Bali
Bali
After a very hectic and disorienting 3 days in Bangkok Malcolm and I made our way through Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Bali, Indonesia. The time we spent in Bangkok was spent running around the city buying any last minute things we needed such as clothes and electronic equipment. We did not get a chance to take in any of the temples but we will be back in Bangkok again as it is a departure point for many of our travels.
For those who have not been to Bali, it is a small island full of ceremony, ritual, tradition, monkeys, and some of the friendliest people in the world. It is also a major tourist destination but luckily the tourists tend to stay in 3 areas, and you can get into some serious indigenous culture with only a 5 minute drive of these places. People here live very simply, it seems that they have their priorities in the right place: family, community, fun, and religion. The Balinese are Hindus and they take great pride in holding up their religious obligations. Beautiful palm offering plates full of flowers, rice, and incense are offered up to the Gods in return for safety, protection, and abundance every morning outside homes, places of work and worship. Statues of Hindu Deities and figures from the Ramayana such as Rama, Sita, and the monkey god Hanuman are everywhere. This along with the ancient Chinese influeces architecture, and terraced rice paddied jungles make Bali one of the most awe-inspiring places I have every been. Unfortunately, most tourists don’t leave their safe enclaves and don’t get to experience the real Bali. We have been renting motorcycles and today and Jeep and have ventured into the heart of the island to visit its remote villages and temples.
4 days ago, we were privellaged to meet a local man Wayan, who took us to a small village called Tiungung, to visit his uncle’s Gamelan instrument shop. We got to see the entire process that goes into making Gamelan Bells, and Keys called Ryong and Gensar respectively from the melting down of the bronze tablets to the pouring of the molds to the shining and finishing process. As some of you know, I was introduced to Gamelan music and at my college, UC Santa Cruz where we had a Gamelan performance class. I have gone on to use Gamelan in my band Kaura’s music, so coming here was a top priority for us. We ordered a set of gamelan bells and it feels great to know the person that makes your instrument and to know that such good energy and prayers go into it. In the West we are so used to just going into a shop and buying something and having no connection to where it came from or the energy that went into it.
The monkeys here are something else as well, the Meras or Mecaques are all over the place and very friendly. I have gotten a chance to play with some of them in a wild setting which was very rewarding as I LOVE monkeys, the baby's are ecspecially cute. Anyway, I don't want to bog you down with too much text now. Take care
Ben
After a very hectic and disorienting 3 days in Bangkok Malcolm and I made our way through Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Bali, Indonesia. The time we spent in Bangkok was spent running around the city buying any last minute things we needed such as clothes and electronic equipment. We did not get a chance to take in any of the temples but we will be back in Bangkok again as it is a departure point for many of our travels.
For those who have not been to Bali, it is a small island full of ceremony, ritual, tradition, monkeys, and some of the friendliest people in the world. It is also a major tourist destination but luckily the tourists tend to stay in 3 areas, and you can get into some serious indigenous culture with only a 5 minute drive of these places. People here live very simply, it seems that they have their priorities in the right place: family, community, fun, and religion. The Balinese are Hindus and they take great pride in holding up their religious obligations. Beautiful palm offering plates full of flowers, rice, and incense are offered up to the Gods in return for safety, protection, and abundance every morning outside homes, places of work and worship. Statues of Hindu Deities and figures from the Ramayana such as Rama, Sita, and the monkey god Hanuman are everywhere. This along with the ancient Chinese influeces architecture, and terraced rice paddied jungles make Bali one of the most awe-inspiring places I have every been. Unfortunately, most tourists don’t leave their safe enclaves and don’t get to experience the real Bali. We have been renting motorcycles and today and Jeep and have ventured into the heart of the island to visit its remote villages and temples.
4 days ago, we were privellaged to meet a local man Wayan, who took us to a small village called Tiungung, to visit his uncle’s Gamelan instrument shop. We got to see the entire process that goes into making Gamelan Bells, and Keys called Ryong and Gensar respectively from the melting down of the bronze tablets to the pouring of the molds to the shining and finishing process. As some of you know, I was introduced to Gamelan music and at my college, UC Santa Cruz where we had a Gamelan performance class. I have gone on to use Gamelan in my band Kaura’s music, so coming here was a top priority for us. We ordered a set of gamelan bells and it feels great to know the person that makes your instrument and to know that such good energy and prayers go into it. In the West we are so used to just going into a shop and buying something and having no connection to where it came from or the energy that went into it.
The monkeys here are something else as well, the Meras or Mecaques are all over the place and very friendly. I have gotten a chance to play with some of them in a wild setting which was very rewarding as I LOVE monkeys, the baby's are ecspecially cute. Anyway, I don't want to bog you down with too much text now. Take care
Ben
posted by Sagedrummer at 7:14 PM
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