Blissed out in Bali!

  D: On the 31^st of March we flew from Cairns to Darwin and then onwards to Denpasar, Indonesia. We got in at 8:30 pm.  We wasted no time in fleeing the crowded Denpasar and settling into the quaint little town of Ubud.  Ubud is a center for Balinese art and culture and although it does have some western influence, the Hindus of Bali have embraced change and have found creative ways to adapt to the growing number of tourists here.  Unlike the South Bali party areas like Kuta beach, Ubud’s focus remains remarkably on Balinese culture.  Around Ubud are temples, lush rice paddies, and towering coconut trees.  There are number of budget family run inns – a great value for money. Rama and I stayed at Kajeng Bungalows for $25/ night- our  host family was sweet, friendly, and catered to us as if we were family.  We had our own little cottage with an attached bathroom, a  view of the thick rainforest valley,  and a well maintained pool.

The view outside our room.

 

  The fact that Rama could speak Bahasa was a key advantage we had as we could communicate with people beyond simple hellos, thank yous, and goodbyes. Rama’s family moved to Java when he was a little boy and spent much of his childhood days there. Rama always speaks highly of the people here; soft, relatively open-minded, and laid back, Indonesians have a way of tugging at your heart strings.  Things are slower here as they are in places that have an island feel to them… there’s a slower and more powerful rhythm here-   something  soothing and nurturing to the soul- something that is definitely missing in the developed  world where time is money and everybody needs a quick fix.

The outdoor kitchen beyond the lotus pond.

Festivities at Batur temple

Rama and I were touched by the similarities between the Indian and Balinese Hindus.  Hinduism is a way of life rather than a religion and this is best exemplified here in Bali.  95% of Balinese are of Hindu descent.  When the Majapahits evacuated to Bali they took with them their art, literature, music, and culture. The Balinese already had strong religious beliefs and an active cultural life; the new influences were overlaid on existing practices. We found the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva here as well but unlike India, idols are hardly seen. There are often vacant thrones and empty shrines.  We had the privilege of visiting two amazing temples with Ary, a Balinese man who was kind enough to invite us to tour the temples with him, his family and friends during the festival  season.  The best part about traveling is that when you have an open attitude and live in the moment, the universe has a way of opening itself up to you in wonderful ways.  We casually struck up a conversation with Ary and then ended up spending the entire day with him, in the process experiencing the festival the way a Balinese would experience it. 

Hinduism with a Balinese touch.

Rice fields stretched out all over Bali

We settled down into Bali like locals; we drove scooters and cars through meandering narrow roads in heavy downpours as if we had been there for years.  Ubud  was our base and we drove to various places in North Bali. Every turn greeted us with verdant greenery, stooped farmers hacking away at their crops, temples and volcanoes in the background. Fruit stalls required our frequent attention as we devoured mangustans, jackfruits and guavas rather greedily. Being vegetarian was no problem as we had excellent Balinese food all along the way. The highlight of Bali for us was Danau (lake) Bratan, about three hours north of Ubud- a well kept local secret in the cool highlands . We spent a magical evening on the tiny shores of the lake  we had all to ourselves.  We gawked at the two exquisite temples about a hundred meters away from the shore rising out of the lake. The water had an almost glassy appearance in the fading light and the whole atmosphere oozed of serene beauty.

Heavenly abode on Danau Bratan

R: We reluctantly went back to our room promising to walk back to the shores again for sunrise the next morning. It was surreal. A wispy mist wafted across the lake and as it cleared, there was hardly a ripple;  the reflections of the temples were crystal clear. We headed back to Ubud later casting wistful glances back at the lake and the temples.Our original plans of going to climb Gunung (mount) Agung were thwarted because the mountain was off limits to climbers because of festivities...but Ubud promised to be haven for culture and the arts. Deepa promptly launched herself into a Batik course for a day while I walked around the streets of Ubud chatting with local shopkeepers, sampling pineapple filled buns and tahu with great gusto. Every bite transported me back to my childhood days and reliving them and sharing them with Deepa brought sheer joy. Deepa made me a beautiful Batik cloth with the Balinese 'om' painted on it. We sauntered about  got massages and such till the evening after which we attended the Legong dance where ornate dancers twirled elegantly almost in slow motion. A traditional Balinese dinner with dishes very similar to that served in Kerala promptly put us into peaceful slumber. The next day called for an early start to catch a shuttle to Padangbai and then fast boat to the island of Lombok.