this time our room was on the second floor overlooking the ocean, rooms appointments were as or more luxurious than our last hotel. This hotel is owned by a Balinese art collector and the hotel takes place of a museum – beautiful ground with statues and artwork at every turn.
Day 6h – one of the features of this hotel is that you can dine anywhere in the property that you desire. So we started with breakfast by the pond, so I can feed the fishes………………….this day was at leisure and that was what we absolutely did nothing – except a short excursion into town to pick a few souvenirs’.
Dinner I had arranged a seaside barbeque dinner – just the two of us the sea, moon, and a bountiful platter filled with grilled fresh lobster, giant prawns, whole fish, and calamari.
7th Day – our last temple visit took us to the Batukaru mountain temple and spectacle of Balinese devotion entire family dressed in their Sundays best going to temple to honor their ancestors, the woman carrying on their head beautiful offering baskets, the colors, devotion, spiritual and a heavy cloud of peace and tranquility that enveloped it all. I was very happy to have been able to participate in such a special part of Balinese life.
8th – another day at leisure, and packing with sadness, as we take a late afternoon flight to our next destination Hong Kong. After a 10-year absence lots of changes but I still love its vibrations.
I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to experience many a cultures across this ever small shrinking planet.
But Bali not only captured my Soul it stole my Heart.
