Bali...Two Days in Paradise

 

Feb 21 & 22

“Oh, Lord, forgive three sins that are due to my human limitations.

Thou art Everywhere, but I worship thee here:

Thou art without form, but I worship thee in these forms;

Thou needest no praise, yet I offer thee these prayers and salutations.

Lord, forgive three sins that are due to my human limitations."

-  Hindu prayer from MM Kaye's The Far Paviliions

Our first stop in Indonesia with a chance to see the people and their culture is the magical island of Bali.  Marketing material aside, my first impression of the place was one of cheerful squalor. There is a lot of trash lying about, though to be fair, I can see the same thing in the ditches of the back roads around our little town after a rowdy weekend. Or in Times Square any time.

Bali is one of 17,508 Indonesian dots of land spread out over a huge area. In fact, if the easternmost island, Papua was snugged up against England, the westernmost island, Sumatra, would be knocking on New York. It is the fourth most populous country in the world. The primary religion is Islam, but on the island of Bali, 85% of the people are Hindu. (In fact, I told the DH the only explanation for the insane traffic, scooters darting in an out and no adherence to lane lines at all, is the Hindu indifference to death because they believe they have unlimited lives.) 

If Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, Bali must surely be the land of 10,000 temples. Temples come in all sizes. Some are what I’d call a shrine. Every Hindu home or business has a small temple in front of their establishment. Each day an offering of flowers, food, water and fire (usually incense) is left to ensure a successful outcome.

An example of an offering. If the devotee doesn't have time to put the items together, they can purchase a pre-made offering at the market

The first day of our visit happened to be on a major Hindu celebration in which devotees make offerings for all the metal objects in their lives. It started in ancient times when human culture made the leap from the Stone Age to Iron. The offering was an expression of gratitude for a superior blade. Now observant Hindus place an offering on the handlebars of their scooters, on their cars or small trucks. (Frankly, any vehicle on Bali needs all the blessing it can get!) 

Looks harmless doesn't it? Just wait till the light changes...

The market we visited was filled with colorful and occasionally angry-looking vegetables. Indonesians love chilies and other hot spices. The locals generally shop around 5 AM, so they'll have everything they need for their daily meals, and also to beat the gathering heat. I'd seen photos of the terraced rice paddies and thought them very beautiful. Up close you can see the indentation of footprints under the standing water from when the rice was sown by hand. Our guide told us they eat rice three times a day and feel they haven't had a meal without it. But it's all incredibly labor intensive. This is a very industrious populace. 

Next we visited a very old hotel where we were treated to snacks--a deep fat fried banana, a dollop of sticky rice and a fruit that looked like a hairy eyeball (a lychee). Then we walked to the nearby Jagatnatha Temple. In honor of the celebration day, many of the statues were "dressed" with black and white checked sarongs and plenty of bright yellow, a color of rejoicing.

The DH was wearing long pants so he only needed a sash to be able to enter the temple. Folks who wore short had to have a sarong wrapped around their waist. Male or female, no bare shoulders or knees.

Back on the ship that evening, the chef treated us to an Indonesian feast on the pool deck and a group of local dancers came on board to perform.

Caught the dancers relaxing in the World Cafe before their performance

~

Batik artist

Our second day on Bali started with a stop at a batik factory. It's a fascinating process of fabric printing using a wax resist method involving multiple applications of dye and boiling to set everything and remove the wax. Some  is done by hand and some with stamps for a pre-existing pattern. Each individual color requires another step. We indulged in a little retail therapy and purchased a beautiful piece we'll have to frame once we get home. 

Then we visited Mengwi and a temple attached to a palace. The garden was beautiful. As non-Hindus we were only allowed to enter the outer court, rather like the Court of the Gentiles in Solomon's temple, but we had a clear view into the center section of the structure. It's all open air. I'm still not sure what's involved in Hindu worship. I think it's probably more private than our communal Christian service.

Our next stop was a lovely resort where we had an interesting, albeit carb-intensive lunch. (I was diagnosed with diabetes last May and but I'd lowered my A1C to 5.7 before starting this trip by changing my diet and taking metformin. But sometimes, there's no chance to make low carb choices. I have much better luck on board the Sky). 

There was no public toilet, but the resort opened a couple of their en suites for our use. The bathrooms were open air (to the sky of course) and promised a sky-clad shower experience while preserving our Victorian sensibilities. (I took pictures which I'll try to add soon.) 

Our last stop of the day was the exquisit Tanah Lot Temple, one of the most photographed in Bali. Perched on a rocky promontory, it's inaccessible during some tides. Wind-kissed and continually caressed by the sea, it looks like the sort of place someone might retreat to and enjoy contemplating the Eternal.

Bali is a fascinating little island filled with vibrant people. I count myself blessed to have visited here.

(I promise to add pictures as soon as I can. Honestly I could wait for hours for a single image to post right now.)

PS. Just managed to tuck a few images into this post. The DH has a 7 minute montage he's trying to upload to YouTube so I can put a link here on the blog. It is absolutely gorgeous. I hope it'll be here soon!