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Published: July 19th 2014
We left Nusa Penida early in the morning. The wonderful staff at the Ring Sameton Inn gave us lifts to the harbor on the backs of their motorbikes, and even packed us breakfast. We took a public speedboat over to PadangBai back on “mainland” Bali and from there tried to catch a shuttle to
Ubud. Ubud is perhaps the most revered spiritual destination in Bali; it was recently named “The Best City in Asia” by some-or-the-other magazine. It was also popularized by the infamous “Eat, Pray, Love”. In addition, it’s highly praised in nearly all travel literature for its lush tea fields, boutique hotels, backpacker hangouts, yoga classes, spas, gurus, monkeys, villages, handicrafts, cuisine, fire dancers, etc. With such a reputation, perhaps my expectations were set a little too high.
At first, I was fairly disappointed. The town appeared hot, sprawling, and overrun. We seemed to have brought half of China along with us, as gargantuan tour buses pulled up outside of the main market. Families covered head-to-toe in sun gear (and no doubt sharing our enthusiasm for escaping the frigid Chinese winter) spilled out, babbling in Mandarin and taking over every corner.
The endless strings of galleries
and cafes made Ubud seem like a giant, stifling, tourist trap. The curse of the Lonely Planet! Most tourists want the same thing: a nice balance of comfort and excitement, a feeling like you’re discovering something new and untouched, without having to give up too much in return. Then the word gets out, the balance tips, and everyone complains that their “authentic experience” is being usurped by others (who ironically came seeking the same thing!)
Thankfully, my initial impression of Ubud was proved wrong. Yes, it’s popular, but deservedly so. Ubud is a great place to get a get a glimpse of Balinese culture. Our first opportunity to do so was immediately after checking into the hotel. Our room wasn’t ready, so manager suggested we walk into town to see the
cremation. It seemed odd, so we asked if it was okay. Did the family of the deceased really want a bunch of strangers standing around and gawking? “Oh, it’s no problem,” He replied, “Actually; it’s good, because it will confuse the evil spirits.”
Curious, we made our way down the street in the sizzling midday sun. Outside the Royal Palace were two objects that resembled parade floats
Dancers
Ubud Palaceon bamboo platforms. One was a large black and gold bull, the other a multi-tiered pagoda, painted in bright colors and adorned with umbrellas, cloth, and gold paper. People were milling around in the street; spectators with zoom lenses, bystanders, and eager vendors peddling stacks of sarongs. There were also women with trays of fruit, goblets of water, and decorations made of woven bamboo giving offerings nearby and two priests in snow-white sarongs.
We stood around for a while, confused in the baking sun and eventually wandered up the street to have lunch. By the time we returned, the event had progressed. A truckload of musicians-mostly teenage boys with cymbals and drums-had been dropped off in the melee. As everyone gathered, a young boy (who we learned later was a relative of the deceased) was hoisted onto the bull, as the pallbearers took their positions at the bamboo poles. Two other relatives climbed onto the pagoda.
Given that it had taken ages to get to this point, I expected some sort of lengthy ceremony. But suddenly the musicians began to play with a frenetic energy, clanging and pounding with a startling rhythm. The next thing I knew both
the floats had been lifted in the air and were being born down the street with startling speed, frantically spinning and turning at the intersection to confuse the spirit who might be following. As the floats disappeared into the distance, a lengthy procession of locals and tourists followed behind to the cremation grounds.
We arrived to find the priests performing last rites on the funeral pyre. The body of the deceased was actually inside the bull that was now standing on a mound outside of the temple. After about thirty minutes the ritual was finished as the platform was ignited and flames consumed the figure.
It was a fascinating experience and I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to be an observer by pure coincidence. Afterward, I learned some very interesting facts about the ritual I had witnessed:
-A lavish cremation ceremony can only be afforded by the very wealthy. In many places, group cremations are held. Villagers wait until several people have died, and pool their resources to pay for the cremation. The dead may be buried first for up to a year before they are ready.
-The number of stories on the
pagoda has a direct correlation to the wealth of the deceased. Apparently, this tradition originated with Bali’s caste system.
-The ceremony surrounding the cremation called “Ngaben” and is meant to help the spirit of the deceased, who is still lingering on earth, detach itself in order to reach its highest spiritual state in heaven
-The brash music and swift movements of the procession are meant to confuse the demons, as well as the spirit of the deceased who may wish to stay if it is not encouraged to depart its family and worldly possessions
Ubud is also famous for its performances. We saw two different dances while we were there. The first was a
Kecak Fire Dance. We were invited by our host, the proprietor of the family-run hotel (Ketut’s Place) where we were staying on Jalan Suweta. The performance was just down the street and acted out a story from part of the Ramayana, which had been compacted into a more tourist-friendly version. It was fantastic. Perhaps the thing that made it the most mesmerizing was the chorus of men who chanted and swayed, providing background music for the unfolding drama. At the end, a fire
dancer (said to have been put into a trance by the chorus) walked back and force across a bed of red hot coals.
The second dance we saw was at the
Royal Palace, this time with a traditional band. It was a gorgeous setting; outside with the temple illuminated behind. A fantastic procession of characters sprang across the stage: broad- shouldered princes, shifty jokers, wide-eyed princesses, and bearded kings. Perhaps my favorite part was the interaction between Hanuman, the mischievous white monkey and the Barong, the shaggy, benevolent spirit.
While in Ubud, we also visited the popular
Monkey Forest. The park itself was very beautiful, with massive banyan trees and a clear stream. We made it out without being hassled by any of the inquisitive primates.
We also rented a bike and rode around to a few sights in the surrounding countryside. Our first stop was the UNESCO-approved
Tagalalang Rice Terraces. It only took us around 20 minutes to get there and the drive through the lush green of rural Bali was stunning. The terraces are free, though some locals have planted themselves at various levels in order to ask for donations. It really is
Final Bow
Ubud Palace Dancers and Barong amazing. The irrigation system is ancient, yet complex. How do the mud walls not collapse under the weight of the water? We watched one farmer hacking away at the earth, allowing water from one terrace to drain into the one below. There some cafes across from the terraces with some very nice views, though perhaps my favorite was
Paula’s Rice Terrace Café back toward Ubud. For anyone looking to shop, the craft villages in between Tagallang and Ubud sell a variety of souvineers, including wood carvings, mosaics, and neon Buddhas.
One night at dusk, we also ventured out to
Petulu, another village nearby. It’s famous for the white cranes that roost in the trees along the main road. You pay a small fee to enter the village, and if you’re lucky someone will tell you where to park your bike where it won’t get covered in bird droppings! There’s really only one “café”, a few rickety tables set in the middle of a rice paddy. The kindly owner sold us a dusty bottle of beer and a pair of binoculars and sat chatting casually with us about the birds. At this time of year the eggs have hatched, and
the chicks have turned into gawky fledglings flapping and flailing in the branches.
After a few days in Ubud, we headed to the slopes of Mt. Batukaru for a few nights at
Bali Eco Stay (
http://www.baliecostay.com/). The eco hotel consists of a few bungalows and a restaurant. It was started by a very kind and adventurous couple who moved from Australia along with their young son. Not only have they provided a fantastic retreat for nature lovers, but are also doing a lot to help the local community. They donate to the local village and school, and employ many people from the surrounding area. The hotel itself is incredibly eco-friendly. They grow many of their own, organic vegetables (the food was fantastic), run primarily from their own power harnessed from the nearby river, and have an extensive program to reuse water and recycle waste.
If you are feeling adventurous, they can arrange a number of activities for you. We found it so relaxing that we only did a few small hikes around the property and swam in the hotel’s natural pool – complete with waterfall! I really could have stayed there forever, but our trip was winding to
a close.
The last few days were spent at a rented villa in
Seminyak. We got a great deal from vrbo.com and had our own room, garden, and swimming pool. It was the most luxurious vacation I’ve ever had.
We flew out of Bali on the last possible day of our 30-day tourist visa. It was quite a sad moment, especially when we arrived back in the cold clutches of Shanghai to find our apartment frigid and covered in mold! Thing have improved, however, and I am excitedly planning our next trip!
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