Bali and Korea -- March 17, 2012

Jet lag, or some other sleep problem, reappeared. So I only had 5 hours of sleep and no opportunity for a nap since we would be on the road back to Seminyak this afternoon at nap time. And to make matters worse, there was NO COFFEE – only instant Balinese variety. Ah, well – the travails of travel.

Was at least able to utilize my back patio, doing computer stuff (WiFi extends to the room), enjoying the sound and sight of water sliding over the Buddha’s face on my own private water feature.

Before starting today’s sightseeing, a little information about the city of Ubud:

The name comes from the Balinese word ubad (medicine) because of the healing properties of plants growing nearby. Blessed with a picturesque location that inspired the arts, the village became the adopted home of Western artists like Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonner in the 1920s. During the 1930s they, with a local Balinese artist, founded an artists’ association which inspired a renaissance, transforming the sleepy village of Ubud into a center of artistic activity. It remains that today, although is also being transformed into a commercialized tourist area too much like the southwest coast around Kuta.

After a leisurely breakfast Helen and I headed off for our “walk around the rice fields.” We began by walking up the street (alley/path) in front of the Villa Lady Bamboo. There were stores and houses along the way, most of which had the traditional offering to the gods placed in front of them; this is done each morning, mostly by the women of the household. These offerings were also seen in the Kuta/Legian/Seminyak area, but they are more prevalent and more elaborate here in Ubud where the religion is more central to daily life. A couple of examples:

Because they are put in the street, they get stepped on and run over, sometimes almost immediately after being set out. But the merit is in preparing and placing the offering, not in what happens once that is done.

We were directed to a short cut which caused us to go a bit “through” the rice fields, rather than only on the path around them, but that added interest – a new perspective and the sight of a small group of ducks that we disturbed and sent scurrying back into the wet and protection of the rice. There were some interesting houses in the middle of the rice fields; one looked more traditional, one definitely a modern creation.

The walk was supposed to lead past an organic coffee shop, but I think we got off the prescribed path at some point because we never saw the shop and the final part of the “trail” looked like we were on private property. But we still ended up where we were supposed to – on the main street of Ubud. After a stop for some much-needed cool refreshment, Helen and I parted company.

I went to the Museum Puri Lukisan, a museum of modern-traditional Balinese art. The art was created from pre-WWII to the present but is grounded in traditional styles. The museum was opened in 1956 and renovated in the mid-1990s. There are several buildings in the complex surrounding a lotus pond and an impressive banyan tree. The entry is almost temple-like.

I really liked some of the art. This painting by Wayan Bendi in 1991 is quite large, probably 5’ x 6’ and filled with figures in a traditional Balinese style. Then there’s a helicopter. . . .


I also liked much of the wood carving. Garuda eating a snake was a frequent subject.

There was an exhibition of children’s drawings, “We Are All One,” created to support the victims of the Japanese tsunami. It had been displayed in several places where collections of funds were taken. I liked some of the pictures. The one on the left was by an American child, the one on the right by a Balinese. Unfortunately, because of the glass covering, the photos show some reflection, but they are charming.

At 12:45 began the walk back to the Villa Lady Bamboo stopping for lunch at a little restaurant along a stream, accessed from the main street by a bridge walkway.

After lunch I returned to the hotel, shopping along the way for a cloth bag to replace the one I purchased in Bali in 1988. It now is worn and has holes so is no longer much use as an emergency back-up second bag for traveling when purchases may exceed the space in the primary suitcase. Arrived at the hotel to find Helen there, enjoying a cooling foot bath in the pool.

At 3 p.m. our driver Made arrived, and we began an indirect route back to Seninyak, doing some touring along the way. We saw interesting rice fields, from those just planted to those getting ready to harvest. According to Made three rice crops and one of something else, like peanuts, can be grown every year.

Our first stop was at the Pura Taman Ayun at Mengwi. It was built in the 18^th century by a king of Mengwi as a royal family temple. It is surrounded by a moat and has several soaring meru (pagodas). Because only worshippers are allowed inside, we didn’t need a sash/sarong but could only see it from outside the surrounding walls. That did, however, provide a good overview. This temple is a place to worship the gods of other sacred sites, with individual shrines to the mountain deities of Batukauy, Agung, and Batur as well as to the resident god of nearby Pura Sada temple (the deified spirit of Ratu Sakti Jayengrat [Powerful World Conquering Lord]), whose identity still remains uncertain. Important kings of Mengwi are also venerated here.

Almost as interesting as the temple buildings was this spider with a very impressive web.

After viewing the temple, using the restroom facilities, and purchasing snacks, we continued the indirect route home by heading west to the sea and Pura Tanah Lot where we arrived a little before 5 p.m. This is obviously a major tourist destination as the crowds proved. It is particularly busy as sunset approaches since the setting sun behind this island temple is a popular Bali image. We had already decided we wanted to avoid the post-sunset departure traffic so would not be staying for sunset. It was cloudy anyway so questionable as to how much one would see. . . .

The founding of Pura Tanah Lot is attributed to a 16^th century high priest who fled to Bali from Java. Attracted by a light emanating from a point on the west coast, he stopped and meditated. He attracted followers which caused jealousy from a local leader. So the priest, Danghyang Niratha, moved his place of meditation to the sea giving it the name Temple of the Land in the Sea. He tossed his sashes into the waves where they became sea snakes and guard the temple.

There are other temples in the immediate area like this one, creating an interesting temple compound.

Pura Batu Bolong (Temple of the Perforated Stone) is the most interesting of those other temples as it sits on a rocky outcropping with waves pounding through a large opening below. The waves in this area were quite impressive, surging in with energy and noise. It probably was high tide, adding to the drama.

Despite the heavy coastal traffic as we left Tanah Lot we arrived back at our hotel at 6:30. Because of lack of sleep last night and today’s heavy touring activities, I was exhausted. Declined the opportunity to join Monte and Helen for a late dinner and New Orleans jazz in favor of an early meal and a 9 p.m. bedtime.

Bali and Korea -- March 16, 2012

Yea!! Seven hours sleep. Perhaps jet lag is conquered (she says optimistically).

Finished organizing/packing for today’s trip to Ubud and posted yesterday’s blog while eating breakfast. It’s amazing that I’m actually up to date.

Monte and Ferdinando (Ferdi), our hired driver for the day, came by to pick us up for the drive to Ubud, an hour to an hour and a half drive if one goes directly without stops. It took us a bit longer. We detoured through Sanur because Monte wanted us to see an upscale beach town. Located on the southeast rather than the southwest coast, the surf is not as good, so the young and partying surfer crowd doesn’t frequent this area. Saw no surfboards and much gray hair as we traversed the town. However, according to the guidebook the first tourist hotel in the country was built here – a 10 story monstrosity constructed in 1966 using reparation funds provided by the Japanese.

We then drove on through a number of small towns on the road leading to Ubud. They are interesting in that each seems to specialize in a different craft/art, and the goods are displayed along the roadside. At Batubulan we stopped to visit the Pura (temple). This seems to be a good place to talk a bit about religion in Bali since it is such an important part of the life and culture of the country.

The Balinese religion is called Agama Hindu Dharma or Agama Tirtha, the religion of holy water, because of water's important use in worship and ritual. Balinese religion fused Buddhism, the state religion of Bali’s early kingdoms, with Hinduism when, in the 10^th century, King Udayana of Bali married a Hindu Javanese princess. In the 16^th century as Islam began encroaching in Java, the Hindu high priests moved to Bali from Java and introduced the caste system to Bali, placing themselves at the top of the hierarchy. The higher gods of Bali are both Hindu and Buddhist, but the Balinese also worship a number of deified ancestors and the spirits of mountains, lakes, rivers, and trees. Every event from birth to death must be divinely acknowledged to make it legitimate so there are many ceremonies beginning at the 5^th to 7^th month of pregnancy and continuing through the extremely elaborate death and cremation ceremonies. There are also a large number of temple festivals which can be extremely elaborate involving taking sacred images out of storage and presenting them with offerings. The religion requires a constant search for balance between good and evil with neither being allowed to get the upper hand. (Information from the Insight Guide on Bali and Lombok.)

There was a lot of activity at the Batubulan Pura, perhaps in preparation for next week’s major religious holiday. Everyone who enters the temple must wear a wrap skirt piece of clothing (sarong) which volunteers provide for free at the entrance to the pura.

Here we are at the entrance with the "rules" sign. We are properly attired!

Many offerings were being prepared.

The eyes on this statue were amazing – pop-eyed, whether showing fear or ferocity, I’m not sure.

One of several platforms in the temple from which the priest would preside, surrounded by standing (and kneeling) worshippers.

We drove into Ubud and went to the Four Seasons, a 5-star hotel in a gorgeous setting with incredible architecture, for lunch on the Ayung Terrace overlooking the Ayung River and lush greenery. Expensive, but worth it to enjoy the ambiance of such luxurious surroundings and pretend to be the rich person I know I was meant to be!

On the way down the beautiful stairs to the bar and restaurant area, these musicians were providing entertainment -- playing and allowing guests to try their hand.

The bar is incredibly gorgeous.

After lunch we drove to our hotel, the Villa Lady Bamboo, which is very nice – and much more affordable than the Four Seasons (understatement). I had a “suite” which is just a very large bedroom with a HUGE bathroom, a front porch overlooking the man-made stream which wanders through the property, and a back patio area which overlooks a “jungle” with huge palms and bamboo and from which I can also see the pool. Pretty luxurious accommodations!

After Monte helped me get tickets for tonight’s traditional dance performance, he and Ferdi left. I wandered the town a bit, finding the Threads of Life textile center about which I’d read in the guidebook. Each group of Indonesian women (by community or island) has its own textile patterns and techniques which are being lost as industrialization provides cheaper material. This non-profit, fair trade, group started with a single weaver’s group in 1998 and now works with over 1,000 weavers in more than 40 cooperatives on 11 Indonesian islands. The display textiles and those for sale were absolutely gorgeous, and there was an interesting educational display on the ikat dyeing process. Unfortunately, the cost of the textiles was outside my budget so I contented myself with buying a set of note cards showing five different textile patterns. Check out their website at www.threadsoflife.com

Continued walking up the road and heard singing. Some girls were singing and dancing what, to me, looked like a very traditional dance in a play area next to a school. After I applauded their performance, they wanted their picture taken.

View of the street.

Returned about 4 p.m. to the Lady Bamboo for tea on the common, outdoor, terrace. Quite a nice custom. Had conversation with a young woman from Switzerland who spent almost a week in Bali.

Because we’d had such a big lunch, neither Helen nor I were hungry so we decided to forego dinner until after the dance performance.

Left for Ubud Palace, the site of the Legong & Barong dance performance, about 7. It is only a 5-minute walk, but we were told to be early for the 7:30 performance to get a good seat. Even at 7:1o the space was quite full. Ubud Palace, officially Puri Saren Agung, was the palace of the royal family that ruled from the late 1800s until World War II. Most of the buildings there now were erected after a 1917 earthquake and were designed by Gusti Nyoman Lempad, Bali’s most famous architect, artist, and carver.

The performance was in three parts, and the last, the Barong and Randa, is divided into two introductory portions and three acts to the story. The Barong is one of Bali's more popular dances. The Barong and Rangda confrontation is more than just a struggle between good and evil. The Balinese believe that one cannot exist without the other, that they are essentially two sides of the same coin. So ultimately the battle ends in a state of balance with neither side really winning or losing. This information is from the Performance Program and the guidebook; I really couldn’t tell as I watched. To me it was all just interesting and/or beautiful.

One-half of the gamelan orchestra; the other half was on the left side of the stage.

Because of the limited lighting, I couldn't get any photos of the whole stage/production. But here are some pictures of individual dancers who were generally performing as one member of a larger group.

The performance ended at 9 p.m. We stopped for a light supper (soup and spring rolls) arriving at the hotel at 10 p.m. I lighted our way with my book light since there are few street lights, and we’d forgotten flashlights.

Bali and Korea -- March 15, 2012

After another too-early start to the day (jet lag continues), I breakfasted at leisure in the open reception/food area at the hotel. Since that’s where the WiFi reception is, I did some e-mail and blogging, during and after breakfast, then gathered myself together for the short walk to Monte’s house where he’d invited us for lunch again.

Monte rents part of the one-story building from a friend. He has a living room, bedroom, and bath, which look out onto a central courtyard which also contains a large, open-air, kitchen. His friend has accommodations at the end of the structure but travels a lot so is often not home, leaving the place to Monte – and his large retinue of houseboys and hangers-on. There are always people about in the complex.

Here are some pictures of Monte’s house.

This is the courtyard. Monte's friend, who owns the compound, lives in the rooms straight ahead. Monte's rooms are to the right.

The living room. Bathroom is off to the left; bedroom to the right. The room has sliding glass doors opening into the courtyard. An air conditioner and several fans make sure the space is livable, despite heat and humidity.

The kitchen area, open to the courtyard space on two sides, is large and well-equipped. Other than drinks, Monte doesn't do a lot here. That's what the cook is for!

Monte quite enjoys, and takes pride in, his martinis so he gave us a lesson in making the perfect martini, involving the correct proportions of good quality gin and vermouth, shaking properly with ice, and a well-chilled glass. This is knowledge I will never use, but I suppose is good to have.

Starting the perfect martini -- and the finish!

After lunch and doing some planning for upcoming trips away from Seminyak, the coastal town near Denpasar where we’re staying, Monte took us to a lovely batik shop. Unfortunately, because we needed to get there quickly so he could get to a later appointment on time, we once again travelled as motorcycle passengers. It is practical transportation, but continues to scare the dickens out of me, coward that I am. However, once again we arrived in one piece.

If I didn’t have multiple sewing/craft projects at home awaiting completion (or starting), I would have bought some material. It is gorgeous stuff. But I contented myself with a couple small, souvenir, purchases. Monte left us, and Helen and I continued window shopping on our way back to the hotel via one of the main shopping streets. Lots to look at, but I didn’t buy.

It was hot and a bit humid (it’s the end of the rainy season) so we stopped along the way to look at things inside, in air conditioning, and to get a cool drink. We walked for several hours, covering I would guess about 3 miles on crowded sidewalks which one must tread carefully since holes and drop offs are common.

I had planned on a swim in the lovely pool, which I haven’t yet been in, but my feet and legs only wanted to be up and resting so instead I lay on the bed, reading and then napping. Guess my tourist stamina isn’t what it used to be!

At 5:30 Monte stopped by to go to dinner. Helen and I, on our way back earlier, had seen that the restaurant at the Haven Hotel (a large, luxury, hotel next door to us) had a special Martini Night with a guitar player. We thought going to that would carry out the “Martini” theme for the day so marched Monte over there. Apparently Martini Night is a weekly occurrence, and he’d been there previously but still appreciated our planning.

After a good meal (I combined soup with an appetizer) we walked next door to our hotel, and I went to bed – by 10:30. Was still tired from the day’s walking in the heat and humidity.

Bali and Korea -- March 14, 2012

Jet lag is not fun. I only managed 4 hours of real sleep. So I’m exhausted – but not sleepy.

At 11:30 Monte came by, and we walked to his home, less than 5 minutes from the hotel. He has accumulated a retinue of “boys,” young men, some with families, who rely on him for a great deal of their income. So he has a cook and a couple of odd job folk. And then there are the friends and relatives who generally show up at meal times expecting to be fed. His workers are mostly from the nearby island of Lombok and are Muslims, like most of Indonesia but unlike the Balinese who practice their own style of Hinduism. The Muslims from other parts of Indonesia serve as the “foreign” workers for a lot of the low-level jobs in Bali and are often treated as such.

After lunch Helen went off, via motorcycle, to a massage appointment scheduled before she left the U.S.

After her driver returned, Monte and I went off on a tour of the beach towns along the southern coast – via motorcycles, driven by the boys. It’s the best way to get around; it’s too far to walk, and cars would be stuck in traffic for hours. But I was terrified! I am not into speed or danger (understatement). We didn’t go all that fast, although at times it seemed exceedingly quick, but the roads are bumpy and overcrowded with a lot of weaving in and out of traffic. I tried to relax, trusting the driver, and taking in the sights and succeeded to a degree.

By the time I got off at the hotel, however, my butt had gone to sleep and I walked bow-legged, like I’d been riding a horse!

We travelled through the beach towns of Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak, along the southwest coast, the closest beach area to the airport at Denpasar. Kuta is the tackiest, a typical tourist beach town with shop after shop selling the same cheap t-shirts, etc. The areas and shops get increasingly upscale as one heads northward although they are still appealing to tourists coming for a beach holiday. Bali is booming because the Australian economy is good, and that is the primary source of both capital and tourists.

We stopped partway through the trip(my butt and legs taking a grateful rest) at the memorial to those who were killed in the Bali bombings of 2002.

Monte said that the rest of Indonesia finds the memorial a bit of a joke because the names of the foreigners and the Balinese killed are listed, but no one bothered to find out who the Indonesian low-level workers were who died. They just never returned to their home islands.

Returned to the hotel about 3:30, napped for an hour, and then met Helen and Monte for a sunset walk on the beach. Unfortunately, because it is still the rainy season, there were clouds and no sunset. Still it was pleasant walking; the humidity was lower, and there was a nice breeze. Lots of people out enjoying the beach including several vigorous games of beach soccer played by young men who Monte said worked all day at hard, construction, jobs and then ran around playing soccer for several hours after work. While they are probably in their twenties, they look like teenagers.

The beach had a lot of garbage on it that seemed to have come in with the tide. The Balinese blame the trash on Java, the large island just to the west. However, Monte says that it is garbage disposed of by the Balinese who throw their trash into gullies around the country. When the rainy season comes, it is all washed down the gullies and makes its way into the sea, only to be returned with the incoming tide. This is another example of the Balinese seeing themselves as not a part of Indonesia.

The beach at dusk -- still active

When it seemed that it might rain, we left the beach to find a restaurant for dinner. When the rains came, we stopped for a drink and then continued walking to the restaurant when the shower stopped. A good dinner of a small (right-sized) steak.

Took a taxi home and got to bed at 10:30. I was so tired that I couldn't even finish the last 8 pages of a book I was reading.

Bali and Korea 2012 --The trip begins (March 12 & 13)

En Route

There is little to be said about travelling that requires 3 planes, 2 taxis, an intra-airport tram, and 30 hours from leaving my home in St. Paul to arriving at the hotel in Bali. However, I survived, and it could have been far worse.

The United AL agent at MSP worked hard and was able to get my luggage checked all the way through. Because I was on a separate, domestic, ticket to Chicago, I was afraid that I would have to pick up luggage there and then haul it to Korean Air and recheck. Not having to do that was great --and the luggage arrived safely at my final destination!

I was able to get an aisle seat on the Chicago to Seoul leg of the journey although one had not been available when I originally tried. On all three planes I was able to sleep a little, accumulating about 6 hours of dozing during the course of the trip. Saw a couple of movies, including The Descendants, which I had wanted to see when it was at the Grandview Theater but hadn’t been able to, and Moneyball, which.was enjoyable.

My friend Helen and I were met at the airport by our mutual friend Monte who has lived in Bali for over 10 years as a retiree. It was pouring rain so we were very grateful for Monte’s help. This is the end of the rainy season, but we were told the ferocity and length of tonight’s rain was unusual.

Arrival

Monte got us safely to the hotel and then provided lovely flower arrangements to brighten our rooms.

The hotel, Kusuma Resort, is quite nice -- not the fanciest, but also not the most expensive. Helen got a pretty good deal (I think) using her internet skills. One of the advantages is that it is so close to Monte's house so getting together will be easy. Here are some pictures of the resort.

The entry gates to the grounds.

Looking along the side of the hotel

Reception and dining

My room -- doors lead to balcony

View from the balcony

All is reasonably well and I am well situated as I begin this adventure.