Bali Slideshow

Its been a few weeks since I returned from Bali, and I finally have a slide show of our ENTIRE TRIP to show. I tried to keep it under 10 minutes, and managed to edit down almost 3,000 photographs to 220. The edge of the video screen is cut off because its too big for this blog, but click on the video to see it full size on YouTube. Enjoy, let me know what you think and Happy Tuesday!

Goodbye Bali

Since I have been in Bali I feel like my photography blog as turned into a "Visit Bali, its amazing blog!" The reality is that I've really fallen in love with this island, and I'm extremely sad to be leaving so soon.

I sit here trying to find the right way to sum up this trip, but I'm lost for words. There is no way to accurately describe the entire experience of this place. The best I can come up with is... simply amazing!

My eyes have been opened to a new and wonderful part of the world, so rich with culture and life. Its refreshing to leave the States and helps put my life into perspective. The "important" things back home never even cross my mind here, and I find myself drifting toward a more simple lifestyle.

As I make my way back to Los Angeles, I leave behind so many unique and wonderful experiences. I can't help but feel sad to say goodbye to this amazing paradise, Bali.

Bali Cuisine

Throughout our travels in Bali each day has revolved around two things: where are we going, and what are we eating? Deciding what to eat can be a bit of a problem at times because there are so many different and amazing restaurants! Being a vegetarian (okay, I'm really a peskararian - I only eat fish) I was worried about finding food I could actually eat, but luckily Bali is very vegie friendly. Especially Ubud which has many restaurants that use only organic foods, and many sustainable resources.

For dinner I had fresh pesto with homemade noodles, and my meat loving boyfriend, John, enjoyed beef kabobs. Yummy.... makes me hungry just looking at these pictures! :)

Since tomorrow is our last day in Bali, and I haven't talked nearly enough about the great food here I thought I would share with you my favorite Balinese food. These dishes arn't nearly as sexy as the ones shown above but have amazing flavors and will be dearly missed back in the States.

1. Banana Pancakes: These little wonders are more like a mix between a crepe and a pancake, and are usually served with honey. They quickly became my favorite breakfast food, and are so sweet and light that you could eat dozens of them!

2. Snake-skin fruit: Appropriately named, this fruit looks like the skin of a snake and has a great tangy taste. Once you peal away the skin you will find this creme colored fruit wrapped around a single seed. At first its taste is strange, but its oddly addictive and the taste grows on you.

3. Bali Black Tea: I've seen this tea called many different things (Java Tea, Agung Tea, Black Tea) but regardless of what its called it seems to be the staple tea of Bali. It tastes similar to an English Breakfast tea, but much sweeter and with a few unfamiliar spices. I have had a least one cup of this tea each day and will take as much back home with me as I can.

Bali's melting pot cuisine is certainly an added bonus to its already stunning culture, beautiful scenery, and warm people. If your a foodie like me, you will enjoy all new and wonderful dishes that Bali has to offer.

A walk through rice fields

Nearly every piece of empty land in Bali is a rice field, but since tourism has continued to dominate the island more and more fields are turning into hotels and restaurants. A walk through the Ubud hills allowed us to see more of the collaboration between man and nature: the terraced rice paddies.

Rice cultivation in Bali can produce three crops per year, each taking approximately 4 months. The rice grown in Bali is also not exported, its only used to feed the islands inhabitants. Another predominate feature of the rice fields is wild ducks. Hundred of these ducks can be found all throughout the fields eating small insects and sleeping in the shade of coconut trees.

The walk itself was very easy, and provided wonderful views of rural Bali, including those who tend to the fields. Our trip is coming to a close, with only a few more days until we return to the States. Its amazing how much I feel at home here. I now understand why so many people come here and never leave, its a very tempting idea!

Ubud Continued

The Museum Puri Lukisan, "Palace of Painting" was the first stop of the day. Created out of concern in 1953 by Ubud's prince and Dutch painter Radolf Bonnet, because all of Bali's finest works of art were disappearing into private collections. The museum houses an extensive collection of paintings and carvings from the 20th century. Each painting is extraordinarily dense with detail and design, and show the imaginative world of Balinese culture and their fables.

Inside the museum grounds is a large lotus pond, with a few lotus in bloom. I never realized how large a lotus flower really is (almost 6 inches across), and its beauty is really quite stunning!

Pasar Ubud, is another large market place that takes place each day; selling food, textiles, and all kinds of crafts. Bargaining is always encouraged, but its almost impossible to know if your getting a good price or getting ripped off. Since I am not a very aggressive shopper, I'm almost positive that I could get a better deal, especially if I looked Indonesian. Like this set of bowls started at $78, and we got the price down to $36, but was told that he sold the same set to a Japanese couple for $100. Then as soon as we bought them, someone else offers us the same set for $15! I'm curious to know how much they are actually buying these crafts for, and how much of a profit they are making off of tourist like me!

The single most amazing thing I've seen in Bali, hands down is the Kecak dance! Performed by over one hundred dancers and singers this is not your typical show. Unlike most Balinese dances with many musical instruments, the Kecak dance utilizes only the sounds of the human voice and hand clapping. The story is a dramatizations of the eternal conflict between good and evil, and was taken from the great Ramayana epic written 100 years ago by an Indian Hindu author.

In the performance a large group of men serve as the singers, and in circle the flames in the center of the floor. They all move as one, and chant together, creating a sounds that are hard to believe only come from their voices.

The story is acted out inside the circle of singers, with beautiful costumes and traditional dance styles illustrating the battle between Dharma (good) and Adharma (evil).

In addition to the Kecak dance, we had the pleasure of seeing the Sanghyang Dedari Dance and Jaran Dance back to back. The Dedari Dance is used to drive evil spirits away and stop them from infesting the community with sickness or death. Performed by two girls who are always underage, for a virgin child is considered holy. The two dancers are put into a trace prior to dancing and never open their eyes during the entire performance. They moved together in perfect unison, and were brought out of their trance by a pemangky, who prays beside them and blesses them with holy water.

Finally we ended with the Jaran Dance, which is a single male dancer dressed as a horse. A pile of coconut husks are set on fire and he behaves like a horse, dancing around the bonfire. The chanting from the singers then leads him into the fire and he dances on top of the fire.

All three of these dances were unique and captivating. If you ever have the opportunity to see even one of these these Balinese dances, I highly recommend that you do! They show the beauty, mystery, and importance of the Balinese culture and will leave you speechless!

Ubud

Only a few minute walk from our bungalow is the Monkey Forest Sanctuary, the home to thousands of long-tail macaques. Inside the sanctuary is also a large temple dedicated to the dead, Pura Dalem Agung. The carvings on the temple are appropriately frightening, and make its purpose very clear. The jungle setting of this area is rather beautiful, with a small stream running through the sanctuary and lush plant life everywhere. The monkeys here are much less aggressive then the first time we saw them at Uluwatu, where they are trained to steal tourists glasses, earrings, watches, anything they can get their hands on, and then you must barter with food to get your stuff back.


We walked from our hotel to the center of Ubud in the afternoon, a walk that usually takes about 25 mins took us a few hours because we stopped at several shops along the way. The shopping in Ubud is awesome, with tons of small and unique shops sells all different types of clothes, art, jewelry, all with air conditioning (always a plus). The pace of life is Ubud is also much different then in Kuta. There is much less traffic, the people are friendlier, and everyone generally seems much more relaxed.

Since we have been enjoying a more relaxing stay in Ubud, I have taken the opportunity to learn some Indonesian. I have been able to say "good morning," "thank you," and "hello," but now I can count from 1-10. I know this isn't impressive at all, but it took me most of today to learn those numbers and its harder then you think! Tomorrow I will work on numbers 11-20. :)

The photograph below is from the sunset this evening, and was taken from the edge of the rice fields next to our bungalow. We have great views of the rice paddies, and their calming nature is just what we need after a hectic week of seeing every part of the island.

More of Ubud to come in the next post.

North Bali

The toll of our busy schedule has finally caught up with me. After nearly 8 days of exploring the island I am finally content with just laying at the pool! This I’m sure will change tomorrow, but for now I’m enjoying a relaxing day with nothing on the agenda.

Yesterday we checked out of our cottage in Kuta and made our way to North Bali for more sight seeing and a week long stay in the center of Bali, Ubud. Our first stop was Pura Tanah Lot or better known as the rock temple. As its name suggests, the temple is positioned at the meeting-point between of land (tanah) and the sea (lot) and is dedicated to the Balinese goddess of the sea. It was a stunning temple but because its one of Bali’s most promoted landmarks crowds were heavily gathered by 9am!

The best view was from another rocky bluff directly across from the temple. At the edge of the cliff I took the opportunity to practice my yoga, and managed to hold my pose and not fall to my death! :)

The Bali Butterfly Park was next, and served as an unexpected treat! Not only were there amazing butterflies and moths there were also stick bugs, beetles, and a butterfly hatching room. Hundreds of cocoons are collected from inside the park and then brought to this room until they hatch. Here you can see butterflies coming out of their cocoons and drying their wings. Although a butterfly only leaves for 2 short weeks, the process of their life is truly like no other.

Although Bali is a relatively small island, it still takes a great deal of time to travel from one location to the next. Traffic, crazy curvy roads, and weather made our trip to the largest waterfall on the island even longer. As we made our way up into the mountains the downpour of rain started. Luckily the rain held off long enough for us to see the waterfall and make it back to the car dry. The waterfall is 150ft high and located in the village of Gitgit. A 400 meter walk to the fall proved to be a death trap of slippery stairs and eager shop owners. With no other path to the falls we were forced to turn down over 30 shop owners, and each time it became harder and harder to say “no thank you, no.”

Our last stop before Ubud was Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, a small temple built at the edge of Lake Bratan. This time we we were not as lucky, the rain came down and flooded many of the walkways around the temple. At the edge of the lake is the 11-tierd meru, (a shrine with 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 tiers depending on the importance of the deity it represents) that is pictured on the 50,000 Rupiah (approx $5.00 USD). This is the most tiers we have seen thus far, and as the clouds began to clear the blue sky was visible from beyond the clouds.

After a very long day of traveling we finally made it to Ubud, our new home (for 7 days that is). Soon after we checked in and got settled the village lost power and we were stuck in the dark. We managed to get some candles for our room, and stumbled down the streets of Ubud until we found a restaurant with a generator, and the most amazing coconut crepes and ice cream we have every had!! It was the perfect way to end an extensive day of exploring; a glass of wine and a yummy desert… or two!

NOTE: My Internet connection at our new hotel is a little touch and go, so posting might be delayed a day or two.

Horseback Riding

For our last day in Kuta we wanted to do something a little different... and we ended up horseback riding on the beach! I have always wanted to do this, but never had the opportunity to and let me tell you, it was well worth the wait! The horse stable caters to riders of all different levels, and because I am an experienced rider I was able to get my fix of galloping, for awhile at least!

I was not able to carry my camera while riding because my horse "Morning Glory" was extremely skittish and spooked at pretty much anything (helicopters, tarps, anything shiny)! So all the photographs you see below were taken by my better half, John. All those years of watching me edit photos have paid off, he got some great shots!
This was a fantastic day, and I still cant wipe the smile off my face! Tomorrow we leave Kuta, and move to Ubud for our last week in Bali! Kuta has been a great place to start our trip, but I am looking forward to a slower pace and some relaxation by the rice fields.

Denpasar

Even since I read about it in my Bali guide book, I've had my heart set on visiting Pasar Badung, the largest traditional market place on the island. Today we made the short trip into the city of Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali, to experience this huge market. My book described it as a "lively, open-air market full of color and excitement... the fruit, vegetable and fish market is full of spectacular topical harvests." This four-story market was much different then my books pleasant description!

We instantly found ourselves far away from any hint of a tourist location, and the only foreigners in a mile radius. As if being the only white person in the market wasn't distracting enough, the fact that I had rather large and expensive camera strapped around my neck made me stand out even more! I could feel the eyes of everyone on us as we made our way through this "open-air market." The building was crammed with small stalls, hundreds of people, and all different types of food,. Its hard to describe the conditions inside, but there was no lights or electricity, and the putrid smell of spoiled food (we only made it through the first floor of the building). This was not at all what I expected, and was my first really look into a third-world counties marketplace.

The photographs shown here are from the outside section of the market (it was much to dark inside to get any decent photographs), and do not even begin to show the conditions from inside the market.

While in Denpasar, we also visited the Bali Museum and Para Jagatnatha (a temple next to the museum). The temple was built in the 1970's to worship Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, the Supreme God. A small but beautifully build temple with a lily pond surrounding the shrine was a nice break from the heat and humidity of the afternoon.

At the temple we saw our first Balinese calender, where each day is represented by an image (either good or bad). The Balinese plan activities such as cremations, weddings, buying a home, and even fishing trips based on the calender and your birth date. This complex calender is made up of 30 seven-day weeks along with 9 overlapping cycles of different lengths. The illustrations for each day are quite beautiful and the fortune telling abilities of the calender are an interesting change from the plain American calender.

Another side to paradise

After a leisure day of relaxing, I have been able to process much more of what I've experienced here...

The poverty of Bali, is at best kept from the eyes of foreign tourist. If you only come to Bali for the warm weather, and favorable exchange rate you can easily avoid seeing any unpleasant sights of the poor or needy. The Indonesian Rupiah is valued at somewhere around 30% less than the US Dollar, making it nearly impossible for the Balinese to travel outside of the island. Most locals have learned English not from schools, because of their expensive price tag, but through interactions with tourist (or there need for interactions with tourists). The under lying truth to Bali is that without its tourist base it would be in much worse shape. There is no real economy on the island, besides agriculture (mainly rice cultivation), so all aspects of the island have catered to tourist from all around the world.

As a photographer, I am happiest when I am photographing, especially when I am given the opportunity to document a part of the world that in new and exciting to me. I have struggled with how to show the poverty of Bali, and if I wish to show it at all. I can turn my head and ignore what is in front of me, or show the reality of life here. I want to create an accurate depiction of Bali, but whats the real value of photographing the struggles of another human for my own gain? Its a fine line, and a question that must be answered.

When you see striking beauty one moment and trash covering the streets the next, it becomes hard to distinguish which is a more authentic look at the present state of Bali. Its a classic Catch-22 between the need for tourism, and the destruction that tourism has also caused to the land and its transformation of the people. For better or for worse, this is the reality of Bali. I just hope that those who visit here see the other side of this idyllic paradise, not just the image advertised throughout the world.

Culture in Bali

Yesterday, was yet another jam packed day of travel in Bali. These types of days are exhausting, but we are able to see so many different parts of the island its well worth the time!

We drove toward the rice fields, volcano's, and the art center of Bali. Each village in central Bali specializes in a different type of craft; woodcarving, silver and gold, painting, and batiking. We stopped in each village and watched the skilled craftsman create the different types of art. In many cases the trade is a family business, that is passed down through generations. Each artist is encourages to create in whatever style they wish, and they work solely from their imagination, no sketches or copying of others creations.

Below are photographs from the batiking process, as well as a women working on a loom weaving textiles. The loom she was working with was very old, and clearly has been used often throughout its lifetime. Both processes are fascinating to watch, and the amount of time and skill put into each piece is very impressive.

In the morning we saw our first traditional Balinese dance, the Barong and Kris Dance. The play represents an eternal fight between good and evil spirits. Barong (a mythological animal) represent a good spirit and Rangda (a mythological monster) represents an evil one. The performance was very interesting, with brightly colored costumes and makeup, along with precise and controlled movements from every dancer. We are hoping to see more of the many different styles of Balinese dance over the next week.

We were able to see two very beautiful, and very different temples as we traveled through Central Bali. The first temple was a rather large temple that is reserved for worship only by the people who are residents of the town. Bali has thousands of temples ranging in size from small temples located in homes, to large city temples for anyone to worship at.

A good Hindu, prays three times a day, and even a "bad Hindu" still manages to pray once a day. Religion here is not an afterthought reserved for Sunday service, but rather an important part of each day, an opportunity to stay connected to the spirit world in all activities.

The temple below was filled with men and women making many different types of food and offerings. Groups of women sat in the shade talking and laughing as their hands stayed busy creating small works of art. While the men sat together looking over papers and finances in a much more serious tone.

For lunch we were able to dine at a restaurant over looking the Kintamani Volcano and Lake Batur. This stunning view allowed us to see our first Balinese volcano, and the evidence of its last eruption in 1995.

The second temple is set in the remote and lush jungle of Bali. There were several different pools of water and fountains, making this one of the most beautiful and peaceful temples of the region.

Another unique part of this temple was its wildlife. With several Balinese deers in cages, we were able to see this unique and strange animal that sadly is at the brink of extinction. Notice their two fang like teeth!

Finally we made our way to the terraced rice paddies, something I have been looking forward to since we started planning this trip. They were magnificent, and true sight to been seen, and we made it just in time to see them before harvest started. The rice fields rely on a complex network of irrigation channel, tunnels and aqueducts that diverts water from sources high up in the mountains to the flat lands. This system dates back to 9th century AD and allows for "wet rice farming" to continue today.

Another wonderful day of new experiences, and our first look into the culture and rural lifestyle of central Bali.

South Bali

Today felt like three days combined into one. A casual day of shopping and swimming quickly became filled with unexpected events and our first look into South Bali.

MORNING: While shopping around Kuta, we stumbled upon a large procession walking down the middle of the street, this was a funeral service. Hundreds of men and women, musicians, and the brightly decorated casket traveled down the street toward Kuta Beach. We soon became part of the ceremony, making our way to the cremation area set aside on the beach. This was an incredible experience; the music, chanting, and ritual were unlike anything I have ever seen. Unsure at first, if photographing a funeral was a respectable thing to do, I soon realized that no one seemed to mind and was able to capture some great images of the funeral.

Although I did not know the name of the women who passed, its clear that she made a lasting impression in her community with well over 500 people are her funeral! Unlike American funerals that are usually filled with tears and morning, this was more like a gathering of the town to celebrate and honor a life well lived.

AFTERNOON: For Lunch we traveled south to Jimbaran, a large village known for its fishing settlement and traditional Balinese compounds. The beach is lined with thatch-roofed restaurants specializing in fresh seafood that the customer chooses and then is grilled and sent to your table. This was one of the best meals we have eaten here so far, and the views of the ocean, dotted with brightly painted boats and fishermen is a perfect setting to enjoy a meal.

EVENING: We made our way to the most southern tip of Bali to visit the Pura Luhur Uluwatu temple. This is one of Bali's most sacred temple and until the beginning of the 20th century only the princes of Denpasar were allowed to worship here. While walking around the temple, the sounds of waves crashing on the rocks below and herds of cows grazing in the fields nearby adds to the tranquil nature of this area. To my surprise there are hundreds of local monkeys that inhabit this temple, and many of them had newborn babies!

First 24 hours

After a 14 hour plane ride, 3 hour layover, and another 5 hour flight we finally made it to Bali! Its hard to explain the realization of seeing a place you have studied and read about for months; there are the things that you expect to see and hear, but when they are actually in front of you its quite different.

Our first 24 hours have been spent wondering around the city of Kuta. Since we were picked up from the airport and taken directly to our cottages, we had no sense of where we exactly were on this island. Overwhelming at first, but once we started to explore the city, it became very clear that Bali is everything I could of ever hoped for, and so much more!

The banten, or offering, above is one of the first things I noticed about Bali. You will find these scattered about the island, and are usually made of organic material. Through their offerings the Balinese honor their gods, devils, ancestors and spirits. Although much more complex offering are reserved for family compounds, the ones on the ground of the building's entrance and crossroads are used as protection from the numerous devils that congregate in these places.

You would expect their to be stark contact between Balinese traditions (based on a combination of Hinduism, Buddhism, Animism and local traditions) and the modern tourist world but ironically they are woven together. Throughout Kuta you will see a small shops and restaurants catering to tourists on the main roads by Kuta Beach, but take only a few steps off the main streets and you will find yourself in a whole other world. The lines between tourist area and native area are almost impossible to detect (that is until you've wondered into one). Much of Balinese traditions have endured changing times because of the attention they have received world wide. Although tourism has changed this area in so many ways, it is clear that their unique beliefs and traditions are still honored and protected.

The traffic is Bali is insane, just walking on the side of the street is a hazard. There are no real dividers between different directions of traffic, meaning everyone weaves and bobs around one another in narrow streets crowed with shops and tourist. Fortunately the people of Bali are friendly and kind and I have seen little disrespect toward one another.

This is only the beginning, and I could not be more excited to see what is next...

Indonesia here I come!

After months and months of planning its finally here!

By the time this post goes live I will be somewhere over the Pacific Ocean on my way to the Indonesian island of Bali. Along with getting some much needed vacation time, I will be documenting my trip, the people of Bali, and their amazing culture centered around art, balance, and ritual ceremonies. Since I have only traveled throughout Europe I am thrilled to have the opportunity to see a new an unfamiliar part of our world.

Check back soon for updates, and pictures of my Bali adventure.

"One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." - Henry Miller