Our very full day in Bali continued, and it was all such an eye-opener with incredible insights into the life, religion, philosophy and traditions of the mostly Hindu Balinese people.
After the wonderful relationship we felt with the Thai people, the people of Bali had a tough act to follow. Turns out, they were up to the test. Not unlike the Thais, the Balinese are a largely agricultural and very family and community focused culture. Their Hindu religion (which is very similar to the predominately Buddhist Thai religion with some different traditions), revolves around the trinity of Creator, Protector and Destroyer. They make daily “offerings” to their gods to ask for forgiveness and blessings, and these offering plates (made from palm leaves and containing rice and flowers) can be seen everywhere, from doorsteps to temples, to roadside offering boxes. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of their lives is a very strong sense, awareness and belief in “karma.” It governs their actions and creates a very thoughtful, giving, and unselfish outlook on life. It takes the golden rule of “do unto others…” to a whole new level. We could all use a healthy dose of their values.
The next part of our journey of “real” Bali, had us come upon an active harvest of a rice paddy, and our tour guide, Agus, seemed to know some of the people and brought them water. It was fascinating to watch the production line of ladies standing in mud halfway to their knees, cutting bunches of rice, passing them to another woman who whacks them onto a barrel to dislodge the rice from the plant, and then another lady sifts the rice by tossing it to clear plant parts and debris from the rice. Then the rice goes into another container and eventually laid out on tarps all around the sides of the roads or “driveways” to dry for several days. An incredible process to make simple rice which is the critical staple of everyday life. And the ladies were so friendly to let me take a turn whacking the rice plant!! Wow!
We then drove by some rice terraces nearby which are so beautiful!
Agus next brought us to a Luwak Coffee Plantation…it felt like the Garden of Eden! Agus showed us Coco trees and opened a coco pod which contained what would eventually be coco beans, from which chocolate is made!
He showed us so many plants and trees growing fruit, spices, and coffee, and we watched them roast coffee beans…and Agus told us about Luwak coffee which is the most expensive cup of coffee anywhere, and produced from coffee beans that have gone through the digestive system of mongoose-type animals, which we saw!! We were given a sample of that coffee, and a dozen other coffees and teas in a setting that looked and felt like Tarzan might swing by any moment! We bought some coffee and lemongrass tea to bring home, but not the bitter, expensive coffee that goes through mongoose systems!
Our next stop was the Pura Tirta Empul, a Hindu holy water temple, where people go and bathe in the 12 flows of water from a sacred spring, for purification…each water flow for a different purification, and they go from one to the next. The holy waters are said to to purify many things, such as bad karma and deeds and lend some positivity to life and attitude. It was an amazing sight!
As we drove around, we also passed some men working on a cremation tower and decorating a larger than life-size replica of a sacred cow, which is also used in the cremation ceremony. These cremation ceremonies are joyous events because the soul of the loved one is now returned to be reincarnated to another life. Of course, the new life form will depend on how that person has lived this previous life…hopefully with good karma they return as a person rather than a dog or insect! At this stop, I came across several children that happily received my pencils and candy! It’s always a curious but great interaction for all!
After several other stops (including the Elephant Cave Temple, waterfalls, and watching men build cremation towers), we came to our last flight of the day…visiting the home of a typical Balinese family. We have learned that all typical families generally have the same sized home which typically houses 4-5 generations! The fung shui of Balinese homes includes a structure just beyond the front entry that you must walk around because bad spirits can only go in a straight line, therefore they can’t enter your home with this design! In the home we visited the great grandchildren slept in the same room as the great grandfather…hope he’s deaf!! And there is a structure with a bed used just to honor a person after they die, including having their body there for a period. Then there is always a home temple in the northeast corner, and lots of chickens, roosters, ducks, porcupines and even a pig in the family compound! This family also had an area for the family woodcarvers and we bought a wood-carved elephant from them. Friendly lovely people, but I wouldn’t enjoy cooking in their kitchen! Here’s great-grandpa!
We finished our fabulous stay in Bali with another dinner on the beach with toes in the sand and beautiful sunset blossoming. Our adventures will continue in Australia…can’t wait to see David in Melbourne for Thanksgiving and Chanukah!!
