Paradise (definitely) lost

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26 & 27 December 2010

I have spent the last few days whilst waiting for Gregg to prepare the last blog wondering how on earth I can possibly make two further days predominantly written off due to illness sound more interesting and inspiring than they were. The truth is that I can’t. So, I am not even going to try. Instead, I’ll tell you a little bit more about Bali.

Before I head off in that direction, I will sum up the last two days in the following two sentences. Gregg’s stomach was improved enough to accompany me to Desa Seni for my yoga class by the afternoon of 27th, although he wasn’t up to participating in the class but, instead, sat in the restaurant supping on Early Grey tea and surfing (intermittently, I am told) the web. It was lovely to find him there waiting for me after class and to be able to join him for some Ginger Tea.

The restaurant is actually a pretty good place to start because it personifies something that I have learnt about Bali, and that is just how creative this place is. Wooden seats are scattered with ribbon covered cushions, one staff member or another is invariably making ribbon decorations and the wooden furniture is an eclectic mix of styles no doubt collected from all over Bali, and beyond.

On our journey from Hong Kong to Bali we have passed through many ‘artisan’ style markets and many stores selling local ‘art’. I don’t think I am being over cynical when I say that, by and large, the art that we have seen has been (very skilfully produced) copies and the ‘local’ crafts often imports (from Indonesia). What is available in Bali has an entirely different feel to it tho. Of course, there are copies (if we get offered Oakley sunglasses on the streets of Kuta one more time, I cannot be held responsible for my actions) and imports but there are also many highly skilled artisans who turn out simply beautiful products.

There is something about Bali that makes we want to say, ‘but of course the Balinese are creative, how can you hail from this island and not be creative?

On our journey from Batu Belig into Seminyak or Kuta, we pass by many, many shop/workshops laden with furniture, lamps and textiles. There are a couple of shops that specialise in recycling tree roots, turning them in to tables or wall hangings. The ‘fresh’ roots sit outside the shops amongst the finished articles drying in the sun (or, right now, praying for the rain to stop, I suspect).

Perhaps I am over romanticising matters, but the thing that makes be believe in the authenticity of many of these products is that you actually see the very same items being used in shops, bars and restaurants here.

The creativity extends to (or perhaps emanates from) the offerings that I have previously mentioned and which are invariably very pretty. I have noticed women walking the streets of Kuta or zooming along on motorbikes with bags and bags of these things and, using my powers of deduction, concluded that many individuals do not make their own but buy them from the ‘offerings lady’. A quick ‘Google’ confirms my Inspector Clueso style status.

There are, indeed, women who co-ordinate the preparation of offerings for big events and they are know as ‘tukang banten’. They also provide ready made offerings for women who work outside the home and do not therefore have the time to make their own offerings (a Balinese take on the slow cooker you might say). There is another reason that this business opportunity prospers and that is because, once it has been presented to the gods, an offering has fulfilled its purpose and cannot be re-used. Since offerings must be presented multiple times a day, there is therefore a continuous need for more.

Most offerings that we have seen include incense sticks which are set to burn as part of the ritual of presentation. This means that at certain times of the day the sweet aroma wafts along the streets. This is a significant improvement to the smells that waft along the streets of the majority of the countries that we have visited thus far.
As 27th December drew to a close we were both suffering from cabin fever and very much hoping that Gregg’s bout of ‘Bali Belly’ was on its way to extinction. It is his birthday in 2 days and we are hoping that we can make up for our missed Christmas celebrations by making full use of 29th. Perhaps I should make a call to the tukang banten…

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Photos

Lunch time pool anyone
...I forgot, Gregg actually made it out for lunch on 27th too.

One of the aforementioned lanterns
Bad photo taken with broken camera, but I hope you get the idea.

The Black and Pink demon
I say Demon, but I don't think we've hit 30mph yet...