Archive on 'September, 2006'
by Putra - 25 Sep 2006 @ 2:53 am · Category Place of Interest
The Swiss ethnomusicologist Ernst Schlager (1900-64) and ethnologist Dr. Urs. Ramseyer lived and worked for many years in the Sideman area, southwest of Iseh. Presently, a Swiss charitable foundation has established a special school here devoted to propagating and strengthening traditional Balinese culture. With 120 students, the school’s curriculum includes the study of ‘adat’, crafts, music, dance, painting, water divination, calendrical traditions, the Balinese language, traditional penmanship, literature, and the Bali-Hindu religion.
Visit also the weaving factory Pertenunan Pelangi opposite Sideman Homestay. There are several workshops and outlets where you can purchase expensive silk ‘kain songket’ interwoven with designs of gold and silver thread, as well as distinctive Sideman-style ‘endek’ garments. This beautiful area is also known for its scholarly healers, ‘balian usaba’. Here also is enacted the ‘barong ketek’, a dance drama concerning a highly esteemed mythical lion. This magical creature also serves a curative function-’tirta’ from his beard is prescribed by area ‘balian’ to clients ill or enduring ill fortune.
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by Putra - 21 Sep 2006 @ 6:33 am · Category Flora and Fauna
Many plants we assiduously and lovingly cultivate as pot plants in the West-poinsettia, dracaena, coleus, begonias-grow in riotous profusion along the roadsides of Bali and have to be hacked back with machetes. Due to difference in altitude, rainfall, temperatures, and humidity, there’s a wide variation in the types of plants in bloom from month to month on Bali.
Along Bali’s roads and crowding its markets are stands selling all manner of fruits of strange colors, shapes, and sizes. All the usual varieties known in tropical Asia are grown on Bali, plus about 20 or so grown nowhere else, such as the enormous grapefruit-like ‘pomelo’ (jeruk Bali). For a description of Bali’s fruits, instructions on how to eat them, their Balinese names, and when they come into season, see “Fruits” under “Food and Entertainment” in the On the Road chapter.
Flower fragrances are especially adored by the Balinese and their gods. Fresh flowers are required offerings in almost all temple rituals and ceremonies, a way of providing a pleasing environment for spirits and ancestors during their frequent visits to Earth. The Balinese also use flowers to decorate themselves; statues of gods and goddesses are adorned with flowers; legong dancers wear crowns of blossoms; each time a Balinese prays s/he holds a flower between the fingers. Before a ‘bemo’ driver sets out for the day his wife or daughter prepares for him a floral offering, or ‘canang’. Indeed, flowers are so much in demand here that it’s rare to see flowering trees in full bloom.
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by Putra - 17 Sep 2006 @ 2:54 am · Category Place of Interest
About five-km beyond the turnoff to Padangbai, and after the village of Manggis, is a small steel bridge. About 500 meters beyond, turn right down a small lane to Buitan village. This is the heart of Balina, a simple, quiet resort with scant sellers, few tourists, a nice wide black sandy beach, tame waves, no treacherous currents, and seldom the sputter of a motorbike. Though similar to Beach Inn-style complexes found all over Candidasa, Sanur, and Kuta, this simple, quiet resort is in the middle of a fishing village. All the amenities of Candidasa are accessible by ‘bemo’ four km to the northeast, while the urban center of Amlapura lies 18 km to the northeast, and the metropolis Denpasar is a 1.5 hour’s drive.
Water Sports
Balina is known for its diving excursions in a marine reserve offshore. If you reach the beach by late afternoon, you can go night fishing with local fishermen using lanterns. The Balina Diving Center has an impressive team of five instructors supervised by a PADI Open Water dive master; he can also arrange fishing and outrigger sailing trips. Dive trips, instruction, and snorkeling are offered every day starting at 0900. Minimum two people, except for the three-person minimum to Nusa Penida and Menjangan.
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by Putra - 15 Sep 2006 @ 2:45 am · Category Place of Interest
Its name means “Place to Look.” From Denpasar’s Terminal Kereneng, Penelokan is 56 km. This cool, 1,450-meter-high village perches on the rim of a caldera looking out over the sacred, blackened, smoking volcano of Gunung Batur and Lake Batur, an all-important water catchment for south central Bali’s agricultural wealth.
Get here by 0800 or 0900, before the clouds move in. Better yet, wake up early to catch the sunrise. In August and September the sunrise is too high, coming up over the middle of the peak, but in June and July it rises to the left of the peak in a golden yellow. At night see the moon sail over the volcano.
Warnings
The Penelokan/Kintamani area has one of the worst reputations in all of Indonesia for money-hungry, aggressive people. The many food peddlers, who have no alternative livelihood, hound tourists mercilessly. Beware of road sellers who pull the big switch-substituting a low-quality item for the high-quality piece you agreed to buy. Try not to show even the slightest interest in the wares pushed by the clutch of vendors on the street or outside of the restaurants.
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by Putra - 14 Sep 2006 @ 2:52 am · Category Place of Interest
A village surrounded by lovely rice terraces rising to Gunung Agung. During festivals, Selat builds a huge ‘barong’, requiring up to 20 men to lift it, made entirely of fruits, vegetables, and rice. From Selat, take the country road southwest via Sideman, which comes out just east of Klungkung. Just beyond Selat is the village of Padangaji, known for its ‘gambuh’ troupe; this classical dance-drama is now rarely performed on Bali.
Four km west of Selat, in the peaceful village of Muncan, a special ceremony called Makanplengan is held the day after Nyepi-large costumed figures simulate copulation. Feast on Balinese specialties or European and Chinese cuisine, meanwhile enjoying the scenery from Bukit Jambul Garden Restaurant in Pesaban, south of Rendang to the west.
The 900-meter-high village of Sebudi, five km north of Selat, is the favored starting point for the five-km southern assault on Gunung Agung. Sebudi is also the location of the very imposing Pura Pasar Agung (”Temple of the Agung Market”). The road to the pura climbs precipitously up through stands of bamboo and ’salak’ plantations to the parking lot where you take the 500 steps up to the 1,200-meter-high terraced temple with Gunung Agung towering above. An ethereal and dramatic spot.
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by Putra - 13 Sep 2006 @ 3:55 am · Category Religion and Culture
The four social systems that tie together the balinese people are klan system, caste, society(banjar), the group in desire and working system.
Clan System or Dadia
‘Dadia’ system content of the combine of the big family and all the ancestors. In this case, the relative meet together at the ceremonials event: at the temple (’sanggah’) for the nuclear family or at the tmple for the whole family. In the ceremonials, they expend their faithfull and devotion to the ancestors, for instance at the death-cremations (’nyumbah’), tribute the foods to the ancestor to eat together (’nyurud. This kind of activities could be tighty their relationship.
Caste or Kasta
The classification of ‘caste’ is derived from Hindu, based on the function for the society are: ‘Brahmana’ is the highest caste ( such as: ‘pedanda’), they responsible to ceremonial events; ‘Ksatria’ (consist of the king, the official, and the family, include the leader of irigation system or the village headman) who has to manage the government; ‘Wesia’ participate in businessman and prosperity life; and ‘Sudra’ consist of the farmers and do the duty of other caste.
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by Putra - 11 Sep 2006 @ 2:51 am · Category Place of Interest
Located 11 km west of Bebandem, 20 km west of Amlapura, and 68 from Denpasar. This miniature tourist resort is famous for ’salak’ grown on area plantations. The accommodations lie at the terminus of a dead-end road. Enjoy the cool fresh air; it doesn’t warm up until noon. An ideal place for meditation. Very quiet, these grandiose surroundings will nourish your soul.
From Amlapura, take a ‘bemo’ to Bebandem, another ‘bemo’ to the turnoff in Duda village, then walk or hitch 2.5 km to the Putung Country Club. Here are five ‘lumbung’-style rooms. Each bungalow comes with a good foam mattress, closets, veranda, downstairs ‘mandi’ and sitting room, loft bedroom with large picture windows. Rooms 4 and 5, with adjoining doors, are perfect for a family.
Although plain and basic, what you’re paying for is the knockout view. The bungalows sit on the edge of a high cliff over a deep chasm-no ‘padi’, just jungle falling sharply away to the sea 700 meters below. This area, it is said, is a favorite haunt of ‘leyak’ who hover over the nearby hills and cliffs. The restaurant serves Balinese/Indonesian meals. In the off-season you’ll probably have the whole place to yourself.Several nice walks in the area.
From Putung, take the seven-km-long path via Bakung through gardens and forests down to the coast to Manggis, six km west of Candidasa. Or head west along the road to Rendang, then spectacular terraced rice fields follow the land’s dramatic contours to the coast. If you turn south at Duda, you can reach Klungkung via Sidemen.
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