Exploration of Northern Bali

October 30, 2010

I went to reggae night again this week and you can see I had to fan myself off after a few dances. I’ve loved having this fan – I’m surprised I don’t see more here. At the restaurant/bar I met a Dutch expat who is 51. He loves living here and said it’s like living in a hotel every day. He and his wife hired a few locals to help and I guess they really get pampered. He said he feels a bit guilty about how low the pay is and each month when he pays them he can’t believe how little it is. He defended the low pay by saying “you have to pay the going rate” or it will affect other rates and intimated that it would be bad for the economy. I think he basically meant other expats might have to pay more too and other workers might start to get higher wages. Then the great advantage that people from developed countries have by coming here would be diminished. This justification didn’t sit well with me and just seemed to be a repeat of class struggles throughout history.

I splurged yesterday and paid for a tour that took me into the northern areas of Bali. I saw several cool sights and learned much from the driver so the outing was a success. We first went to a small coffee, chocolate and spice farm. They have the coffee that is comically featured in “The Bucket List.” The Pea Berry Coffee/Luwak Coffee is expensive because it is difficult to acquire the necessary ingredient – poop! A wild cat-like animal, the Paradoxurus (aka Luwak), eats the red, ripe coffee cherry beans and they ferment in the stomach and the chemicals do their magic. The Luwak then poops out the seeds whole. The Luwaks are caught and supposedly at this farm kept for a week and then released and another one is caught. I have a picture of the animal and the poop for you. :) The seed is cleaned and ground into coffee. Apparently, it has hints of caramel and chocolate. I say apparently because I did not try this delicacy. I tried their ginseng coffee, which was pretty good – even for a non-coffee drinker.

We then headed to the Ulun Danu Temple that sits on a lake (sometimes literally). The temple goes into the water because those parts at least are dedicated to Vishnu, the god of water and protection. It was a beautiful site and well kept. There are many different smaller structures when you are in a temple and they are for different gods and goddesses so depending on you need you might head straight for one structure. The northern area in general is mountainous as you can see in this picture. That also made the temperature more pleasant.

Our next stop was the Gitgit waterfall. It was pretty, but not one you could easily swim or wade in. It is the highest one in Bali. Fortunately, the heavy rain started after I snapped my pictures and began my trek back up the hill. And fortunately, I had my poncho! The driver said the story about rainbows here is that angels make them so that they can come to earth to swim. I told him our pot of gold story, but I like the imagery of his story better. I can just see angels sliding down the rainbow as the dive into the water.

We did a quick stop at the town of Lovina and saw the uneventful beach. In the morning there might be dolphins playing, but other than that it isn’t appealing. The water looked to dirty to swim also. The resort on the beach was our only option for lunch and it was a buffet for 70,000 rupiah! Most of my meals have been between 18,000 and 30,000 so this seemed ridiculously high. The couple also on the tour agreed so we skipped lunch. The driver had no other option for us. This was the only frustrating part of the day.

One of my favorite stops was the only Buddhist temple on Bali. I found the grounds beautiful and the architecture unique. There weren’t many visitors so it was pleasant and I wish I could have stayed longer.

The playful stop was at a hot spring. I used the changing room and saw the sign that you see here. The English word choice tickled me and especially the original spelling of it. But I’m grateful they had a sign! The waters were from warm to hot depending on the pool and they smelled of sulfur. I grabbed a cup of noodles here and downed it quickly because the others were waiting.

We passed many rice fields, the main crop here, and we saw this farmer on the platform protecting the rice. The birds were trying to eat the almost ripened rice so he was pulling on lines that went throughout the field. The plastic bag streamers on the rope would scare away the birds. I also saw scarecrows, but they seemed as ineffective as in the US.

The main benefit of the tour, aside from having transport, was that I learned a lot about Bali Hinduism from the driver. He said there are 3 main gods, Shiva is the main god and is the god of wind. Shiva is the creator. Then Brahma is the god of fire so is the destroyer. And Vishnu is also part of this trio. These are the same three main gods in Hinduism in general. He told me about the offerings and said though you can put them out 3 times a day, the morning one is the most important and the others can be left undone if you are busy. The morning one is made between making breakfast and eating it while the family is together. It is meant to be an offering of thanks, but can also bring good fortune. The basic offerings can be bought in bundles of 10 for 3,000 rph (about $0.35) or one with more cutting in the leaves could cost 5,000 rph just for the one. The colors of the petals (many are hydrangea) signifify the directions. The red symbolizes the south, white the east, yellow/orange the north, and black/purple/brown the west. Pink can be used as a replacement for red or black.

Major ceremonies happen every 6 months and just occurred last week with the full moon. Ceremonies occur in the main temple, village temple and family temples. Five different colored chickens are needed for the rituals and the main and village temples will also use a duck and pig. He said cock fighting is also part of these rituals because the blood is needed to keep the ceremony safe and to keep evil at bay. He said these fights usually last around 30 minutes and these are legal. The illegal cock fights are the ones for gambling. At these knifes are put on the legs of the roosters so these fights might only last one minute. Gruesome! I agree they should be illegal just because of the inhumane treatment, but I think it’s outlawed only because of the gambling aspect.

He explained that animal sacrifices for religious reasons were good for the spirit in that animal because they will then be reincarnated as a human and get that much closer to achieving moksha. Animals killed for food do not get this passage. He said the spirit has 7 reincarnations as a human and if moksha is not achieved by then the spirit goes into an animal. He said achieving moksha is difficult because you don’t know what your actions were in previous lives. He said you will not get a good reincarnation if you do not marry or have children.

I asked him about the unmarried woman getting jailed if she got pregnant and he said that was not right. So take that earlier story with a grain of salt. Maybe it’s true and he didn’t want to say, who knows. I also asked what he thought of President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY). He really likes SBY and thinks he is a good man. He didn’t complain about the economy like others had. He didn’t seem to follow specifics of the political policies, but had faith in the man. He claimed that the protests are simply villagers hired by political opponents to make a show of opposition - interesting idea and a new twist on mercenaries, in a way. This might just be his conspiracy theory or maybe some are staged.

He did lament the modern construction styles being implemented here. The traditional Bali home is made of bamboo, wood and grass roof. He said it is safer than the modern concrete, stone and clay roofed homes if an earthquake occurs. The traditional home is flexible and can move with the earthquake where as these cannot. However, you see few traditional homes anymore.

I asked about the very long era under the Dutch. He said it was bad for Indonesians at the time. He did not see any benefits for the Indonesians living under the Dutch. He did say the new generation does benefit from the bridges, irrigation systems and dams built by the Dutch. The Dutch were mostly interested in exporting spices, particularly cloves. When the Japanese took over they were interested in exporting rice.

Last night I took two Indonesian friends out to dinner to thank them for being so good to me. We had fun as they played mind-twisting matchstick games with me. For the three of us it only cost about $8 and we had delicious food. It didn’t cost much more than if I’d had lunch in Lovina!

That concludes my history and culture lesson for today. I hope you enjoyed it!

More Ubud Adventures...

October 28, 2010

It is such a nice experience to stay in one place for awhile because you get to know different layers of the society and make friends – even become a regular in some places.

Yesterday, I woke up early (7am) to walk one of the routes laid out by Lonely Planet. It was a three hour walk through rice fields and into the outskirts of Ubud and even other villages. You can see the picture of the man drying his rice on the street (maybe forget this image when you order rice next time!). I also saw various art galleries, but resisted buying (I’ve been sooo good!). Along the way I sat and drank nice cold water with the man who owned the little shop. He was very nice and dignified looking. He hopes for his son to become a tour guide one day and wants me to recommend my friends to him. I think his son is still in middle school, but like many parents he wants to safeguard his son’s future.

While we sat an American expat was furiously calling out to his lost dog. He was clearly upset, like most American pet owners would be, and started offering “huge” amounts as a reward and payment to kids who would post fliers. He offered a 500,000 rupiah reward (US $56) on an island where many hard laborers make US $3/day. He offered the kids 50,000 (US $5.60). He didn’t speak Indonesian and wasn’t in the frame of mind to consider that the Indonesians around him might be able to understand so he anxiously demanded his Indonesian wife/girlfriend to translate. She said that was a lot of money and never did translate it. I hope he did find the dog, but it was a reminder of how the value of money is relative and what is considered valuable is relative. My frame of reference for spending is changing also. I hate to spend more than $3 on a meal and $.75 for a liter of bottled water is just ridiculous. Even paying $.85 an hour for the internet seems high (and that's my regular place - I have to come to a more expensive place to upload pictures).

As a western traveler Indonesia is so cheap, but the flip side of that means the western world and other developed countries are out of reach for most Indonesians to visit. Some will go and work, but then they are earning better wages. The thought of paying $20 to get into a museum in New York would probably be shocking for most. Of course, most would never have the plump savings account that the US requires before giving a tourist visa. One of my friends said he would love to see a show on Broadway, but that he’ll never have that savings account. He works hard and does many jobs and it still won’t be enough. For many people here working 8 hours a day, 6 days a week is a part-time job. Others I’ve met are content to work and earn less. As a tourist I am constantly asked if I need transport or a taxi as I walk down the street. It gets annoying because if I wanted a taxi I’d be looking for one, but I have to remember that these men are trying to earn a basic living. Now they will rip you off if you don’t know the proper rates or negotiate, but they are trying hard to get work. One of my favorite lines for trying to sell his service was a man who told me, “You look tired. Need transport.”

After my walk yesterday I walked some more to go to the Supermarket and then to my friends who work in a warung (canteen) at a public high school. By this time I was hot and exhausted. The cold Sprite and stool they gave me just heavenly. They also gave me some delicious chicken noodle soup. Their work ebbs and flows with the students classes and I hung out for 3 hours. The girls and boys are separated in their classes and lunch periods. They all wear a uniform and girls have to wear their hair in two side braids. Is this to remind them that they are kids because no adults wear this style? I think their teachers would have been shocked by my students with short hair, red hair, shaved hairs, etc. And they’d be even more shocked that I could not say anything about it (not that I felt the need to). The students have to pay for their breakfast and lunch, but there are several sellers for them to choose from.

They all take English class and those I spoke with said it was their favorite subject – are they trying to flatter me? Most of the boys were too shy to talk to me, but had much to say to my friends in Indonesian. The girls were less shy so I spoke with several. Many want to go to university after high school, but for others graduation seemed too far away to make a decision.

The other people working the canteens were very nice and those who spoke English were happy to chat. One woman was especially friendly and generous. She kept inviting me into her section that had a fan. She gave me some food and cold water, but wouldn’t let me pay for anything. And this is after she had been telling me about how hard it is for Balinese to earn a living. She has two children, both at university. Her son is going to be a teacher and her daughter a nurse. She said the universities are expensive and getting a loan is not an option. She earns little money I’m sure, but gets up at 3am to start cooking for the students and is at the school until 5pm. Her husband is a teacher in another village. She invited me to come back and visit, which I would really enjoy. I asked her to take a picture with me (it’s here) and she reluctantly agreed. She was shy and thinks herself old looking. I thought she was beautiful and when she told me she was 55 I was surprised. She said the hard work is making her hair turn grey.

I met a few teachers who were passing through and one encouraged me to apply for a job. They want teachers from around the world. I probably won’t do that, but it was kind of him.

Oh, one thing I was told that is interesting is that if an unmarried young woman (not sure if her age matters) gets pregnant the father has to marry her or she goes to prison for 3 years. Apparently, some men will wait until the woman is pregnant to marry her because they want to make sure she is fertile.

My 2 friends and I walked about 15 minutes back to the center of Ubud for a royal funeral. King of Puri Agung Peliatan raja, Ida I Dewa Agung Peliatan, died on August 21, but his funeral is just beginning. He is from another village and his cremation will occur on November 2, but there were religious ceremonies in Ubud and a procession of some of the materials for the cremation to Peliatan. I caught the end of procession of people going into the Ubud Palace (where I saw the dancing the other night). I don’t know how you are chosen to be part of the procession, maybe they are high caste. Different groups within the procession wore different clothes though. And two children, a girl and a boy, were carried in throne like chairs. Then they were carried by men into the palace. I assume they were royalty too. There were even 2 elephants to mark the occasion. There were dozens of men sitting around in uniformed t-shirts and they were the ones to carry the dragon and other objects to Peliatan. This Royal Cremation involves 30 villages and is the biggest event of its kind – lucky timing for me!

I grabbed my sarong and headed back to the palace because that was my pass to get into the area where there was dancing, singing and spiritual rituals being carried out. One of my friends was tired and headed home, but the other wanted to stay. They are from Java and are Muslim rather than Hindu so this ritual was new for them. My friend who stayed didn’t want to wear a sarong so I headed into the palace on my own. There was lots of waiting, but then the dancing began. The first two dancers seemed like monsters meant to scare away evil – they definitely scared the children! The Dikse (Balinese Hindu religious leader) came after the dancing had begun and began his lengthy rituals. Repetition seemed to be part of the ritual, but I really don’t know all that happened. Part way through, he put on an opulent headdress and more garb onto his body. He also seemed to bless some of the offerings and things that were then taken by mostly women to the dragon. The dragon will be part of the procession on the day of the cremation. However, the body is inserted into another decorated structure that is 25 meters high and will be burned. This royal bade is made of different woods and bamboo and elaborately decorated with gold and Hindu figures. It is shaped like a tower. These things will be carried 3 km on the day of the cremation.

I’m not sure how long the ceremonies went on yesterday because I grew so tired and decided to leave. I showered and lay in bed reading for hours before heading out quickly and then going to bed at 9pm. :)

I included the picture of the Mini Mart (like a 7Eleven) because it tickled me that they advertised themselves as a "hangout place."

I’m trying to find someone who could use my help for a month, but if that doesn’t happen I’ll probably move on next week. There’s a boat to Flores that stops along the way or I can fly on to Kalimantan (the Indonesian section of Borneo). Flores is apparently very conservative so difficult for women to travel to, especially alone. Even with that said an expat American woman said it was still one of her best trips. The island is supposed to be gorgeous. Borneo is expensive to get to, but has orangutans. Not many people seem to go there – I guess because it’s not as convenient. I actually haven’t met one person who has been there, but a couple acquaintances know people who loved it.

You might have heard about the tragic tsunami and volcano eruption on two of the islands here. I'm not on either island and am safe, but it's caused such tragic deaths and destruction. So far I haven't heard a lot of talk about it, but I'm sure there is a lot of talk. It is all over the papers.

I’ve been traveling about 7 weeks now so have far surpassed the length of my other solo trips. But I’m feeling really good and happy. I haven’t felt lonely too often and with the internet I don’t feel so far away. Actually, by traveling alone I get to meet many more people along the way – and, of course, I can do everything on my timetable. I listened to my music for the first time in awhile last night. I've rationed it because I'm afraid to plug it into their outlets. It felt a bit disjointed to be listening to that music here. I've heard American music in restaurants, but I think the disjointed feeling came from bringing my music and therefore my old life with me here. I enjoyed listening to the music, but it did make my mind follow the thread to my past life in New York. I want to focus on the here and now and embrace this journey. I'm sure if I listen to the music more the link won't feel as strong, but it was startling last night.