For those keeping track…Today is the half-way point of our cruise.
Noon Report:
- Location: S 08° 44.67′, E 115° 12.73′
- Speed: Docked
- Course: Docked
- Weather: Partly Cloudy
- Temperature: 26º C, 79º F
- Wind: W 14 knots, 16 mph
We arrived in port shortly before noon.
We were just finishing an early lunch in anticipation of our early afternoon excursion.
On our way back to the stateroom we stopped by Deck 2 to shoot some video of the Gamelan Orchestra that greeted us.
One of the first things we learned about Bali is that even though Indonesia is one of the most thoroughly Muslim countries in the world, Bali is overwhelmingly Hindu
Because of its strong Hindu culture Bali is known as the Island of the Gods and the land of 1,000 temples. The pervasive presence of Hinduism is seen in the ubiquitous shrines,
Monumental statuary,
And thousands of temples.
In Bali homes, businesses, even hospitals will frequently have a temple. A clan will have a temple. A village will have 3 temples (one to Brahma, the Creator manifestation of god, one to Vishnu the Protector manifestation of god, and one to Shiva the Recycler manifestation of god). Most sources refer to Shiva as “the Destroyer” but our guide suggested that in a belief system that includes reincarnation the act of destroying always leads to rebirth – thus the concept of recycling. I’ll let the experts hash that out.
Our bus tour treated us to multiple experiences of this incredibly vibrant city.
Our first stop was an orchid garden – a sea of calm in the midst…
Our next stop was a silver-smithy/shop.
Creating fabulous works and jewelry with silver is a big deal in Bali. Sadly most work is done in homes and brought to a central location to be sold to tourists. So we only saw very brief demonstrations of people working. We were, however given ample time to peruse the merchandise on offer.
Sadly (or not) nothing was irresistible so we wandered around the compound waiting for others to burn plastic.
Back on the bus we happened to pass another example of the artistry and creativity of the Balinese people.
Our next stop was an ancestral temple.
We were outfitted with sarongs. 
Our guide explaining the gathering space outside the temple 
Demonstrating the Gamalon 
Entering the temple complex. 
In the outer courtyard. 
Tower of the ancestors. 
Formal gate to the inner court – only used by the priests 
Gate used by the rest of us 
Inner courtyard where worshippers gather 
Sample of the woodworking in the temple
Our next stop was a woodworking shop.
It was the same kind of setup – most work is done in the home and brought to the shop to sell to tourists. Only a few people are on hand demonstrating their craft. Sadly they wouldn’t let us take photos in the store. The woodcraft was exceptional and it was just a bit hard to refrain from shipping several pieces home.
Then it was back to the ship for a quick shower/change before taking off again to the dinner and traditional dance.
Because of the timing we were slotted to the version of the excursion that took us to the local Marriott for a ‘convention dinner’ followed by a dance telling the Ramayama – a Sanskrit epic from ancient India.
It’s a rather long story and maybe I’ll get a chance to edit it down later so I can post it. For now, here’s a bit of what we saw:
Back in our stateroom we finished packing overnight bags for our adventure tomorrow.
Then we tried to sleep.
More tomorrow. R
About scooters:
- They were EVERYWHERE! I first described them as gnats, but perhaps it’s more effective not to think of them as descrete units and more as a flow – like a river, surrounding you, swirling past you, pushing you into calm backwater eddies.
- As pervasive as they are in Bali I’m given to understand that they can’t compare to what we’ll experience in Viet Nam. So I’ll wait till then to post video.
Kecak! I’m glad you got to see it and I won’t ruin it for you unless you want me to.
(Don’t know if you remember but the kind of gamelan lesson you did with me was Javanese gamelan, not Balinese).
Also- are you thinking creator/ preserver/ destroyer?
he Kecak she’s referring to is the dance performance we saw.
Don’t bother to ruin it for us unless it’s important for other blog readers to know the gory details.
Yes, I left place holders until I could check Cheryl’s notes and forgot to do that. It should be: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Protector, and Shiva the Recycler – All were explained as avatars of the one god.
I really think you should shave your legs if your gonna wear a skirt Randy!!
I won’t ruin kecak for the readers. It’s a delightful piece of contemporary Balinese expressive culture and a great way to tell the ancient Ramayana epic, and everyone who visits Bali should see it.