Happy New Year from Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

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2014 has been a rather spectacular year for us, as we have now brought in the New Year for the third time in as many months. On Canadian soil, just prior to departing on this adventure, we celebrated New Year's Eve on December 31st, as per usual. Then, a month later, on February 1st, when we arrived in Kuala Lumpur, we discovered it was the Chinese New Year. The celebrations and decorations were everywhere, as there is a very significant Chinese population in Malaysia, and in particular in Kuala Lumpur. We also learned that the Chinese New Year celebrations go on for exactly fifteen days, so the Chinese New Year was still being celebrated when we arrived in Borneo, Malaysia. And now, on March 30th and 31st, we have had the opportunity to bring in a New Year for the third time, in Bali, Indonesia.

The festivities around the New Year in Bali are quite unique, and particularly spectacular. For weeks before the New Year, people in each of the many Balinese villages work at creating their own version of one of the evil spirits, all of which will be paraded through village streets on the shoulders of the village men and boys, one or two days before March 31st. My understanding is that the purpose of the ceremonies is to invite the evil demons to come out, so there is a lot of noise, drumming, and fireworks that accompanies the parading of the demons. These activities take place until midnight of the 30th. And here is where it gets interesting. The following day, March 31st, is an official day of silence throughout all of Bali, known as Nyepe. On this day of silence, everyone is expected to remain indoors : no one is allowed to leave their yards; no vehicles are allowed on the roads; and no businesses are open. Even the Bali International Airport is closed on March 31st, Nyepe Day. In effect, all of Bali shuts down for one day, as I understand that to go out is to invite the evil spirits into your homes, since they are lurking about after the invitations and festivities of the preceding days. It is also expected to be a day of silent reflection. Have I mentioned that the Balinese are a very community oriented and deeply spiritual people? Quite phenomenal, really.

We took in the Nyepe parades in Ubud last night, capturing a number of good photos and feeling the energy in the streets. Then we came home and spent the rest of the evening hanging out by ourselves in our beautiful pool with a zillion stars overhead, listening to the fireworks from the villages surrounding us, and watching dozens of fireflies flickering in the darkness. It was magical. Today, we stayed indoors and maintained the silence, reflecting on what a privilege it is to be here; to be exposed to all of these incredible experiences; to be living this life. Quite phenomenal, really.

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Photos

Demon in the Night
Notice the number of bodies that were shouldering this weight.

Our Viewing Spot
I did not bother trying to capture the night scene, thinking that imagination would be more accurate in this case. So imagine sitting at the end, where the water cascades off like a waterfall. The sky is black, but scattered with countless stars. Behind the coconut trees the occasional display of fireworks presents itself, but always in the background can be heard the constant explosions of fireworks in the nearby neighbourhoods. Then, top it all off with the fireflies - many of them - sparkling in front of you. Yeah. Got all that? Like I said earlier - magical.

Comments

[Ewa]

Dear Both, I was exciting pleasure to read your blog. My favourite part is about Comodo Island where we were together. Many greetings from Poland- hope one day I see you both here in Warsaw.