Bali: Temples

I am determined to get this posted while it's fresh in my memory.  I have yet to finish all the posts about Cambodia (last October) and it's easy to make comparisons between the two places.  The temples in Cambodia are monumental--the scale and magnitude is overwhelming.  The temples in Bali aren't as grand, per se, but I enjoyed them equally.  The sheer number of them is impressive and they are living temples still in use today.   One can't help but be touched by the devotion of the Balinese people.

There are so many temples in Bali that you couldn't possibly see them all in one trip.  There are a few big ones we missed so I wanted to list those first.

Pura Besakih: Often referred to as "the mother temple".  I read it's very touristy and opinions vary on whether it's worth visiting, but it's considered the largest and one of the most important places of worship.
Pura Ulun Dabu Bratan (Lake Bratan): This is one featured on all the guide book covers.  I am disappointed we missed this one.  We didn't realize where it was located and were just too far away to go to it the last day.
Uluwatu Temple: Located on top a dramatic promissory with great views, this temple looks similar to the last one in this post, Tanah Lot.  I was told to visit Jimberan Beach afterwards.

Pura Tirtha Empul

 I am 99% sure that is the name of this temple.  Our villa and driver referred to it al the "Holy Springs" temple.  If that isn't the name then it's Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu or Pura Mengening.

 The source of the water is Pakerisan River (see next temple).  Balinese believe the spring was created by the Hindu god, Indra.  The waters gushing through it's many spouts are said to have curative powers.  People journey from near and far to purify themselves in the pools after presenting a small offering to spring's deity.

Built during the 10th century.  Lizzie is going to wish she remembered visiting these amazing sites when she is older.  Good thing we have lots of photos to prove it.

Gunung Kawi

 Nicknamed the "100-steps temple" but there were far more than that.  We lost count.

The stunning Pakerisan River Valley

 The natural setting of this temple was my favorite.  It was a hot and sweaty trek down to it, but so worth it.  We were virtually the only ones there, which is always a perk.

 I loved the traditional Balinese umbrellas.  Ben was meant to live in a culture where the men done skirts of some kind.  He was really digging the sarong and you know how he feels about kilts.

 The temple dates back to the 11th century.  A complex of rock-hewn candi (shrines), facades, and monks' alcoves are well preserved and were carved out of the ancient rock.

Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave)

This temple also dates back to the 11th century.  These pools were excavated in 1922 by the dutch.

 The figure above the cave is a Boma figure that frightens away evil.  The statue to the left of the cave is a demonic goddness Hriti, who converted to Buddhism and became their protector.  The Balinese call her Men Brayut, a woman who had 18 kids. Villagers pray here to be blessed with offspring of their own.

Speaking of offspring...cute Lizzie and her BFF.  They syncro nap.  How cute is that?! 

Puri Saren Agung

 The palace of the royal family that ruled from the late 1800s until World War II.  Most buildings were designed by Bali's most famous architect.  This is conveniently located opposite the market in Ubud.

The kids all got a kick out of this dog--they joked that he thought he was royalty.  Apparently, guests can book these sites at the palace if they want to experience life in Balinese palace.

Pura Taman Ayun (Floating Palace)

 I have no idea what Samara is doing, but she kept clapping like this for pictures.  Ole!

This temple was built in the 18th century by King Mengwi as a temple for the royal family.

 The Balinese architecture is distinct and so beautiful.  This type of entrance is very common.

 The temple grounds are protected by a moat.  The temple itself, which is a series of soaring Meru (pagodas), is open only to worshipers; visitors are only allowed to walk around it.  Gorgeous, isn't it? The architecture at Lake Bratan is similar. 

Pura Tanah Lot (Sunset Temple)

Tanah Lot is located on a picturesque rocky islet just offshore.  When the tide is out (as it was in these pictures), you can walk across to the temple area (though climbing to the temple is not allowed due to severe erosion).  The founding of the temple is attributed to a 16th-century Hindu high priest who fled to Bali from Java due to the rise of Islam.  

 This was a special moment for Ben.  Earlier that day he had been expressing his regret that he'd never seen a black sand beach before.  Needless to say, he was delighted by this stop.  

Unrelated, I think this is probably the 2,000th picture of the two of them walking away from me.

 Catching our dinner!  I really did have fish and chips for dinner.  But I'm not so sure it wasn't stray dog to be honest.  

We had dinner on the coast overlooking the temple--we had a beautiful view and horrible food.  The indigestion was worth it.

And I end with Samara's favorite thing about the trip...Lizzie's princess fairy bed (with signature mosquito netting).

Bali: Landscape

The natural landscape of Bali is quite diverse and so beautiful.  From black-sand beaches to rice terraces to volcanoes, there was always something to 'ooh' and 'awe' over.

Tegallantang Rice Terrace

Say that fast five times!  This is the don't-miss rice terrace near Ubud.  It was our first stop on our first day.  There were pushy vendors so we only stayed a few minutes and didn't get a decent picture.  It was so bright and hot.  We didn't realize until later that you can walk down it.  I'd definitely recommend spending more time here and making it past the vendors.

Plantations

There are several coffee and spice plantations you can visit.  Samara is feeding a bat coffee beans from the tree (she is fearless when it comes to animals).  In the cage next to the bat, there was some animal that eats the coffee beans then poops them out.  This pooped-out coffee is supposedly the best and people pay pretty high prices for it.  We stuck with the hot chocolate.  

Batur Volcano

We had lunch at a cafe on the volcano's rim--the food was sub-par, but view was wonderful.  We were told to avoid the rim as it's a tourist trap, but we enjoyed it and saw nothing to suggest it being too touristy.  You can hike the crater and bike down it.  River rafting is also very popular and we've heard it's amazing.  Lizzie wasn't quite ready for any of that yet.

Rice Paddies

We stayed in a villa 15 minutes outside of Ubud in the middle of the rice paddies.  We loved it and are so glad we did.  It gave us a good feel of what Bali is like and we were out away from the touristy hotels.  It was peaceful and so pretty.  I am fascinated by rice cultivation.  It is back-breaking work and makes me more grateful for the rice I eat.  These fields were being harvested.  Since I'm always awake at the crack-of-dawn anyway...

I left my little family safely tucked in their beds and out I went for a bike ride two of the mornings we were there.  

I love the early blue of the morning.  Besides skiing, there is nothing more liberating to me than being out with just me, myself, and my camera in a foreign country or in nature.  Lucky me the bikes rides included both.

Livestock was out and people were getting ready for the day.

The full-moon was on the horizon.

I love warm morning light.  These cute kids were on their way to school and called out to me so I stopped and talked to them a little wishing I spoke their language.

This is an representation of a Balinese god.  I think it probably evokes the same response from us as Ben did from the villagers when we was out for his morning jogs dripping with sweat and similarly clothed like this guy (people were staring at him with open mouths).   I don't think non-western cultures run around like that for fun. :)

I passed people preparing offerings and produce and this village temple.   Each village has three temples.  

I throughly enjoyed my little bike rides.  I told Ben I'd be gone an hour and when I got back it had been two but it still seemed much too short.

Bali: People

I have fallen in love with the beautiful people of SE Asia and Bali was no exception.  The people we met were gracious and friendly and so lovely.  I could have spent days photographing them.  Their culture and religion are still so living, which is what I think makes Bali such an interesting place.

Haggling or bartering is a way of life in Bali and they are disappointed if you don't join in.

Mara had her first experience with this.  While shopping at the market in Ubud for her souvenir, she eyed this bracelet and HAD to have it.  We hid it under the others and went to look a little more.  After several minutes of her insisting someone else would buy it, we went back and I told her to ask how much.  "50,000" says the seller. I tell her to say 20,000.  "40,000" replies the seller.  Mara, with no clue what is really going on, agrees, "OK".  Quickly I whisper in her ear that we can't pay over 25,000 (~$3USD) Mara says, "25,000 and no more." The woman LOVED it!  She giggled and said, "Ok. It's yours!"  Ben is terrible at bargaining and insisted that I play that role as it's my strong suit, so I'm just aiming to pass those skills onto the next generation.  Had I intended beforehand to have her do the buying, I would have pulled out the video camera to record the transaction.

Ok.  Back to the beautiful people of Bali....

 Girls at a temple.  Their bindi are so unique.  I'd never seen ones like these before. 

Is it wrong that I thought these little poker players are the cutest thing ever?!  They were so darling and very methodical about their game.  I'm pretty sure the little guy in the orange shirt is spying for his friends. :)

Like all important events in their religion, wedding dates are based on the Balinese calendar.  We happened to be there during the ideal time to get married.  We saw many homes decorated like this.  Both the groom's and the bride's houses are decorated as celebrations take place at each one and last for days.  They start at the bride's house and then move onto the groom's, which is where (I'm almost certain) the official ceremony takes place.  We saw a  couple wedding parties en-route to the groom's house. 

A maid-of-honor, who let me photograph her.  I loved her beautiful attire.  What you wear is determined by the groom's caste.  The bride marries into the grooms caste whether it is to a higher or lower caste.   Our driver then asked the wedding party whether I could take a few photos of the celebration. 

I was so thrilled to have a chance to go in a see what it was like.  They were all so kind and gave me a yummy cake to try.  I'm not sure how I would have felt having some foreigner off the street show up at our wedding wanting to take photos.  But everyone was just sitting around seeming pretty bored. :)

Does anyone know if there is meaning behind how the men where their head scarves?  I noticed several different styles.  I wondered if it was just a preference for a certain style or whether it had something to do with religion, i.e. their priesthood. 

The bride and groom 

I spoke with this sweet family on my way out of the wedding.  I asked how old their daughter was and commented on how darling she is (all in Balinese, of course).  They said, "Take a picture.  Take a picture of her."  I was more than happy to oblige. 

Looks like a comfy spot to read the paper but I am pretty sure he was sleeping! 

 I was so impressed by how much they carried on their heads.  They must have really strong necks.

 Darling girls on their way to school in the morning.

 Last but not least, I kept running into these two lovely ladies on the trip. 

Bali: Religion and Offerings

We got a steal on tickets and were able to visit beautiful and unique Bali last week.  Bali is the only island in Indonesia, the world's largest Islamic country, where Hinduism is the predominant religion. The religion is a called Agama Hindu Dharma or Agama Tirtha.  

Buddhism was the state religion of Bali's early kingdom.  In the 10th century, Bali's King Udayana married a Hindu Javanese princess and the two religions fused.  During the 16th century, high priests moved from Java to escape the encroachment of Islam and introduced the caste system to Bali.

The Balinese people are very dedicated to their religion.  Their devotion is inspiring.  Balinese Hinduism lacks the traditional Hindu emphasis on cycles of rebirth and reincarnation.  The religion focuses on a myriad of "hyangs", the local and ancestral spirits.  The Balinese have long regarded the universe as a structured entity where everything has it's place.  They recognize the duality of nature: male and female, good and evil, day and night, life and death. 

Balinese Hinduism is interwoven with art and ritual.  Rituals and ceremonies are a part of everyday life.  It is definitely not a "sunday-only" religion.  We drove past this procession.  Our driver said I could take a photo (so I stuck my head out the window and lost my sunglasses) but to never stop or interrupt the procession.  He said this was the most sacred ceremony.  I'd love to go back and see more of their fascinating religion and culture.

Order and harmony are personified by deities who live on mountaintops and bestow their blessings on humans.  Demons symbolize disorder and dwell beneath the sea.  Offerings (banten) are made at least daily to both ancestors and gods and demons.  

We spent our first few nights in Ubud, in the center of the island, which is surrounded by incredible rice fields.  Samara and her cute friend were up with me bright and early one morning.  With their sashes donned, they were appropriately attired to help Made, the Balinese woman, with the offerings for our villa.  Adult women require a sarong and their shoulders covered to participate or to enter one of the temples.

I read an average household can spend at least 50% of their income on offerings.  The physical parts of the offerings are eaten and regarded as leftovers from the Gods.  Those made to demons are discarded.   Creating them is an act of devotion and a sign of their gratitude.  The offerings are everywhere in Bali and are gorgeous!  Ever village has it's own unique style.  I'm so glad we could see how it was done.

Presenting the offerings requires incense, holy water, and prayers.  The holy water and prayers, or "mantras", purify the offerings.  The smoke of the incense wafts the essence of the offerings to the intended destinations.

The offerings in the blue plate are rice on banana leaves.  They are ones that would typically be eaten later.

Offerings are placed according to their destination and function.  Those places up high like these are for gods and ancestors.  This is to ask for blessing and to give thanks.  While the demons receive theirs on the grounds to keep them appeased and away.

More posts to come...