Blogs from Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, Asia - page 50

The Making of Bali Statues Bali is rich in statues, carved mostly from wood and stone. Even though most Bali statues are carved in Java, where labor is even cheaper, master carvers can still be found throughout the Island, mostly in the Ubud area. I'll be heading to Ubud, the cultural center of Bali, next week, so this is Part One on my search for The Making of Bali Statues. Since I've made my own Goddess Statue from Hyper Tufa (a cement compound with vegetation) I'm trying to find cement statue makers. This is not that easy since almost all statues are made from wood (mahogany) or stone (granite or sandstone). After seeing the fabulous cement carving of Rama and Arjuna at the Nugurah Rai Airport, I knew there had to be some excellent teachers of ... read more

....I wake up, the morning of the 9th, feeling melancholy. It feels very, very foreign...like sadness doesn't belong in a place like this. I decide to do my best not to look too far ahead my own footsteps. I am still, afterall, in paradise... We all wake up and have breakfast, Adam packing his things and hitting the "road" (slash slow boat to Lombok, then Bali) before the rest of us. I take one more stroll down the strip, running into the dozens of friends I have somehow managed to make in the short time I have been here. They say when you live in a small town you know everybody. I always attach a time frame to that, like say "I grew up in a small town and I know everybody" or "I've lived in ... read more

After a day in Singapore to do laundry and relax, we left for our next side trip with Jessica and her husband Bransby to the beautiful Island of Bali. We had a late flight and arrived in Denpasar quite late. We were met by our driver, gathered our luggage and headed for our hotel upcountry toward Ubud. After about a 40 minute drive, we arrived at our destination, the resort hotel Komaneka at Tanggayuda. We signed in and were led through the garden to our villas. With the darkness, we could not see much but upon entering our room we were very impressed. What we saw is what you would expect to see in a romantic movie showing a honeymoon suite. Mosquito netting hanging over a bed with a red and white heart made of flower ... read more

Geo: -8.51927, 115.263Today I went to the Ubud market to buy a new blouse and belt/scarf for Temple. I actually did it too, and of course I got a few more things. After the market, I went to a restaurant called the Dirty Duck. I'd been there before for dinner at night, and remember thinking that I had to go again during the day to see the fantastic fountains in the light. I've put some pics of them here, as well as some pictures of the rice fields that lay just behind the restaurant. I got the new Temple clothes because I am going to an important cremation ceremony in Ginyar tomorrow. A high-priest died about 2 months ago, and the town has been preparing his cremation/burial ever since. It's a big deal; people from all ... read more

Balin varikas hindukulttuuri naytti taas parastaan! Ogoh-ogoh -hirvioita Balin lapset olivat vasanneet antaumuksella yhteensa jopa 4000 kpl. Niita sitten kanniskeltiin miesvoimin ympari kylia ja lopulta poltettiin pyhan apinametsan hautausmaalla, jossa hautakivien lomitse myos useampi bule (lansi-ihminen) hortoili tulenlieskoja ihailemassa. Ogoh-ogoh -kulkueita seuraava paiva onkin sitten koko saaren erikoisin. Kyseessa on balilainen uusivuosi eli Nyepi, jonka aikana koko saari on kuin "kuollut": ei ole liikennetta eika mitaan muuta julkista toimintaa. Lahinna vain sairaalat ovat toiminnassa. Myos pienten vauvojen kodeissa voidaan hiljaisuuden paivan tiukoista vaatimuksista tinkia. Ja turistipaikoissa hotellivieraille tarjotaan ruokaa, vaikka mm. tulenteko on paivan aikana kiellettya. Vaikka hiljaisuuden paiva sattui nyt perjantaille, joka taas muslimeille olisi tarkea rukouspaiva moskei... read more