An Adventure in Beautiful Bali

Well the track record is still intact. Days! However this time it wasn't his fault. Our SIL built the new computer and it doesn't want to play nice with some of our picture programs...so any further pics will have to wait until I can figure out how to shrink them with the new programs.

You guys are kind saying that you enjoy the pics...but I kinda feel like the old joke about watching your friends home movies. I hope I'm not boring you ... but I guess, if you didn't want to see any more, you could just not open the thread. So I will give it a shot until I notice the "view count" standing still. Ha Ha...at least that's one way to tell if there is any interest!

This was at a temple on the sea. The Gray Macaques were very inquisitive, and wanted to search your pockets, purses, camera cases...anything that might hold a tidbit or two. We got bags of cucumbers to feed them, and they became our good buddies.

if you have photo shop, fax viewer, paint, office...you can resize with any of those by right clicking and selecting open with...any of those programs..then it will open pic and there will be a selection for image size..and usually you can reduce the horizontal and vertical by 50 percent...but you probably know that...just in case

Whenever you enter a temple area there are signs explaining that you are entering a sacred area so please dress accordingly. Usually there are people at the gate with sarongs and sashes that they give you to wear, and help get you into them. Our friend Gede was constantly having to adjust JB's sarong because it would fall down. We had our own sarong's so didn't have to use the "public" ones, but Gede always got one from the gate. I found that odd until he explained that the ones at the gate are "blessed" and washed in a special way. Not a necessary thing, but special for him.

Last night on TV there was a documentary about gardens. This particular episode was about Bangkok, Singapore and Bali. It was an interesting indepth look into styles and philosophies they were based on.

Oh I would have loved to have seen that! Whenever JB and I travel, we spend as much time in any public or botanical gardens as we do on any other part of the trip.

This isn't a good picture of anything...I only include it here to prove that I too fed the monkeys at this temple. I got real up close and personal with the ones at the monkey forest, but here I just pretty much tossed them their little snacks.

So JB's not the only one involved in monkey business. ;O)

You know me too well!

These next few pictures (thanks Randy!) are all taken in a village called Tenganan, which is unique amoung the Bali Aga communities around the island in its strong adherance to traditional ways. These people have rejected the politics, caste system and religious reforms of the last 300 years, and live lives around their rituals and ceremonies and traditional methods. It is the only place in Indonesia where certain celebrated cloth is produced - called geringsing.

This message was edited Jun 16, 2009 1:34 PM

Tenganan is also one of the places that produce these incredible baskets... known for their golden brown color and smokey aroma, the baskets are some of the most beautiful in the world. In specialty shops in the US, these baskets go for hundreds of dollars...here they go for $1 or $2 for the small ones and up to $50 for the hamper size ones.

More of those great baskets:

Another of the famous skills present at this village was the art of mask carving. Throughout Bali, dances and ceremonies are performed during which the major characters wear incredibly intricate masks...this is where most of the good ones come from. Now Tenganen is a very wealthy village because all of these items...the cloth, the baskets, masks and other handicrafts are all for sale. And oh how they love to bargain!

I hope you can see some of the detail of these magnificent masks. We saw many dances - the Balinese way of passing down their history, mythology and religion, but they were all at night, and not many of the pictues came out very well. These masks were all in use, but I can't show you on the dancers.

Shari, if I'm as far as Kwadj for a visit, it's now going to be on my way to Bali!

Right in the middle of the village there was this resting area at which some of the local merchants were relaxing and playing their gamelans. The gamelan joged bumbung is a xylophone type instrument made of bronze and split bamboo. It can be soft, mystical and perfect for meditation...but is much more often loud, boisterous and very, very fast. A muscian friend of mine told me that the average musician on Bali hits 7 notes a second! Luckily these guys were more into the former type, and made for a pleasant background to our sightseeing...that is until we came near there shops! Then Mr. Mustache there became the world's most enthusiastic salesman!

I can live with that Randy! Or you could come here on your way back from Bali, in which case I could give you a shopping list! Ha Ha! I didn't have enough room to get everything I wanted!

This lovely young lady was Mr. Mustache's daughter. She is weaving their famous cloth...and just sits there day after day...the loom is latched behing her waist so she can lean into it to adjust tension. This piece, which will take many months to complete may sell for as much as $150 US. The cloth, patterns and skill involved make it a steal at that price.

As you may know, cock-fighting is a major sport throughout Indonesia, and Bali is no different. Though I abhore the practice, I couldn't help but admire some of the rituals involved. The fighting cocks are treated like beloved treasures...and their "wives" are painted all the colors of the rainbow to entertain them. These were bright pink! Note the cages...way cool if you ask me. Painted chickens are used in religious ceremonies as well, so you see colorful hens all over Bali.

And of course since Bali is Hindu, and cows are sacred...these friendly fellows walked along with us as we toured Tenganan.

and check this out.. I HAVE to get my passport because I'm going with my parents to...are your ready!??? the foreign far away country ..get ready.....of Canada...Victoria....in September

Each of the individual homes in the village was surrounded by walls similar to this one...the homes are more a compound consisting of several buildings, and these walls surround the compound to separate one from another. The walls are sometimes more lavishly decorated than the inner compounds, because after all, the walls are what most people see. They can be of brick, stone, wood, any number of designs...quite the feast for the eyes.

Here again, I hope you can see the detail...this wall was one of my favorites. It was entirely constructed of millions of flat river rocks! On either side of the doorway you can see the little shelves for offerings to the gods... I was just amazed at the time this must have taken! Collecting all the rocks, and then placing them on the walls and doorways...amazing!

Okay, last one for today...I have to go to rehearsal...its Week here...Dress Rehearsal for students and family is friday, then Sat and Sun we have our main shows...

Please note the plant in this gentleman's yard. A very popular handicraft in Bali is painted eggs. Each egg is a miniature masterpiece...I'm very picky and I bought 4! All over Bali you will see these "egg trees"...the emptied shells are carefully placed on the branches of sturdy plants to dry. Pink Chickens and Egg Trees...what's not to Love?????

lol..the resizing must of worked..
it's beautiful....!

Ha! I KNEW the new rules would get you! I figured it would be Mexico though. My folks down in Brownsville have been going across the border at least once a week for about 70 thousand years. Now they have to show passports and you DO NOT want to get my Dad started about that! He takes it as a personal insult to his integrity.

Well, now my chances of getting you out here will improve, so I am a happy camper!

Yokwe my friends,
Shari

that's for sure...we'll start bidding in September for next years Holidays

I hope the river rocks in the walls are held in with something secure. I'd hate to bump the wall and then feel obliged to put all the stones back up for them.

Ok, Randy. How many extras can go to Bali with you? Don't you think it is time I lived a little?
Gonna check into a passport tomorrow. You are trapped, sweetheart!

PK

Tropicbreeze, that house has been there for well over a hundred years, so I'm sure they are held with something very secure.

Christi...you CANNOT go to Bali unless you come here either coming or going. I want your promise, or I will post no further pics. (But you have GOT to go to Bali!!!)

Yokwe,
Shari

Well that's a relief! I can be a bit clumsy at times. ;O)

Out of curiosity I checked on flight details. Only a 2.5 hour flight from here, and $448 return.

Shari, many many thanks for sharing your pictures with us. Bali is so remote (for us), so exotic. I would love to see it but I can't see that happening any time soon.

Randy, you're going to Victoria! Oh, I see a botanical garden or two in your future.

I anxiously await the next installment of your pictures and travel stories, Shari.

Take care, all.
Sylvain.

I think 2 can Christi...shall I call them full?

Oh yes Sylvain, my Step Mom & I make the annual pilgrimage to Buchart every year in September...looooooooove it ..!

Sounds like the time of my life. Remember, I am actually an island girl trapped inland.

Hi everyone! So glad these pics are getting some of you to think "Bali", and I hope others are just enjoying the armchair journey.

On this day, Gede was taking us up to visit the volcano that had erupted in 1963. Naturally, the trip up the mountains were filled with wonderful vistas, which I will show in a moment. This pic is of the bamboo poles that are curved, split and shaped into beautiful designs in honor of the mountain god. We saw hundreds of these all up the mountain, in every village and in front of every house. They are apparently replaced with new ones whenever there is a ceremony...wedding, funeral, special temple event, etc.

Still here on my "arm-chair" journey as well.

Keep them coming as long as you can;-)

Thank's much

Rachel

Just to prove that Bali is not just beaches and rice terraces, we took some shots from up the mountain even though it was a very cloudy day. From here you can see (well almost), the volcano across the lake from us, the very large lake, and the tiny village that exists just on the edge of both. Sorry this isn't clearer, but we just couldn't control the weather, no many how many offerings we presented.

Still pretty cloudy, but maybe you can see things a little better:

This is the temple we were visiting up at the volcano area. There are hundreds and hundreds of temples in Bali... we started out taking lots of pictures, but by the 10th or so temple, we just took a few shots. I am only going to hit the highlights here if I can. This was the walkway up to the main entrance...the stone carving is incredible, but also omnipresent - so one couldn't help but start taking it for granted.

Check out these doors! These are not just painted...they are carved and then painted! The detail is amazing! The paint is gold flake...not solid gold, but with a good deal of gold in it. Just magnificent!

The area surrounding this temple is huge. At times there are thousands of people praying here. The way Gede explained it to us: Everyone belongs to his family temple, every family temple belongs to one of 3 or so village temples, each village temple belongs to 2 or so regional temples. Then there are temples for special interests...arts, knowledge, historical events, etc. And then there is the Mother Temple, which encompasses all. As you can see...ritual and ceremony are as much a part of everyday life in Bali as breathing.

Statues like this one surround all temple areas...and it seems everywhere else! The creativity and artistry of the Balinese people is mind-boggling.

Another set of temple doors...open this time. Please note the remarkable detail...as Gede says "wash the eyes".

This is a smaller area within the temple...for special offerings, small group ceremonies etc. This temple was originally built in the 14th century, so if it looks a little worn, I think that is completely understandable!