SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ...

MY FAVORITE IMAGE OF THEM ALL

Before heading off to our Farewell Dinner at a the conclusion of our tour, we met with our guide Manik for a debriefing session.  He asked us what the highlight of the tour was for each of us as we looked back on our prior thirteen days.  Interestingly each of the responses was different, yet everyone acknowledged that those highlights others had were on their "favorites" lists as well.  

Among those highlights, the Indonesian people struck us all, particularly, as patient, open-hearted, content, and willing workers.  We appreciated the sense of fellow-feeling, family and community they demonstrated.  The ability to live harmoniously as Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian religious communities inspired us as did the ability to make use without waste (and with attention to detail) of the rich natural environment in which they live and work.  

Manik gave us insights into the impact of a multifaceted cultural and religious history on the current state of Indonesian life.  This placed everything in an appropriate long range context.  We came away as a result with a nicely developed sense of "authentic" Indonesian life, one not so easily acquired in an environment so given over to "touristic" simplification and Orientalist exoticism.

Then, on our flight(s) homeward, Lee watched a documentary film about the reconstruction of the Grand Shrine of Ise which has occurred every twenty years in Japan for well over a thousand, perhaps two thousand, years.  Now, although a heavily ritualized process, the result both keeps alive over time the arts and craft techniques required but also makes new again in the present a religious artifact initially constructed in exactly the same way using exactly the same means and materials all those centuries ago.

The reconstruction process depends heavily on the maintenance of the source of natural materials used as provided in the forest surrounding the shrine.  The documentary takes off on this, focusing on the benefits accruing from a sustained effort to preserve (and restore) natural forests and their supporting ecology in order to maintain and preserve Japan itself in the present.  

This emphasis on "living in awe amidst the mysteries of things" stands in contrast to the Indonesian view of a world sharply divided between the forces of good and evil in which humanity must strive to please the gods above while placating (and avoiding) the evil below.

In Bali the result is a ready willingness to forgive and forbear (since evil is always and inevitably present in daily life) and a necessary drive to avoid stirring up all those evil forces as much as possible.  Since both forest and ocean harbor these potentially dangerous and disruptive forces, Balinese avoided traditionally disturbing either one - and have ended up with an environment far more intact than in most of the rest of the  world.

Japan, on the other hand, sees humanity as part of a larger spiritual and material whole, assuming the need to nurture and sustain that whole in order to maintain harmony and assure survival.

The final result may well be similar but the means to that common end are radically different.  Interesting what one can learn while cooped up on an eleven hour trans-Pacific flight!

"THE TIME IS HERE, THE DAY HAS COME ... ONE DAY MORE"

After a couple of days not her best, Heidi finally struggled back into "travel mode" and joined Lee and the rest of the group on one last excursion - to a thousand year old Hindu temple a little over one hour out of Sanur.

The temple is one of six guarding the island of Bali from evil spirits.  It also houses some "naughty monkeys" known for their skill in stealing eyeglasses and footware from unsuspecting tourists.

Although we had been warned not to wear glasses or glittery earrings or carry water bottles with us, we witnessed several altercations between monkeys and those not cautioned against the antics of these local residents.

Otherwise our visit afforded us the peaceful opportunity to view the Indian Ocean from the high cliffs on which the temple complex is perched and to admire the beautiful white sandstone and unique architecture of the temple buildings.

Uluwatu  Temple on Bali

The flowers and oddly-shaped trees (due to the thin topsoil and coral rock dominating the site) added to the beauty and tranquility of the setting.

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Our visit proved a fitting ending to our formal tour itinerary - and still provided sufficient time for some last minute shopping or lunch on the beach or a long afternoon nap before this evening's Farewell Dinner, also at a beachside restaurant and blessed by a full moon rising out of the sea and the music of a talented young group of musicians whose playing had many of us tapping our feet to their upbeat tunes.

ALL IS NOT LOST

Our intrepid group of experienced travelers ventured into somewhat unknown territory this morning with a pilgrimage visit to a rural village Hindu temple complex where we participated in a water purification ritual.

We began, however, with a visit to a restaurant in our guide Manik's hometown where we sampled the speciality roast suckling pig before wandering through a nearby market.  This is much more familiar territory for most of us - and, as always, a great photo opportunity.  This time around, Lee focused on flower vendors and women putting together the small bamboo offering baskets placed on the ground daily seemingly everywhere on the entire island.

Something else caught his eye as well: a series of huge decorated bamboo poles lined up along both sides of the town's main drag, placed there as part of an annual local celebration.  The effect was magical - as the following album of images amply illustrates.

Some Holiday Bamboo Poles 

Then it was on to the Balinese Hindu temple.  Talk about "remote"!  Pura Tirta Sudamala dates back to the fourteenth century ar least and is well known and highly regarded by nearby residents.  Today, for instance, a number of local women were gathered at the temple to put together decorations to be utilized in a major annual celebration scheduled for early May.  The not-easily-reached location of the temple complex has kept it off any visiting tourist roster; that may change.  But for now, at least, that remoteness resulted in a much more "authentic" experience than might otherwise have been the case.

And what an experience it was!  Having changed into sarongs belted with a ritual scarf, we first stepped gingerly into the river while the local priest led us in a set of ritual prayers.  Then we (literally) plunged headlong into the river itself before proceeding to douse ourselves, one by one, in a set of waterfalls springing out of the hillside above.  After drying off, we concluded the ceremony in the main temple courtyard before the sacred altar as another priest led us in the same set of ritual prayers.

Purification at Pura Tirta Sudamala Temple

After all was said and done, we talked with the priest for awhile.  The entire experience was undertaken in the presence of others for whom this ritual represented a familiar undertaking.  No one seemed at all perplexed or offended by our participation.  Indeed the famed ready "Balinese smile" was everywhere apparent.

Eventually we climbed the lengthy set of stone stairs back to our waiting vans and wandered off to lunch - which, in and of itself, proved memorable (especially the banana split sundae for desert and the lovely water garden setting just at the side of our dining pavilion.

BACK TO "THE REAL WORLD"

Our last evening in Lovina, we celebrated with drinks and dinner beachside - a pure indulgent delight!

Our arrival mid-afternoon here at our hotel in Sanur, on the other hand, proved ample illustration of just how far Bali has slipped into the tourism mainstream.  As we struggled through the maze of motorcycle and minivan traffic, past an increasing number of recognizable franchise namebrand outlets, encountering more and more casually dressed (generously speaking) westerners out shopping in the midday sun (which everyone since Noel Coward penned the imortal lyrics knows only mad dogs and Englismen are prone to do), it became increasingly obvious that Bali had become, at least hereabouts, a mere shadow of its "authentic" self.

Our restaurant this evening mirrored the inevitable result.  While munching on an Italian cheese pizza and quaffing a local Bintang beer, we were entertained by a beautifully dressed and elegantly trained pair of traditional Balanese dancers - who then posed for photos and selfies with customers and passers-by alike, encircled by overly familiar arms around shoulders and waists, with hardly the usual respect accorded temple dancers in earlier times.  The restaurant wait staff all spoke really good English; no need to know any Indonesian words or phrases.  We might just as well have been in some crazy, mixed up version of Disney's Epcot Center!

The idealized image of Bali most of the rest of the world conjures up when imagining this supposed island paradise seems to have been swallowed up and homogenized into something of a parody of itself, becoming acceptably exotic without requiring visitors to step too far out of their personal cultural comfort zone.

Fortunately the earlier part of the day was spent motoring through stunningly beautiful remote mountain scenery on our way from Lovina to Sanur.  We stopped to walk through terraced rice fields, ate lunch at a quiet, almost totally deserted, resort restaurant overlooking our unimaginably lush green surroundings. "Authenticity" still exists, it seems; you just have to look harder to find it!

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF TIGA WASA VILLAGE

Bright and early this morning, shopping lists in hand, we intrepid travelers made our way from stall to stall at the morning market in search of ingredients we were instructed to purchase as our contribution to today's lunch.

LOVINA MORNING MARKET

Next three expertly-driven vans ferried thirteen of us forty minutes or so up, up and up, deep into the remote mountains to the east of Lovina along a newly laid (but very narrow) roadway to the village of Tiga Wasa where we were to spend much of the rest of the day.

The principal of the local elementary school greeted us upon arrival, answered lots of our questions about local education, accepted gifts we had brought with us and then let us interact with a class of fourth graders.  We watched an impressive math lesson, then listened to the students play bamboo angalung musical instruments before joining them in a spirited rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star".

We then wandered around the village accompanied by our guide, Manik, who pointed out various plants and other ecological features of the local natural landscape.  Tiga Wasa is widely known for its woven bamboo baskets, and a family of local crafters invited us to watch them being produced (and, again, were given the opportunity to try the process out ourselves).

We also helped prepare lunch and then enjoyed a spirited discussion of local life with our extended host family and the village head (plus a neighbor recently back from Borneo in search for a local girl to wed!).

The image scrapbook attached fails utterly to convey just how enjoyable this entire experience was for all of us participants.  The day proved a real highlight of our entire tour experience!  See for yourself ....

TIGA WASA VILLAGE: A DAY IN THE LIFE

UBUD TO LOVINA, SIGHTSEEING ALONG THE WAY

We spent much of Tuesday traveling north by minibus from Ubud to Lovina on the black sand coast of the Java Sea.  The trip took us up and over some beautiful, tropical terrain, lush and green, with two major stops along the way.

The first was at Lake Bratan where visited Ulun Danu Bratan, a Balanese Hindu temple honoring a local water goddess.  The main pagoda appears to float on the surface of the lake.  Recently the park-like surroundings have been significantly upgraded, making the site even more attractive.

Our second stop involved a thirty minute jungle walk taking us to the foot of Gitgit Waterfall, a hike that left us all drenched in sweat and happy to return to the air-conditioned comfort of our tour bus!

Lovina proved to be a VERY small town along the coast, but one with all the requisite amenities: ATM, Indomaret convenience store, liquor store stocking the local Two Island wines, Wi-Fi and cellphone access, a couple of good restaurants - and the beautiful Lovina Bali Resort.  Who needs any more than that?

OF DOORS AND DOORWAYS

Balinese villages appear made up largely of walled compounds abutting one another cheek by jowl.  Each community centers on a Hindu temple, also walled off from the outside world.  Today most are threaded by narrow roads lined with tiny shops.  Widespread use of gray concrete and the general absence of painted surfaces lends a colorless atmosphere to much of the urban landscape.

The exception - and it's a wild one - are the entrance gateways to both homes and temples.  The towering "split gateway" is meant to suggest the need to constantly seek to reconcile the myriad opposites that needlessly complicate life as we experience it.  These side towers are also often elaborately decorated with stone statuary and deeply-carved decorative stone panels.

The wooden split door panels between the two supporting pillars are equally eye catching, their carved wooden figures often brightly painted and depicting well-known scenes from the Ramayana or Mahabharata.

As the following collages illustrate, each and everyone readily captures the photographer's eye....