A Blessing on Our Leaving

On our last day in Ubud, we were invited by our friends Anom and Ayu to come with them to be blessed by one of the highest brahman priests in the area. He was simply amazing and everyone that participated was glowing afterwards. What an auspicious way to cap an extraordinary week in this place. This man had a very beautiful and deep spirit.

Visiting the Green School

We visited the Green School south of Ubud and spent most of a day doing a "camp". We went on a walk through the local forest, toured the amazing campus, ate lunch, picked some cocoa pods and actually made some chocolate! The bamboo architecture of the school is phenomenal as is the focus on sustainable living and education.

Rehearsing with the Semara Ratih Gamelan Emsemble

We got to rehearse with the Semara Ratih Gamelan Ensemble over at Anom and Ayu's house. Music and dance lessons all rolled into one. What an exhilarating afternoon!

Morning Ridge Walk

Today we started out with a beautiful walk along a ridge north of town. We started early so it wasn't too hot and got another terrific view of the area.
After that, we went again to our friend Anom's house for gamelan music and dance lessons. To our surprise he had his entire gamelan orchestra there to practice and some of us got to "sit in" and play along while the others got to dance to a full orchestra- what a rare and amazing treat!

Biking Through the Rice Fields

Today we set out early and drove up the volcano and rode bicycles back down through small villages and rice fields. We got to stop and walk through a typical Balinese house and see their living quarters, animals and shrines. We also saw some women in the field using the wind to separate the rice out from the chaff. It is amazing to see how simply people can live and still lead a fulfilling life. The sense of community is the glue that holds Bali together.

Bali Gas Station

Every other little stand on the side of the road has a "gas station" where you buy a liter or two of gas in a soda bottle and pour it in with a funnel. one liter is about $0.50- half the price of US.

Repairing the Barong

Here are Balinese craftsmen repairing the Barong dragon costume for the Semara Ratih dance company at the house of our new friend Anom. It needs to be carefully taken apart every 15 years or so and rebuilt with the worn parts replaced.

Rice Paddy Walk

We went on a beautiful walk this morning through the rice fields outside Ubud. We stopped for a while to draw and then had a light lunch and fruit drinks at a small organic restaurant right in the middle of the fields... the only access was by the foot path! They must have to bring in supplies with a motor bike.

Bali: Weather, Dancing and Music

During our trip in Bali, my favorite parts were the weather, the
Balinese dancing, and the gamelan music. The weather in Bali is hot,
but because so, there's a lot of trees and tropical plants that have
really vibrant colors. We saw a balinese dance performance and we also
had the chance to learn some moves, and I thought that was interesting
because I learned a lot about the culture and religious stories behind
all the dances. Many of them act out Hindu stories so there's a lot of
dramatic gestures and expressions. Another thing I really liked about
the dances is the eye movement they make. All throughout our trip, we
had a chance to hear gamelan music all over the place, starting from
Hyatt hotel to the temple festivals, and I always thought they sounded
great. The music is very different, and to some people it can sound
like random drum beating, but once you listen carefully, you'll notice
that the music has a very complex pattern and rhythm to it. So far I
love everything I've seen in Bali, but my favorites are just the three
I wrote about above.
--Liz Jahng

Bringing Offerings to the Moon Festival

We were very lucky to witness the Festival of the Moon at temple Pura Panataran Sasih in Pejeng during the full moon. This was truly special as this temple houses the Moon of Pejeng (pic below), the largest known bronze drum. This festival only happens every 5 Bali years (Bali year = 210 days). The people from many villages all around the area came dressed in their finest to bring offerings and be blessed in the temple under the full moon.

Waiting to Be Blessed

We drove up to the Ulun Kuning temple on a lake up in the crater of one of the sacred volcanos. It is the same one from our trip poster you might have seen around school! We received a blessing from the priest and gave offerings of food, flowers and rice. It was a beautiful setting high in the mountains where it is cooler and closer to the gods!

A Day with Tudei

Our travels in Bali would not be possible (or nearly as enjoyable) without our “friend” To Day.  Yes, that is his name, evidenced by a white and blue business card that he gave us on the first day. He now greats us every morning with a kind “Are you Okay?” Today he explained the holy trinity of the hindu religion.  They believe that God manifests himself in three main forms: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.  These three Gods each take one role.  There is the creator, the stabilizer, and the destroyer.  Most prayers are centered around these three Gods as a manifestation of the one almighty God on Earth. Since a huge percentage of Bali is Hindu, a figure To Day was very proud to share with us, it seeps into much of their culture. Whether it’s lending me water proof shoes, holding our stuff, explaining Hindu religion (for the 20 thousanth time), hurrying along prayers when he knows our feet are burning, or waiting for hours in a dark van for the other guides to return to the hotel To Day has got our backs.  I think he more than deserves the title of friend, even if he is the best guide I’ve ever had.
--Morgan Cundiff

The Heart of Art in Bali

My favorite part of this trip so far would our trip to the Neka Art Museum, also referred to as the 'Heart of Art in Bali.' In this museum we observed numerous artworks from many different styles and genres, such being wayang styles (puppet figures) and Ubud and Batuan styles. Further in the exhibition were contemporary art from Bali and Indonesia, photography of the Balinese dancers in the 1930s, and pieces from foreign artists as well. The artworks shown clearly portrayed the wide range and diversity of art in Bali. My favorite from all were the pastel drawings by Johan Bonnet, a Dutch artist who managed to grasp the life of the Balinese so descriptively in his art. The people drawn in pastel tones stood out to me by their incredibly realistic and elaborate style. Overall I believe that this was a great introduction and threshold to Balinese art that we could study more about.
--Eugene Jahng

Rice Fields with Oxen

Calming Temples

The most beautiful aspects of Bali that I have been fortunate to experience are the wonderful and calming temples, the graceful and awe-inspiring scenery, and the wonderful culture of the Balinese. Being able to set foot in such a holy place has given me a lot to think about during those precious moments. It allows me to reflect on the importance of religion in my life and how I can strengthen that connection which has been weakened over the years as my faith falters. The graceful and awe- inspiring scenery continues to leave me without words to be able describe what I am seeing. (see above) However, what I can clearly convey is how I feel as I gaze upon the rows of endless rice patties or upon the jungle with its many high rise trees, which is at peace with myself. The worries of the world seem to end as my gaze drifts upon the nature surrounding me. If I am frustrated I find myself easily calmed and no longer can remember what that factor was. As for the culture, it continues to amaze as we further enjoy being around the balinese and learning many of their ways and key ideals in their lives. This experience has allowed me to learn so much about myself and life and how to deal with certain situations.
--Laura Alvarez

Gamelan Players at Full Moon Festival

Some veteran gamelan musicians playing some "trad" old school gamelan music... they were smooth.

Ocean Walkers

On our second day in Bali, we went to visit a temple on an
island barely off of the coast. In the hot, humid Bali weather, the
last thing I wanted to was don a tightly fit triple layered clothe
over my legs, also known as a Sorong. Tim explained that since it was
high tide, in order to get blessed, we had to go through a path of
knee high ocean water to reach this island. I honestly was so sweaty
and tired that I was ready to go back to the hotel, and the idea of
trudging through waves was not very appealing. But then I realized
that I would regret it so much if I said no. Even though I was wearing
a white shirt and the waves would hit me higher than my knees (but no
higher than my stomach, don’t worry Mom), I said yes. I’m really glad
that I did get blessed, not only did I feel like I had made the most
of the journey, but I also was allowed to take off the Sorong and wash
off all of the mucky feelings in the ocean. Double win!
--Dana Chang

Jeenali's Bali

My trip to Bali so far has been quite unique and peaceful all at the same time. Although I have traveled to many other countries around the world, Bali has a characteristic of its own that makes the experience rewarding and culturally educational. The aroma in Bali automatically brings a calming feeling into me allowing me to not worry about anything.
Visiting some of the temples in Bali has allowed me to acknowledge beauty much more than before because of its locations around the island. Having some experience of Indian dancing, I really enjoyed learning Balinese dance with Ayu and getting a feel for the true households of Bali. The people of the household itself, I believe, sums up Bali. The routine of the trip is very comfortable and enjoyable and I am learning a lot from stepping into the shoes of the true Balinese culture.
--Jeenali Patel

Wading Through the Surf to Tanah Lot

Bailey's In Bali!

My experience in Bali so far has been really rewarding and educational. We have ventured to many exciting places that have given me the opportunity to immerse myself in the Balinese culture. My highlights of the trip thus far were learning the welcoming dance from Ayu, and being blessed at the Tanah Lot temple. The dance lesson was really fun and interesting especially after having watched a dance performance the night before. The visit to the temple was really exciting because we got to wade through the open waters in order to reach the temple to be blessed. (see above) Another aspect of this trip that has been really rewarding is getting to know my classmates and chaperones better, they are a great bunch of people! The people in Bali are extremely kind and caring and the atmosphere is unlike any one I have ever been in, I am very grateful for this experience.
--Bailey Threatt

Tanah Lot Temple

Valentines Day in Bali

Happy Valentines Day! Most of us were up early (like 5am!) but the sunrise was beautiful and the gardens of the hotel are lush and tropical. Everything seems to grow well here. When it rains it is usually a downpour but in short bursts... no water shortage!
We had a bountiful breakfast at the hotel and then piled in the vans for the days adventure. First we stopped at Barja Sandhi, the national museum. (see below)
It had dioramas of the history of Bali from the stone age to present. Lots of information, from the Balinese point of view, of the Dutch colonization, the Japanese occupation, the Dutch came back after the war, and finally independence.
We then drove on to Embun Life, a small restaurant in a obscure part of town by a rice patty- beautiful and yummy food. After that we headed to Tanah Lot, a temple built on a rock out in the water just off the west coast of Bali. (see above)
The area reminded me of the Santa Cruz coast only with black lava rock cliffs instead of sandstone. The tide was coming in so we had to wade through the surf to receive our blessings from the priests: a little water splashed on the face from the natural spring out there and a prayer and rice on the forehead from the priest.
When we got back to the hotel everyone was ready for a swim. The pool(s) were really nice but in this climate everything stays pretty warm, even the pool water.
At dinner many of us tried a plate that had a variety of Balinese specialties- chicken and pork with different delicious sauces from sweet to spicy (they have a great chili concoction here). We ended with a warm black (Bali native) rice dessert with coconut milk over the top... ummmm

Bajra Sandhi Museum

We Made It!

After 15 hours to Taipei and then another 5 down to Bali we finally got here on Sunday afternoon.
After waiting in lines for visas, customs (it felt longer than the flight!) and changing some money into rupiahs (8,600=1$... lots of 0's) we met up with Made' Tim and his sister Kelly who will be our tour guides.
We had some time to freshen up and stroll on the beach (Lynn went in- it feels like bath water it is so warm) then some of us ate in and others went to an Indian restaurant down the street.
I am having a problem getting my pictures up on the blog but hopefully we will have something to see here soon as well.
Tomorrow is a full day- more then!
Made' W

Heading Out at SFO

We Are Nearly Gone!

Our bags are (mostly!) packed, our iPods are charged, and the ink is drying on those last minute math quizzes and English papers- Soon we will be headed to the airport and on our way.
Stay tuned to this space for updates on our travels to the Isle of the Gods.
--Made' W

P.S. - We made it to the airport! Crackin' open the books and having fun waiting to board.