Bali is a mountainous island of volcanic origin. Flying in, it felt like our airplane was hovering extremely low over beautiful, turquoise waters with no land in sight. But then suddenly, we landed and had arrived on a slice of paradise.
Bali – ISLAND OF THE GODS
We instantly felt the “spirit” and “energy” of this heavenly place. Profoundly bound to tradition, the Balinese population is devoutly religious. Approximately 93% of the Balinese are Hindus, and there are still strong traces of what must have been the oldest and most primitive form of religion in Bali – animism, which is based on the respect for all things and all creatures.
In the name of religion, walking the streets of Bali required some attention. The sidewalks are lined with these colourful, shallow woven baskets containing rice, fruit and flowers. Three times a day, they are faithfully placed around family homes, in temples and on the pavements, outside of every business establishment. A truly beautiful sight!
Canang sari or small offering baskets made out of coconut leaves
These small baskets or canang sari are offerings the Balinese make to their Gods (Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu). Offerings are a very important part of daily life in Bali and these little baskets are seen as a way of giving back what has been given to you, bringing prosperity and good health to the family and maintaining a good relationship between people and spirits.
We also saw larger baskets full of rice in boats…I assume it was an offering for a healthy catch of fish!
Daily offerings at village & family temples, home or business entrances, or any spot that the Balinese hold sacred (special tree, statue, etc.)
And talking about boats, the traditional fishing boats that we saw in Jimbaran Bay, known as jukung, are graceful vessels that only use on main cloth sail. These boats venture out into the coastal waters in the evening with their catch before sunrise to sell at local seafood markets. Although we were not so impressed with the seafood at Jimbaran Bay, we did have some delicious fish in Bali.
Bali – ISLAND OF TEMPLES
But I prefer to talk about the temples, as they don’t call Bali the Island of a Thousand Temples for nothing. We hired a driver and went exploring…..Temples can be found everywhere in Bali, but we quickly learned that most of them are private property! Each Hindu family has its own sacred temple (usually taking up much of their personal yard or terrace space). It’s called a Sanggah or Pamerajan.
The first sacred temple, we visited was The Royal Temple of Mengwi (Pura Taman Ayun). This temple is one of the most important ones in Bali. Built by a King of the Mengwi Dynasty, this impressive complex stands on an island in a river. Its inner temple is surrounded by a moat. Pura Taman Ayun literally means “Garden Temple in the Water” in Balinese.
To protect Bali from evil spirits, this temple was built as a series of garden terraces with courtyards on different levels. An eleven-tiered meru is dedicated to the rice goddess Dewi Sri. We just made a quick tour around this beautiful complex as we were there in the morning at a lovely 40 degrees Celsius or so!
The Royal Temple of Mengwi (Pura Taman Ayun) – with its 11 tiered meru
But my favorite Balinese temple, without a doubt, was Pura Ulun Dan Bratan. This water temple complex is located in the mountains, on the shores of this gorgeous lake called Lake Bratan. We arrived there at around 5 pm, and could take a breezy, leisurely stroll observing the amazing sights.
At the Pura Ulun Dan Bratan Temple on Lake Bratan
We learned that, built in 1663, this temple is used for offering ceremonies to the Balinese water, lake and river goddess, Dewi Danu, due to the importance of Lake Bratan as a main source of irrigation in central Bali. This lake, located 1200 m above sea level, is known as the Lake of Holy Mountain due to the fertility of the area.
Pura Bratan, with Lake Bratan and the mountains as a backdrop, was a scene that walked away out of a photography magazine. Just unreal! Anthony and I really enjoyed walking around the complex but more so, discovering what was beyond its gates.
A row of fishermen was sitting along the shoreline (young and old combined) catching tiny, silver fish. A sort of misty glow that came from the lake surrounded them.
Locals fishing at Lake Bratan or the Lake of the Holy Mountain
Just beyond their location was a local man burning something by a small temple, his wife making offerings. He was proud for us to take his picture…but then quickly sent us on our way, as I think this was a paradise type scene; only privy to locals perhaps?
Other nature scenes that take your breath away in Bali are the rice terraces. Vegetation is thick and luxurious and the landscape extremely green.
Agriculture is still very traditionally based. The most important product is of course, rice which has been cultivated in Bali for over a millennium. It is considered a gift from the gods and has inspired many legends and mythological tales.
Vast rice fields occupy the southern planes and the carved sides of hills and mountains, creating these characteristic rice terraces. We visited the Jatiluwih rice terraces (UNESCO World Heritage Site), with Mount Batukara as a backdrop. They have breathtaking panoramas and are so exotic looking. We even got to take a scroll in the high grass (and bought a painting to etch this beautiful scenery in our minds for eternity)!
At the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
The finale of our day was a stop at Bali’s Twin Lakes. These two lakes – Lake Buyan and Lake Tamblingan are the result of Balinese volcano activity. From a viewpoint, along the road, we took a moment to connect, and observe the magnificent, lush rainforest landscape and peaceful water scene.
At Twin Lakes – Lake Buyan and Lake Tamblingan
The other days on the island, we enjoyed the small beach town of Sanur, biking along the beach, and indulging in early morning or late night swims. Our gorgeous Ellora villa had 2 sweet breakfast chefs & a private pool – what a treat! (http://www.elloravillasbali.com).
Well, this is Bali for you….but there are other sides too. Such as the yogi, artsy and picturesque town of Ubud. We visited this magnificent little town in the centre of Bali for two reasons. We wanted to get a glimpse of the very avant-garde and greenest school on earth, called the Green School Bali (http://www.greenschool.org), and catch up with some wonderful travelling friends. Aaron Eeden, recently hired by this innovative institution gave us an insightful tour of this wonderful bamboo, open-air school structure with its forward-thinking, sustainable surroundings.
Green School Bali
With forward-thinking education specialist Aaron Eeden at the Green School
Then we met up again with Brie & Bjorn & family (our 3rd. world encounter after Peru and Thailand!) for a raw food lunch. Yes, that’s what you do when you are in Ubud and it was surprisingly delicious…even the desserts!
We then proceeded to take in the rural countryside of Ubud with a walk along the top of a ridge, with stunning scenery on either side called the Campuhan Ridge Walk. What a pleasant way to spend hiking for a couple of hours with these wonderful people, surrounded by stunning nature…and incredible art work!
On the Campuhan Ridge Walk, Ubud with Brie, Björn, Luka & Zora
So that was Bali, stunning nature scenes, beautiful temples… I almost forgot the scrumptious food (that Nasi & Bami Goreng and those satés from the local night market in Sanur are hard to forget!)….. and the SERENITY….. the SERENITY!!!
There is something truly special about this place…It’s hard to describe, a special feeling. I guess you got to GO to experience it!
We certainly will be back, but for now we say farewell to this spiritual, beautiful place with its wonderful kind and smiley people!
Y.O.L.O! Mom on the Go... 