Bali II: The Tao of Bali
Warning: Super long post ahead!
On Wednesday morning, we got up early to sample the buffet breakfast at the hotel. The usual fare of sausages, eggs, toast, porridge, fried rice, fried noodles and etc. The coffee was bad. Pak Media was dressed to the nines that day as it was a religious festival (a day of warding one's heart against evil intent). He wore his songket and he had his headgear on with a frangipani tucked at the back. A few grains of rice were stuck on his forehead. The drive to Batubulan was quite pleasant as the roads were in quite good condition. Not ridden with potholes like in Malaysia. I noticed that our driver was overly fond of the horn. It sounded every five minutes for every little "disturbance" in his line of sight. KH and I just snuggled at the back seat the whole time. We had around 20 minutes before the Barong performace started, so Pak Media recommended that we head backstage to camwhore and look at the preparations. The whole time, the gamelan orchestra was there providing the music. So fun looking at them play. So selamba they way they hit the gender wayang without even looking. And the lone flute in between, so exotic.
The play basically represents the eternal fight between good and evil. Barong represents the good spirit, whereas Rangda represents the darker half. In the prelude, the Barong emerged from the doorway, playfully looking at its feet. The gamelan beat perfectly to the footwork and when the Barong finally descends to the stage, the music immediately changes. The first act is among my favourite because it featured two female dancers representing the servants of the Rangda, dancing the typical intricate eye, neck and finger movements of Balinese dance. The dance is mixed with some elements of entertainment for the tourist's entertainment. One can see the actors using the "thumbs up", water balloons and there was even a part where the boar's tail is mistaken for a penis. According to our guide, the sacred Barong is performed for hours on end till the wee hours of the morning, in stark contrast to what we saw. In between, we had the Kris Dance where the actors try to pierce themselves with a kris. The Rangda defeats them all and the Barong brings them back to life. At the end, nobody turns up the winner, signifying that with good, there is always evil.
Moving on to Celuk, we stopped at one of the local silver smiths. Super expensive stuff. Couldn't afford anything, but at least we saw some cratfsmen at work, using traditional silver bead applique. Cheryl was surprised to see that even the Rangda is made into amulets, as negative energy can repel negative energy. Another interesting thing to note was the shop's extensive and opulent family temple at the back, complete with ceremonial dais for marriage and funerals. Before lunch, we had a sampling of Ibu Oka's famous babi guling-- juvenile piggy roasted on a spit, served with secret sauce. It was superb, not too oily, more palatable than our local suckling pig that turns you off after a few pieces. Made another stop at a local product shop with loads and loads of wood carvings. Lunch was at Kintamani. The view of the volcano was obscured by lots and lots of mist. So it was kinda a let down. Food was so-so, but the air was very nice. Cool and clean. Was quite smitten by the tuna satay. Lotsa vendors in front of the restaurant. Like flies. We were told to stay away from them as they're notoriously dishonest.
Not stopping at Batur Lake, we headed downhill to a nearby coffee plantation. Had a free tasting of Balinese coffee, hot chocolate, ginger tea and ginseng coffee. Forking out IDR30k, we sampled the kopi luwak-- coffee made from beans that came out from the other end of a civet cat. I found it a little smoother but taste-wise, I did not detect the complex tastes as described. All the coffee were super-black and unfiltered, leaving a thick tar-ish residue at the bottom of one's cup. Pak Media explained that Balinese coffee was best enjoyed cold. Sip a little and leave it. And the last gulp would be the best. Our guide was also busy telling us about the virtues of kopi jantan. You can guess what it does. :P. Tirta Empul at Tampak Siring was our next stop. Everyone had to wear a sarong and put on a sash. As it was a religious feast day, the temple was packed. Throngs of people were in the sacred bathing pool, lining up to cleanse themselves at the many spouts lining the pool. According to legend, the sacred water welled up from the ground where King Indra stabbed his kris in his war against King Mayadenawa.
On our way back, we stopped a while at Goa Gajah, a unique T-shaped cave that was hewn into the rockface and used for meditation. Inside, we were surprised to see a Caucasian woman in a lotus pose in front of the Linga Yoni. Outside were several bathing pools that our guide mentioned is believed to preserve youth. My batteries were exhausted by then, so no piccies. So sad. :(. And since I have no photographic evidence, I don't remember what I did! :P. More sex at night, that's for sure! :P. Spa was next on our list. Pak Media recommended us De Abian Spa and for IDR300k, we had a 2-hour session with a foot scrub, full-body aromatherapy massage and avacado lulur. The massage was quite interesting as Balinese style differs from the Thai style I had tried previously. The movements usually sweep up, rather than sweep down. And the therapist was quite careless as she quite frequently brushed my balls!! Pening. But no "reaction" la.
When we arrived back at the hotel, we ventured out on our own again, walking the stretch of Legian to Kuta and back via the beach. That basically nullified my earlier spa session. The long walk kinda left all of us tired and cranky (me at least, :P). But back at the room, the lovin' melted it all away...
On Wednesday morning, we got up early to sample the buffet breakfast at the hotel. The usual fare of sausages, eggs, toast, porridge, fried rice, fried noodles and etc. The coffee was bad. Pak Media was dressed to the nines that day as it was a religious festival (a day of warding one's heart against evil intent). He wore his songket and he had his headgear on with a frangipani tucked at the back. A few grains of rice were stuck on his forehead. The drive to Batubulan was quite pleasant as the roads were in quite good condition. Not ridden with potholes like in Malaysia. I noticed that our driver was overly fond of the horn. It sounded every five minutes for every little "disturbance" in his line of sight. KH and I just snuggled at the back seat the whole time. We had around 20 minutes before the Barong performace started, so Pak Media recommended that we head backstage to camwhore and look at the preparations. The whole time, the gamelan orchestra was there providing the music. So fun looking at them play. So selamba they way they hit the gender wayang without even looking. And the lone flute in between, so exotic.
The play basically represents the eternal fight between good and evil. Barong represents the good spirit, whereas Rangda represents the darker half. In the prelude, the Barong emerged from the doorway, playfully looking at its feet. The gamelan beat perfectly to the footwork and when the Barong finally descends to the stage, the music immediately changes. The first act is among my favourite because it featured two female dancers representing the servants of the Rangda, dancing the typical intricate eye, neck and finger movements of Balinese dance. The dance is mixed with some elements of entertainment for the tourist's entertainment. One can see the actors using the "thumbs up", water balloons and there was even a part where the boar's tail is mistaken for a penis. According to our guide, the sacred Barong is performed for hours on end till the wee hours of the morning, in stark contrast to what we saw. In between, we had the Kris Dance where the actors try to pierce themselves with a kris. The Rangda defeats them all and the Barong brings them back to life. At the end, nobody turns up the winner, signifying that with good, there is always evil.
Moving on to Celuk, we stopped at one of the local silver smiths. Super expensive stuff. Couldn't afford anything, but at least we saw some cratfsmen at work, using traditional silver bead applique. Cheryl was surprised to see that even the Rangda is made into amulets, as negative energy can repel negative energy. Another interesting thing to note was the shop's extensive and opulent family temple at the back, complete with ceremonial dais for marriage and funerals. Before lunch, we had a sampling of Ibu Oka's famous babi guling-- juvenile piggy roasted on a spit, served with secret sauce. It was superb, not too oily, more palatable than our local suckling pig that turns you off after a few pieces. Made another stop at a local product shop with loads and loads of wood carvings. Lunch was at Kintamani. The view of the volcano was obscured by lots and lots of mist. So it was kinda a let down. Food was so-so, but the air was very nice. Cool and clean. Was quite smitten by the tuna satay. Lotsa vendors in front of the restaurant. Like flies. We were told to stay away from them as they're notoriously dishonest.
Not stopping at Batur Lake, we headed downhill to a nearby coffee plantation. Had a free tasting of Balinese coffee, hot chocolate, ginger tea and ginseng coffee. Forking out IDR30k, we sampled the kopi luwak-- coffee made from beans that came out from the other end of a civet cat. I found it a little smoother but taste-wise, I did not detect the complex tastes as described. All the coffee were super-black and unfiltered, leaving a thick tar-ish residue at the bottom of one's cup. Pak Media explained that Balinese coffee was best enjoyed cold. Sip a little and leave it. And the last gulp would be the best. Our guide was also busy telling us about the virtues of kopi jantan. You can guess what it does. :P. Tirta Empul at Tampak Siring was our next stop. Everyone had to wear a sarong and put on a sash. As it was a religious feast day, the temple was packed. Throngs of people were in the sacred bathing pool, lining up to cleanse themselves at the many spouts lining the pool. According to legend, the sacred water welled up from the ground where King Indra stabbed his kris in his war against King Mayadenawa.
On our way back, we stopped a while at Goa Gajah, a unique T-shaped cave that was hewn into the rockface and used for meditation. Inside, we were surprised to see a Caucasian woman in a lotus pose in front of the Linga Yoni. Outside were several bathing pools that our guide mentioned is believed to preserve youth. My batteries were exhausted by then, so no piccies. So sad. :(. And since I have no photographic evidence, I don't remember what I did! :P. More sex at night, that's for sure! :P. Spa was next on our list. Pak Media recommended us De Abian Spa and for IDR300k, we had a 2-hour session with a foot scrub, full-body aromatherapy massage and avacado lulur. The massage was quite interesting as Balinese style differs from the Thai style I had tried previously. The movements usually sweep up, rather than sweep down. And the therapist was quite careless as she quite frequently brushed my balls!! Pening. But no "reaction" la.
When we arrived back at the hotel, we ventured out on our own again, walking the stretch of Legian to Kuta and back via the beach. That basically nullified my earlier spa session. The long walk kinda left all of us tired and cranky (me at least, :P). But back at the room, the lovin' melted it all away...
Comments
Thanks Day. Planning on visiting South East Asia?
@Nase:
It was fun, but a bit short.
@JJ:
Errr... at least not everyday cranky. I strive to improve lo.