[I apologize for not posting this sooner. I suppose a blog post about my final destination signifies an unwelcome reality -- the end of my travels. Nonetheless, I am happy to share my last experience as well as photos and commentary on food, quirky moments, how to bargain, etc. Thanks everyone for your love and support during and after my travels. Please stay tuned!]
Bali has always evoked much intrigue for me. Everyone knows it’s the premier beach and surfing destination. When flipping through fashion magazines, designer brands emblazon on their ads plainly but proudly, "sold in London, Paris, Bali."
balinese customs
I choose to spend my remaining 10 days of backpacking here. A few steps removed from the black- and white-sand beaches, I witness a funeral procession that is of striking contrast to American funerals. The celebration is vibrant, festive, and loud, replete with town folk, music, smiles, and a not-so-occasional ice cream cart. Heading the parade are six men carrying a gargoyled statue and the urn inside a shrine. The men and women are both wearing sarungs (a long wrapping skirt) with sashes around their waist, and headdresses. I love the colors and patterns.
Incidentally, I come to Indonesia during the Ramadan season. Whereas most of country (80-90 percent) is Muslim, more than 90 percent of Bali’s population practices Balinese Hinduism – a fusion of local culture and religion rooted in Hinduism, Animalism, and Buddhism. However, the Balinese still observe Ramadan out of respect by fasting and praying, and no cock fighting (a very popular pastime in Bali.)
living local
At this time, it is my sixth month of traveling Southeast Asia, I have forgotten what a breeze feels like; so I take a local bus into the highlands of Tirta Gangga – the site of a royal water palace and spectacular rice paddies. The newly-wed Balinese couple who rents me a guestroom treats me like family. After we eat dinner, I help make ceremonial offerings for an upcoming Indonesian holiday. The people of Bali are very proud of their heritage. As such, they maintain what we may consider a highly ritualistic and superstitious mindset. For instance, in the first three months of a baby’s life, he/she cannot touch the ground and must be held at all times. At puberty, there is a tooth filing ceremony. When eating or touching, only the right hand can be used, because the left hand is considered dirty. My new friends are gracious when I forget.
On my last night in Tirta Gangga, I develop a wicked headache and body aches. The wife insists on rubbing medicinal ointment on my back. My mom also uses this traditional technique. In Vietnamese, it is called
cqo gio. The ointment is applied and scratched repeatedly into the skin with a spoon, or coin. I am surprised and thrilled to learn yet another similarity of customs across Southeast Asia.
go to BaliI miss Bali. It’s worth the visit especially if you are short on vacation time. I recommend avoiding the main tourist areas of Kuta and Ubud in order to experience, as the locals say, the real Bali. It is a tropical beauty with a rich and captivating culture. Renting a car, or 4x4 is an easy way to hightail it out of the tourist spots. Bali is small enough that you won’t lose too much time driving around. (It’s quite possible to drive around the whole island in a day.) Talk to me for tips on bargaining (as locals tend to overcharge exorbitantly), logistics, and places to go and see.
For more Bali photos, click
here.
Palau Menjangan (Deer Island) near the northeastern Bali. Jaw-dropping snorkeling: walls several meters long of coral to explore.
Hiking to a waterfall in Munduk, a beautiful hill town with more types of flora and plants than there are locals (slight exaggeration, but the variety is quite impressive.)
My first Bali sunset: Lovina beach in the northeast. For the most part, black-sand beaches are situated in the north and white-sand in the south.
A cockfighting match, a very popular pasttime (I apologize for those that may find this photo and activity offensive. I must say I didn't enjoy nor appreciate this very much.)
The Balinese couple I am renting out a guestroom from prepare food and offerings with relatives for an upcoming Indonesian holiday. 
Folded palm leaves stuffed with food and spices are offered to the gods in hopes of warding off evil spirits.
This cutie is part of the extended family of the lovely couple.
Families also prepare a big meal in honor of the holiday.
I join in on the tasty family meal. Many locals eat with their hands, as is the case in all the countries I visited with the exception of Vietnam, which has a historically strong Chinese influence. Hence, the chopsticks.
The wife teaches me to fold palm leaves for offerings.
The restored sacred royal water palace in Tirta Gangga, highlands in the east.
Farmers are giving up on growing Balinese rice, in favor of easier-to-grow imported foreign rice.
The aftermath of a funeral procession: the urn and shrine are washed away in the river.
I am told Bali has its own pineapple.
A local weaves baskets for cockfighting roosters.
Note the low clouds that seem to be sitting on the land -- like a step away from heaven.
