Kui me p2rast Yogyakarta lennujaamas veedetud unetut 88d Balile j6udsime, s6itsime me otse taksoga meie hotelli Sanuris, lootes, et me saame kohe magama minna. Kahjuks polnud meie tuba aga veel valmis, seega oli meil vaja enne voodisse ronimist veel paar tundi surnuks lyya.
Sanur on yks populaarsetest mere22rsetest kyladest Bali l6unaosas, koos Kuta ja Seminyakiga, kuigi Sanur on neist rahulikum. Sanur koosneb pikast mere22rsest promenaadist ning paljudest-paljudest turistidele m6eldud teenusepakkujatest - restoranid, hotellid, kohvikud, masaazhisalongid, spad, ekskursioonide pakkujad, suveniiripoed jne jne jne. Kohati tundus, et Sanuris on turiste rohkem kui kohalikke.
P2rast maitsvat hommikus88ki jalutasime me veidi promenaadil ning istusime rannas, v6ideldes unega kuni kella kaheni, mil me saime viimaks hotelli puhkama minna.
Me olime Sanuris pannud kinni neli p2eva, ja l6puks veetsime me selle aja lihtsalt l66gastudes ja eriti mitte midagi tehes. Meil oli vaja teha asju, mida me polnud viimastel n2dalatel saanud teha, sh pesu pesemine, blogide kirjutamine, fotode sorteerimine jne. Kui k6ik see oli tehtud, nautisime me niisama rannas peesitamist (kuigi meres ujumist tunduvalt v2hem - vesi polnud just k6ige puhtam, ent peamine probleem oli see, et merevesi oli nii kuum, et ei pakkunud mitte mingit v2rskendust!), lugemist ja hea toidu nautimist. Kuigi oleks olnud tore n2iteks jalgrattatuurile minna v6i veesporti proovida, olid k6ik pakkumised nii kallid, et unustasime selle m6tte koheselt.
See, et Bali ylej22nud Indoneesiast kallim oli, tuli kohe ilmseks. Kuigi hinnavahe ei olnud hirmsuur, oli siiski selge, et saarel l2heb majanduslikult p2ris h2sti, t2nu turistidemassidele kes l2bi kogu aasta Balit kylastavad. Yhtlasi oli yllatav kuidas balilased olid k6ige s6bralikum ja kenam rahvas keda me seni kohanud oleme, vaatamata massilisele turismile (me eeldasime, et nad on ehk v2lismaalaste suhtes veidi kyynilised, nagu paljud kohalikud tihti muudes turismisihtkohtades, ent absoluutselt mitte).
Ent tunduvalt meeldivam erinevus Balil oli see, kui teistsugune ta ylej22nud moslemi Indoneesiast oli. Bali, erinevalt ylej22nud riigist, on hinduistlik - 90% kohalikest peavad ennast hindudeks. Bali hinduism on arenenud millekski v2ga unikaalseks, kaasates esivanemate austamist, elemente kohalikest animistlikest uskumustest ning aspekte budismist. Kogu saar on t2is kauneid altareid ja igas suuruses templeid, ning hindu kunst on k6ikjal - kaunid skulptuurid ja peened reljeefid kaunistavad k6iki ehitisi ja avalikke paiku (k6igil suurematel ristmikel on HIIGELSUURED hindu jumalate kujud). Teine v2ga iseloomulik element Bali hinduismis on igap2evased ohverdused - v2ikestesse bambusest p6imitud anumatesse v6i banaanilehtedele asetatud k6iksugused asjad, sh lilled, toit, kommid, kohv (piskestes kilekottides!), sigaretid, raha jms. Kui ma olen 6igesti aru saanud, siis vaatamata nende kaootilisele ilmele, j2rgivad ohverdused tegelikult kindlaid reegleid. Esmalt on ohverdused hindu peamistele jumalatele (need on omakorda erinevad - eri lilli ohverdatakse eri jumalatele, ning ka ohverduste paigutus ilmakaarte suhtes loeb), t2nut2heks maailmas valitseva rahu eest. Need ohverdused asetatakse k6rgemale - altaritele, skulptuuridele v6i aknalaudadele. Yhtlasi tehakse ohverdusi (v6i rohkem nagu altk2emaksu) ka kurjadele vaimudele. Need pannakse maha, uste ja v2ravate ette, et vaime eemal hoida. Ohverdusi leidub Balil absoluutselt k6ikjal, ning kuigi see t2hendab, et igap2evaselt pandakse v2lja loomadele ja putukatele k2ttesaadavatesse kohtadesse toitu, on t2navad tegelikult v2ga puhtad. Balilased kannavad suurt hoolt selle eest, et t2navad iga p2ev varasematest ohverdustest puhtaks pyhkida.
Kogu saar oli tegelikult tunduvalt puhtam kui Lombok v6i Jaava, ja me n2gime v2ga v2he mahavisatud prygi. Mul tuli m6te, et ehk see on uskude erinevuste t6ttu. Bali hinduism, oma animistlikke elementidega, ilmselt edendab austust ja vastutustundlikkust looduse suhtes, samas kui islam (nagu ta monoteistlik vend kristlus) asetab inimese loodusest ja loomadest tunduvalt k6rgemale, muutes oma j2rgijatel keeruliseks oma looduskeskkonna suhtes vastutustundlikkust tunda. Pigem tuntakse keskkonna suhtes omanikutunnet, mis edendab hoopis looduse ekspluateerimist. Kuid see oli vaid uitm6te, t6de on loomulikult tunduvalt keerulisem. Ilmselt on tegu lihtsalt sellega, et Bali on j6ukam, ning turismi surve t6ttu on prygi majandamisse rohkem raha pandud (ning t6si kyll, et Balil n2gime me hulganisti prygikaste).
Balil veedetud aja jooksul, kus hindu kultuur on nii tugev ja igalpool n2htav, hakkas meid huvitama see, et kuidas kyll v2ike saareke suutis islami edasitungi ajal hinduistlikuks j22da. Sellele ma paraku rahuldavat vastust ei olegi leidnud, tundub, et Bali oli lihtsalt ylej22nud riigist kultuuriliselt isoleeritud ning seet6ttu oli suutnud oma traditsioonidest kinni hoida. Seevastu on kaasaegsem ajalugu samuti huvitav. Indoneesia on enamjaolt moslemiusku (t2nap2eval 87%), ent kui riik Hollandi koloniaalv6imu j2rel 1952. aastal iseseisvaks sai, kuulutas uus valitsus poliitilise islami survel, et iga riigi kodanik peab enda usu ametlikult kinnitama, ning et tunnistatakse ainult monoteistlikke religioone. See oli polyteistliku hinduismi j2rgijatele Balil loomulikult halb uudis. Uute n6uete poolt shokeerituna, kuulutas Bali end autonoomseks piirkonnaks ning otsis inim- ja diplomaatilistele 6igustele rahvusvahelist toetust. Seej2rel tekkis Balil rahumeelne protestiliikumine, mis 1958. aastal Indoneesia valitsust nende oma m2ngus v6itis! P6him6tteliselt leidsid nad iidsetest hindu tekstidest ytluse, mis nimetas dharmat (ehk k6ike maailma headust) 'jagamatuks tervikuks' ning nad kasutasid seda kui t6estust, et Dharma ongi hinduismi ainus jumal ning et tegemist on monoteismiga. Indoneesia valitsus oligi seega sunnitud tunnistama hindu Dharmat kui yhte ametlikest riigi uskudest. Sellel oli positiivseid m6jusid ka paljudele v2iksemate animistlike religioonide j2rgijatele (peamiselt traditsioonilised h6imurahvad), kes, sunnitud limiteeritud uskude vahel valima, tundsid et neil oleks hinduismi all rohkem vabadust kui islamiga ning et selliselt saaksid nad oma traditsioone ja kombeid edasi viia. Selle t6ttu on v2hemalt ametlikult hindu kogukondi ka Kalimantanil, Sulawesil ja muudes paikades peale Bali.
P2rast Sanuri l2ksime me sisemaale, kultuuripealinna Ubudi. Tegelikult ei olegi tegemist linnaga vaid pigem alaga kus mitmed eri kylad on tihedalt koos. Ubud on ka turistide seas v2ga populaarne, ning p6hjusega - koht on imekaunis, mitmete kaunite templite l2heduses, ning linnas endas leidub hulganisti kunstigaleriisid ja -poode ning igal 6htul etendatakse kultuurisyndmusi.
Esimesel 6htul l2ksime me traditsioonilist Bali tantsushowd vaatama. Bali tants on v2ga ainulaadne ning ma polnud midagi sellist varem kuskil n2inud. Kuna tantsuga jutustatakse hindu legendidest, leidub ses India tantsuga sarnaseid elemente nagu n2iteks k2tezhestide ja n2oilmete kasutamine, ent yldmulje on v2ga unikaalne. Tantsijad on k6ik rikkalikult riietatud, kuldsete ja v2rviliste kangastega, kandes uhkeid peakaunistusi ning ehteid. Esitusi saadab gamelan muusika, Jaava ja Bali saarte traditsiooniline l88kpillide ansambelmuusika (nagu me ka Jaava saarel nukuteatriga juba kuulda saime). Meie etendus algas (p2rast traditsioonilist ohverdust jumalatele) legong tantsuga - ylikeeruline ja tehniliselt raske tykk, mida esitavad tandemina ning synkroonis kaks noort tydrukut, kes kogu aja silmi kinni hoiavad! See oli imekaunis. Seej2rel n2gime me mitmeid muid tantsutykke (sh eriti suurejooneline nelja mehe ja nelja naise poolt esitatud t2nutants Ubudile) ning l6petuseks esitati traditsiooniline Bali ballett, mis r22kis hindu legendi julgest printsist, kaunist printsessist ning v6itlusest hea ja kurja vahel. Muuseas, kurja roll oli Rangdal, pahal deemonkuningannal kes kurjade vaimude yle valitseb - sama tegelane, kes Paolo uuel t2toveeringul on. Rolli ennast m2ngis kyll mees, kuna roll n6uab maski (topengi) kandmist ning k6ik topengid on pyhad ning naistele on nende kandmine keelatud. Rangda topeng oli hirmus, punnis silmade ja pika keelega, ning lisaks kandis tantsija suurt karvast kostyymi. Kogu etendus oli super ja me nautisime t2iel rinnal traditsioonilise kultuuri n2gemist.
J2rgmisel p2eval rentisime me motika et Ubudi kultuuriliselt rikkalikku ymbrust avastada. Me kylastasime kolme erinevat templit, mis olid k6ik kaunid, ent ilma suuremate teadmisteta hinduismist olid nad meie jaoks k6ik enamv2hem samasugused. Seej2rel peatusime Tegallalangi riisiterrasside juures - yks Bali ikoonilisemaid vaateid. Me tegime ka planeerimata peatuse kohviistanduses - yhe templi juurde s6ites l2ksime me valet teed pidi ja j6udsime tupikusse. Tupikus aga tutvusime me yhe toreda tyybiga, kes veenis meid ta s6bra istandusse minema ja oli valmis meid sinna juhatama (v2ikese jootraha eest muidugi). Kuna tyyp oli nii tore, otsustasime me teda uskuda ja tuli v2lja, et tegime h2sti. Istandus oli v2ike, ja seal kasvatati ka paljut muud peale kohviubade (sh ingverit, kakaod, ananassi, papaiat, jakavilja jpm). Peamiseks t6mbenumbriks olid aga luwakid, v2ikesed kassitaolised metsikud 88loomad, kes s88vad tooreid kohviubasid, mida inimesed p2rast siis nende junnidest v2lja v6tavad ja 2ra puhastavad ning r8stivad, et sellest kopi luwakit ehk maailma k6ige kallimat kohvi teha. Loomulikult hoitakse loomi puurides ja vaevalt, et nende heaolule palju t2helepanu p88ratakse, mist6ttu ei olnud selle n2gemine just eriti meeldiv. Kylastuse meeldivam osa oli hoopis tasuta degusteerimine, kus meile pakuti tosinat eri jooki, sh erimaitselisi kohvisid, kakaod ning mitmeid teesid. Kuigi kohvi oli m6nus, valmistasid teed meile k6ige rohkem muljet - ingveri- ja sidrunheinateed olid parimad mida me maitsnud oleme. Me ostsime endale kaasa kakaopulbrit ja ingveriteed. Minu initsiatiivil proovisime me ka tassit2it kopi luwakit (mis 3 euro eest tundus aktsepteeritav hind maailma kalleima kohvi eest). Kohv maitses h2sti, kuigi oli v2ga tugev, ent mul tekkisid koheselt syymepiinad, et andsin uudishimule alla, kuna kohvi ostes innustame me luwakite j2tkuvat ekspluateerimist. Seega n6uanne (mida ma oleks ise pidanud j2rgima) - kopi luwak ei ole midagi erilist, loomade nimel ei maksa seda proovida.
L6unas88giks s6ime me tee22rsest putkast maitsvat suppi lihapallide ja nuudlitega ning magustoiduks ostsime me duriani. Durian on v2idetavalt maailma maitsvaim puuvili (ning teda kutsutakse yhtlasi ka 'puuviljade kuningaks') ning kuigi ta l6hnavat kohutavalt, on viljaliha ylihea. Me saime maitsta hooaja yhte esimesi duriani, seega oli ta v2ga v2rske. Meie durian ei l6hnanud sugugi halvasti, v6ibolla kuna tegemist oli varajase viljaga - v6imalik, et vaid hilisemad haisevad. Aga viljaliha oli superhea, t2pselt nagu kirjeldatud - ylimagus ning konsistentsilt veidi nagu avokaado.
P2eva l6puks s6itsime me Tegenungani kose alla ujuma. Tegenungan on yks v2heseid koskesid Balil mis ei ole kesksete m2gede vahel, ning on seega lihtsasti ligip22setav, mist6ttu on kosk nii kohalike kui turistide seas ylipopulaarne. Kosk ei olnud ylik6rge, ent siiski muljetavaldav, ning kose all oli suur ning ujumiseks t2iuslik j2rv. P2rast pikka p2eva oli ylim6nus vette minna ja veetulvas ujuda! Jahedas ja puhtas vees ujumine oli eriliselt meeldiv kuna meie senine kogemus ookeanis ujumisega ei olnud just k6ige parem.
J2rgmiseks p2evaks olime me reserveerinud kohad paadis6idule k2restikus (river rafting). See oli midagi mida ma olin juba pikemat aega tahtnud proovida, ent seni leitud tuurid olid alati liiga kallid olnud. Seega olime me ylirahul kui me leidsime Ubudis pakkumise 18 euro eest. Paadis6it leidis aset Ayungi j6el ning meiega koos oli tuurile minemas veel umbes viiskymmend inimest (ja seda ainult meie firmaga). Praegusel juhul oli aga kyll tegemist olukorraga kus kehtib ytlus 'mida rohkem seda uhkem' - mida ma kohe ka seletan. P2rast seda kui meile oli k6ik vajaminev varustus selga ja k2tte pandud (kiiver, p22stevest ja aer) ning meid alguspunkti s6idutatud, pidime me pikast ja j2rsust trepist alla minema, et j6ekaldani j6uda. Instruktorid karjusid yle rahvamassi meile paar s6na turvalisusest misj2rel ronisimegi me juba oma kummipaati. Kuigi paatides on kohti kuue inimese jaoks (pluss instruktor), oli meid ainult neli - peale minu ja Paolo oli meiega koos yks noor hiina tydruk (kes tundus tore, ent ei r22kinud mitte s6nagi inglise keelt) ning yks v2ga meeldiv vanem naine L6una-Koreast. Meie instuktor, nagu enamik teisi, oli noor ning ennastt2is tyyp, kes tegi sellegipoolest oma t88d v2ga h2sti ning muutis s6idu l6busamaks kui ta teiste m88duvate paatide instruktoreid ja turiste kiusas. Kummipaat vees, hakkasime me kohe aerutama, kuna ees ootas 10 kilomeetrit j6ge. Kuna j6gi asetses k6rgete kaljude vahel ning ymberringi oli igalpool vaid dzungel, saime me nautida t6eliselt kauneid vaateid. Ning, nagu mainitud, oli peale meie vees lugematul hulgal teisi paate, nii meie grupist kui teistest, ning k6igil oli l6bu laialt kui paadid vee pritsimiseks piisavalt l2hedale tulid. Kuna Balil ei olnud viimasel perioodil peaaegu yldse vihma sadanud (vaatamata sellele, et juba detsembrist oli tegemist vihmaperioodiga) oli j6gi p2ris rahulik, mis oligi esimese korra jaoks hea. K2restikkudes s6ites oli ikka p6nev, ent kordagi ei olnud tunnet nagu olukord oleks ohtlik. Kogu kogemus oli ylil6bus ning planeerime juba innukalt j2rgmist korda!
J2rgmisel p2eval, mis oli meie viimane Indoneesias, l2ksime me Ubudi peamist atraktsiooni kylastama - Ahvide Mets (v6i 6igemini Pyha Ahvide Metsa Kaitseala). P6him6tteliselt on tegu suure dzunglipargiga, kus on templikompleks ning hulganisti ahve. Ahvid k2ivad pargis vabalt ringi ning on (otseloomulikult) pargi peamine atraktsioon. V2idetavalt tegeletakse seal ka teaduse ja looduskaitsega, ent tunne j2i kyll nagu oleks tegu lihtsalt kohaga kus inimesed saavad j2lgida kuidas ahvid omi asju ajavad. Pargis oli k6igis suurustes ahve ning kui kellelgi oli kaasas midagi s88davat (meil ei olnud), leidsid ahvid selle yles ning pistsid kohe nahka, vahet pole kas toit oli neile m6eldud v6i mitte. Ahvid on tegelikult krabis88jad makaagid (kohalikult tuntakse neid kui Bali pikasabalised ahvid) ning pargis on neid 600 ringis. Nad n2isid oma eluga rahul olevat ning pidev inimestetulv ei n2inud neid absoluutselt h2irivat. Parim hetk oli kohe p2rast sissep22su, kus oli v2ike bassein, mida ahvid kasutasid ujumiseks, vettehypeteks ja niisama hullamiseks. Ahve ning nende pisikesi k2si ja n2gusid j2lgides tundub justkui vaataks v2ikest karvast inimest, ning ei j22 mingit kahtlust, et oleme t6epoolest omavahel l2hisuguluses.
Samal 6htul s6itsime me lennujaama, et oodata meie 8ist lendu Austraaliasse Cairnsi. Me veetsime just terve kuu Indoneesias ning sealveedetud kolm peatykki olid k6ik omavahel nii erinevad. Tegemist on hiigelsuure riigiga, millest meie n2gime vaid imepisikest osa - ent see, mis me n2gime oli vaimustav ning me oleme t6eliselt t2nulikud, et saime seda k6ike kogeda.
Nyyd tagasi kultuuri, mis on justkui rohkem tuttav, ent samas v2ga kauge - Austraalia. Kirjutamise hetkel oleme me siin olnud juba paar p2eva, ning v6in 8elda, et k6ik on siin senisest nii erinev! Austraalias teeme me kohalikes v2ikefarmides vabatahtlikut88d, ning hetkel oleme me juba teist p2eva yhe ylitoreda pere juures - ja nendest kirjutan ma pikemalt millalgi j2rgmisel n2dalal. Seniks - tsau!
//////////////////////////////////////////
When we arrived in Bali in the morning after a sleepless night in Yogyakarta airport, we took a taxi straight to our hotel in Sanur, hoping that we could go and have some much needed sleep straight away. Unfortunately, as the room wasn't ready, we had a few hours to kill before being able to crawl into bed.
Sanur is one of the popular touristic beachside towns in south Bali, along with Kuta and Seminyak, with Sanur being the quietest one. It has a long beachside promenade and lots and lots of services for tourists – restaurants, hotels, cafes, massage parlors, spas, tour companies, souvenir shops etc etc etc. There were more tourists on the streets than locals, it seemed at times.
After having a tasty breakfast, we walked along the promenade and sat down on the beach, fighting sleep until at last it was 2pm and we could go for a rest in the hotel.
We had booked to stay in Sanur for four days, and we ended up spending this time just relaxing and not doing much. There were things to do that we hadn't been able to do in the previous weeks, such as getting our laundry washed, writing our blogs, sorting our photos etc. After all that had been done, we just enjoyed being on the beachside (not so much swimming in the sea though – it was not really clean, but mainly the water was so hot that it offered no relief at all from the heat!), reading and enjoying nice food. While it would have been nice to do some activities like cycling or watersports, the prices were ridiculous in Sanur, so we dropped that idea quickly.
The fact that Bali was more expensive than the rest of Indonesia was pretty evident immediately. Although the difference wasn't drastic, you could still tell that this island was doing pretty well economically, supported by the masses of tourists that come all year round. Also, surprisingly, Balinese people turned out to be the friendliest and nicest that we have seen so far, despite the onslaught of tourism (we had half expected them to have become a bit jaded and cynical towards all the foreigners, as many locals in major tourist destinations often become).
However, the more pleasant difference of being on Bali was how different it was to the Muslim Indonesia we had seen so far. Bali, unlike the rest of the country, is Hinduist, with 90% of Balinese identifying as Hindu. Balinese Hinduism has evolved into a very specific type of religion, incorporating local animist beliefs, ancestral worshop and aspects of Buddhism, so that the result is something very unique. The whole island is full of beautiful shrines and temples of all sizes, and Hinduist art is ubiquitous, with gorgeous sculptures, intricate reliefs and other artwork decorating nearly all buildings and public spaces (HUGE statues of Hindu gods and goddesses at all major traffic junctions for example). Another very distinct aspect of Balinese Hinduism are the daily offerings - small woven bamboo containers or banana leaves filled with an assortment of items such as flowers, food, sweets, coffee (in little plastic bags!), cigarettes, money etc. If I have understood correctly, the offerings, while appearing chaotic to an outsider, actually follow certain rules. There are offerings to the main gods (also divided among them, according to types of flowers used and the direction they're facing) to give thanks for the peace in the world. These are placed higher up, on shrines or on sculpture pedestals, or on windowsills. And then there are offerings which are more like bribes, that are placed on the ground, in front of doors and gates, to appease evil demon spirits and keep them away. These offerings are absolutely everywhere in Bali, and despite the fact that food is placed outside in reach of animals and insects, the streets are very clean. The Balinese take great care to clean up their streets every day of the remnants of the morning's offerings.
The whole island was actually much cleaner than Lombok or Java, and we saw much less plastic and trash thrown about. I had a thought that this could be due to difference in religion. Balinese Hinduism, with its animist aspects, likely promotes respect and admiration of the natural environment, while Islam (which, like its monotheistic brother Christianity) places man far above nature and animals, making it difficult for its followers to grow a sense of responsibility about their environment, having only a feeling of entitlement to use said environment to their benefit. But that was just a thought, I'm sure that the truth is much more complicated than that. Likely it's also just that Bali is wealthier, and pressure from tourism has meant more funds toward waste management (and true enough, we did see lots of bins in Bali).
During our time in Bali, where the Hindu culture is so strong and in-your-face with its beauty at all times, we did wonder how on earth the island managed to stay Hindu in the face of the spread of Islam. I haven't been able to find a clear answer to that, it simply seems that Bali has been culturally isolated from the rest of the country and therefore kept its traditions. However, more recent history is also interesting. Indonesia is majority Muslim (87% today), and when the country gained its independence from Dutch colonial rule in 1952, the new government, under pressure from political Islam, set rules that all Indonesians must identify with a religion, and that only monotheistic religions will be recognized. This was obviously bad news for the Balinese, with their polytheistic Hindu beliefs. Shocked by these rules, Bali declared itself an autonomous region and sought support from the international community. A non-violent resistance movement was formed, which, in 1958, totally trolled the Indonesian government and won it in its own game! Basically, they found a quote from Hindu scriptures, which said that dharma (basically the good in the world) is the 'undivided one', and they used this as proof that Dharma is the only god in Hinduism, making it a monotheistic religion. The Indonesian government was then forced to recognise Hindu Dharma as an official religion. This has also had positive effect on followers of lots of other smaller animist religions and ancestral worship, mainly indigenous tribal peoples, who, forced to choose among a few limited options, recognised that Hinduism would give them more liberty than Islam, and that under the guise of the religion they could hope to continue with their customs and traditions. This has meant that at least officially, there are Hindu communities also on Kalimantan, Sulawesi and other islands apart from Bali.
After Sanur, we headed inland to the Balinese culture capital Ubud. Actually not a town in itself, but rather an area made up of lots of local villages, Ubud is also a very popular tourist destination, but for very good reason - the place is gorgeous, within a stone's throw of lots of important temples, has tons of art galleries and art shops, and hosts many cultural events.
The very first evening we went to see a traditional Balinese dance show. Balinese dance is very unique and unlike anything I have seen elsewhere. Since it is used to recount tales of Hindu legends, it does have elements that resemble traditional Indian dance, such as the use of hand gestures and facial expressions, but the overall impression is still very distinct. The dancers are all richly dressed in gold and coloured fabrics, adorned with beautiful headdresses and jewellery. Performances are accompanied by gamelan music, the traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali, made up of mainly percussion instruments (the same type that we saw in Java with the puppet theatre). Our show started (after traditional offerings to gods) with a legong dance, a piece performed in tandem by two young girls, who perform a strikingly intricate and complex dance, in synchronized movements, with their eyes closed! It was beautiful. We then saw a number of other dance pieces (including one extravagant performance by four men and four women, to honour Ubud itself), before the finale of a traditional ballet, recounting the Hindu legend of a valiant prince, a beautiful princess, and the victory of good against evil. Evil, by the way, was the character of Rangda, the wicked demon queen who rules over evil spirits - the same figure that is on Paolo's new tattoo. The character was played by a man though, since the role requires a mask (topeng), and all topeng are sacred and can only be worn by men. The topeng of Rangda was a horrific piece of work, with bulging eyes and a long lolling tongue, all complemented by a huge suit of furry hair. This, and the show in general, were brilliant, and we both really enjoyed seeing a piece of traditional culture.
The next day we rented a scooter to explore the surrounding area, which has tons of stuff to see. We visited three different temples, all beautiful but without much knowledge of Hinduism, pretty much interchangeable to us. We also stopped for a look at the famous and beautiful Tegallalang rice terraces, one of the iconic views of Bali. We also made an unplanned stop at a coffee farm - on our way to one of the temples, we accidentally took a wrong turn, and at the dead end of the road met a young guy who convinced us to follow him to visit his friend's coffee plantation (for a tip, of course). The guy was super friendly, so we took his word, and we were glad we did. The plantation was small, and they grew lots more than just coffee (including ginger, cocoa, pineapple, papaya, jackfruit etc). The main attraction were the luwaks though, the small cat-like nocturnal mammals who eat raw coffee beans, which are then extracted from their feces and cleaned and roasted to make kopi luwak, the most expensive coffee in the world. Obviously, the animals are kept in cages, and probably not much thought is put into their welfare, so I can't say that we enjoyed seeing that. The nicer part though was the free taster session of a dozen different beverages, including a number of flavoured coffees, hot chocolate and lots of different teas. While the coffee was tasty, it was the teas that were the real bomb, with the tastiest ginger and lemongrass tea we had ever tasted. We bought some chocolate powder and ginger tea to take with us. On my initiative we did also try a cup of kopi luwak (which at 3 euros a cup seemed fair enough for a taste of the most expensive coffee in the world), or catpoochino as they named it. It tasted good, if very strong, but I immediately felt really bad for having succumbed to curiosity, because I was contributing to the ongoing exploitation of the luwaks. So piece of advice (that I should have taken myself) - kopi luwak is nothing special, don't try it, for the animals' sake.
For lunch, we stopped at a street vendor for a yummy bowl of broth with meatballs and noodles, and for dessert we finally got to try durian. Durian is allegedly the world's most delicious fruit (and in fact called 'the king of fruit' in parts of Asia), and although it apparently smells very bad, the fruit flesh is delicious. We got to taste one of the first durian's of the season, so it was very fresh. It actually didn't smell bad at all, maybe because it was not late in the season and it was perhaps not as ripe as it could be. But the flesh of the fruit was truly as described, very sweet, and with a consistency like an avocado.
We ended our day by driving down for a swim at the Tegenungan waterfall. One of the few waterfalls that is not located in the central mountains of the island, Tegenungan is very accessible and therefore very popular among tourists and locals alike. The waterfall is not huge, but still quite impressive, and it has a big pool underneath, perfect for swimming. It was pure joy to go in and frolic in the water, perfect ending to the day! Particularly since our experience with the ocean had not been good, it was nice to get to swim in clean, fresh water.
For the next day, we had booked to go on a river rafting trip. It was something that I had wanted to do for a long time, but which had always been too expensive, so when we found a great deal for 18 euros in Ubud, we jumped at the chance to try it! The rafting took place on the Ayung river, and there were about another fifty people on the morning rafting trip with us (and that was just our company). But this is one case where the saying 'the more the merrier' definitely holds true, which I will elaborate on in a second. After having gotten our gear (helmet, life jacket and paddle) and driven down to the starting point, we walked down tons of steps to the river. After getting a short briefing on safety, we climbed on our inflatable raft. While the rafts take up to six people, plus the instructor, we were only four - Paolo and I, with a Chinese girl (who seemed sweet but did not speak a word of English), and a lovely older South Korean lady. Our instructor, like most of them, was a young cocky guy, who nonetheless was a great instructor, and who helped make the trip fun with his antics and bullying of other passing instructors. Once we were launched, we were off paddling down the 10km strech of our trip immediately. The river was nestled in between cliffs and surrounded by jungle, so the views were stunning. And, as mentioned, apart from us there were countless other rafters on the river, both from our group and other companies, and everyone had great fun splashing each other with water whenever we got near enough to other boats. Since there hadn't been much rain on Bali in the last period (even though the rainy season started in December), the river was actually quite tame, and perfect for our first rafting experience. It was still thrilling, but at no times did it feel dangerous. It was great fun, and we can't wait to try it again soon!
The next day, which was our last in Indonesia, we went to visit Ubud's main attraction, the Monkey Forest (or more precisely, the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary). It is basically a big jungle park, with a temple complex and a shitload of monkeys. The monkeys roam free inside the park, and they are (obviously) the main attraction of the place. There are supposedly some conservation aspects to the place as well, but it really did just seem like a place for people to enjoy seeing monkeys do monkey business. There were monkeys of all sizes, and whenever someone had any food with them (we didn't) - whether meant for monkeys or not, the monkeys would come and get it. The monkeys are actually crab-eating macaques (locally known as Balinese long-tailed monkeys), and there are roughly 600 of them living in the park. They seemed content enough with their life, and not at all bothered by the huge human presence surrounding them. The best part was a fountain near the entrance, where there were monkeys playing in the water, and jumping into the fountain from the trees above. Looking at the monkeys, their little hands and faces, it really seems like you're looking at a small furry human, and it is so evident that we are evolutionary cousins.
The same evening we drove down to the airport to await our 2:30am flight to Cairns, Australia. We just spent a whole month in Indonesia, and all the three chapters within it were so different from one another. The country is huge and diverse, and we have only seen a small fraction of it, but what we did see was amazing, and it was a real pleasure to get to experience this part of the world.
Minu nimi on RONI DILLA, ma tahan kasutada seda keskkonda kõigile nõustamiseks, palun olge Interneti laenu ettevaatlik, sest nii paljud Interneti-laenuandjad on siin kõik petturid ja nad jagavad vaid lugusid, mis petavad teid oma raha eest, taotlesin laen Rp500, 000,000 Saksa naine ja ma kaotasin 15000000 Rp ilma laenu saamata,
VastaKustutaSelle kuupäeva seisuga, 27. veebruaril 2018, rääkis mu sõber Suri Yono minu töökohalt, kuidas ta taotles laenu CAPITAL LOAN CENTER'lt ja ta sai lõpuks laenu. Ma ei uskunud kunagi teda, kuni ma läksin temaga pangale, et see kinnitada, ja olin üllatunud, sest ma olen kaotanud palju raha, et saada oma perele laenu.
Kas Jumal õnnistas Hea proua, mida ta tegi mulle ja mu leibkonnale, ütlesin mu sõbrale, et ta tutvustas mind hea ema poole. Tomasa Justin, CAPITAL LOAN CENTER, ta tegi ja taotlesin laenu Rp500, 000,000.
Ma järgin ettevõtte laenutingimusi ja minu laenutaotlus kiideti heaks ilma stressita ja raskusteta.
Lõpuks sain laenu oma pangakontole ja helistasin sõber Suri Yono, et olen saanud laenu ja olen ka tutvustanud nii palju inimesi, et head ema, proua MARIA PEDRO.
Ma tahan, et see teeks lugemist minu tunnistust, et suhelda hea emaga, kui teil on vaja laenu, et saaksite ka tunnistada ema hea tahet.
nii et ma kasutan seda võimalust, et teavitada kõiki Indoneesia ja teisi inimesi, kes on sobilikud minu tunnistuse lugemiseks ja kellel on selleks vaja laene
Proua MARIA PEDRO e-posti aadressil EMAIL: [mariapedroguaranteetrustloan@gmail.com]
Yono oma EMAILi kaudu: YONOSURI702@MAIL.COM
Kui soovite täiendavat teavet EMAIL-i kaudu, võite minuga siiski ühendust võtta: ronidilla5@gmail.com
Võite ka võtta ühendust oma sõbraga Suri
tänan teid kõiki kordagi, kui lugesin oma tunnistust, ja võib ALLAH jätkuvalt õnnistada meid kõiki ja anda meile pikk elu ja jõukus