March 31--DIY

Certain things in life simply have to be experienced--and never explained. Love is such a thing.  --Paulo Coelho

    I am way tired and looking forward to a soak in the luxurious bathtub this evening. I attempted that last night but could not get the drain to seal. That has been fixed. 

    We were given sessions this morning with a faith-healer? intuitive? wise woman? I'm not sure about her title. I had only one question for her, and the answer I got was basically, "You have to figure it out for yourself. You have to create your own happiness." She told me nothing that I did not learn in practitioner training or the 12-Step program. Therefore, I went about creating my own happiness with a lengthy swim (the gods seemed to know that I need the whole large pool to myself) and two margaritas. 

    Lanie and I went out shopping in the afternoon heat. We kept going into air-conditioned stores to cool off, but we did not buy much. My only purchase was a small wooden statue of Ganesha (to go with my small Buddha at home). We had an early supper of hummus and salads. I have finally learned not to order hot food if I am in a place with no AC, which includes most places except our hotel room. 

    I think somewhere along the way I promised to give a bidet a try. Cricket refers to them as a "bum gun." 😏 Up until this hotel, the apparatus was merely a hose and nozzle hooked to the toilet (think garden hose & nozzle). No thanks on that type. This hotel, however, has the built-in apparatus and even has the directions on the inside of the toilet lid. I got brave this morning and tried it. I like it! Another fear conquered--maybe this was part of "creating my own happiness." 😏

    Below is some of the fine greenery around our hotel. They grow fields of marigolds here and use them in temple offering baskets. 

        Leta

The tall plant is in dirt, but
the rest is floating in water.

March 30--ICE!!!!!!!!!!!!

In matters of the heart, nothing is true except the improbable. 
--Germaine de Stael

    We sadly (me) left the oceanside after chanting, meditation and breakfast. We drove to Tirta Empul Temple in hopes (not me) of getting into the spring-fed cleansing pool and praying in the temple. The place was PACKED, with hours-long waits to get into the pool. Fortunately we just had a tour. Despite the ultra-clean spring-fed water coming into it, with that many bodies "purifying," uhhhh, no thanks. 

The centuries-old banyan tree outside the temple

    Let's just say that for me personally, Bali has not been the paradise I expected. In some ways, yes, in many others, no. The thing that has consistently made me smile is the dogs. The best thing that happened at today's temple visit was befriending this one, the closest I have found to my dearly-missed Barney:

Check out those smiles!

    Next we drove to Ubud and checked into our hotel. OMG! This is by far the most luxurious hotel room Lanie and I have ever been in. It is huge and we have ICE!!!

Couch and TV are behind me

Half of our patio

And the best part...

Plus a separate room for the toilet

    There is a huge infinity pool on the grounds and an excellent restaurant, too. 

    Lanie and I walked down the street to get some beverages other than water. We are planning on relaxing with room service this evening. Edi and Komang took our dirty laundry to be washed. My big pile costs just under $6, Lanie's under $3, ready in 24 hours. Ready means washed, dried, folded and tightly wrapped in plastic. 

    Homesick, but loving this luxury!

        Leta

March 29--A Day to Chill

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.  --Carl Jung

    Today was Nyepi, Balinese day of silence. Things were pretty much as usual on the resort property, except we were not allowed onto the beach or outside the resort. It would have been lovely to see the streets of the town without the usual insane traffic. We had a nice time lounging and reading outside, just up from the beach. Our whole group dined together at the Italian restaurant on the resort property. All outdoor lights are shut off, so we had to return to our rooms by flashlight. Unfortunately it is cloudy and rainy so we can't see the stars. 

    Tomorrow we head to Ubud and away from the ocean. I shall sorely miss the crashing waves. 

        Leta

Money doesn't grow on trees, but 
orchids do here. They are everywhere.

March 28--Ogoh-Ogoh

There were thousands and thousands of forms of joy in the world, but ... all were essentially one and the same, namely, the joy of being able to love. 
--Michael Ende

    This morning started on a foul note due to sad news about a friend. I skipped chanting and meditation to do some writing. 

    Tomorrow is Nyepi, the highest holy day in Bali, the day of silence. We spent time after breakfast learning about the preparation for it. I had some beach and pool time, then had another massage. This one was interesting for two reasons. First, it was done by a blind man. Second, he put a hot substance on my back, knees and ankles which turned out to be gritty mud of some sort. Here you shower right after a massage, obviously a very good thing.

    Back to Nyepi prep... Tonight we joined several local Balinese in a noise-making parade around the resort grounds to scare up the evil spirits, which hopefully then go into the ogoh-ogohs. The ogoh-ogoh is a large, very artistic statue which the Balinese make each year to parade the night before Nyepi. They are hand-carried on bamboo racks through the streets to the central ceremony area. After the parade, the ogoh-ogohs are burned. It is a big cleansing ceremony. Here are some ogoh-ogoh samples:

    This truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us!

    Tomorrow we are able to move around the resort and talk quietly, and the restaurants will be open, but the lights will be off from 6am Saturday to 6am Sunday. Any remaining evil spirits are fooled into thinking that there is no one left by the Nyepi silence, so they just go away. (Methinks they go and have been going to the USA.) 

    A sweaty, tired Leta

March 27--More Than Monsoon

Love is space and time measured by the heart.  --Marcel Proust

    Chanting and meditation this morning was to the sound of ocean waves crashing on shore. It was glorious. 

    Backing up to talk about fruit. Yesterday after the temple visit, the guys bought a durian to try. It is quite sharp and spiny on the outside. Inside, it has a nasty flavor, including a wretched aftertaste, and the texture is disgusting. There was no trying to pretend it was even close to OK. Komang and Edi love it. 

YUCK!!!

    At breakfast this morning, we had mangosteen. It is "the fruit that does not lie." Each one has a small multi-petal flower on the skin, and the number of flower petals indicates the number of fruit segments inside. This one is the exact opposite of durian--super delicious with great texture. 

YUMMY!

    After breakfast, we headed for Pura Agung Besakih Temple, the highest and holiest temple in Bali. We were re-routed on the way there due to a road closure. Further on, there was one hairpin turn going up the mountain where a truck was stopped that could not get its heavy load up the mountain. Traffic was able to take turns getting around it.

    Before going to the temple, Lanie and I had to put on lace shirts over our t-shirts in order to go in, and we all had on our sarongs. We climbed the stairs and had the same prayer ceremony as yesterday. However, this time we had a holy woman who did the water-flicking and rice distribution. We roamed around, did some picture-taking and started back down. It started to drizzle. 

Looking up to the temple and the
many stairs

Our view from up high

    By the time we got down to the place to pick up the shuttle bus, it was pouring like I have never seen. "Monsoon" doesn't even begin to describe it. Even with umbrellas, we got soaked. The lanes and pathways were flooded, which stopped no one, not even the scooters. I stepped in water up to my ankles many times. Finally the shuttle came, which got us back to the parking garage and our car. It rained all the way down the mountain and followed us to our hotel. This is the stuff that floods the rice fields.

    We stopped at the "Balinese Walmart" to get snacks and water. The aisles are barely big enough for one person to squeeze through. 

    I believe it will be a lovely evening to stay in and order food delivered--the restaurants don't charge for that! 

    Ready to chill,

        Leta

March 26--A Ceremony to "Let That Sh(*&(*t Go!"

It is with the soul that we grasp the essence of another human being, not with the mind, nor even with the heart.  --Henry Miller

    We did our morning chanting and meditation, then had our closing breakfast at Griya Santrian Resort. I had time to have a workout in the pool before leaving. Also before leaving, we had a lesson in how to do the prayer and releasing ceremony at the temple. It involves incense, various colors of flowers, holy water and rice. 

    We were extremely fortunate in that when we arrived at the temple, there was no one else there. It could have been packed. Where we did our ceremony was in front of a cave that has thousands of bats. They were "chirping" throughout our ceremony. We had been told to bring an object that represents something we want to release, so that is where I left my painting. 

Those are bats hanging from the rock.

    We drove from there to Candidasa and the Candi Beach Resort and Spa. Cricket gave us a tour. As nice as our previous hotel was, this one is even more spectacular. The pools are larger, the ocean and wave-sound is much closer, and there are three restaurants here, including an Italian one, which sounds heavenly!

Komang (our driver), Cricket, and Edi 
at temple, in sarongs (a requirement
to go to temple)

    Let me put in a plug for these three men. They are incredible gentlemen, so gracious and helpful. They have answered a multitude of questions from Lanie and me. Komang has driven us through insane traffic. (Today I said, "Are red lights just a suggestion here?!?! and Cricket replied, "It was sorta green.") Komang is a great driver! 

    Lanie and I, after settling into our room and having a tour, had a drink at ocean side. I have learned that to have a good drink, one must ask for a double shot of alcohol. It was wonderful to sit and listen to the ocean waves breaking, despite the fact that I was pouring sweat. (Trust me, Antarctica sounds like heaven to me at the moment!)

    The five of us went to a local restaurant, Vincent's, for dinner. Cricket had raved about the desserts, and the place did not disappoint. I had a Balinese noodle dish. The highlight, however, was the lemon dessert:

The perfect lemon-lookalike on the 
bottom opens to fabulous fluffy stuff
and more lemon in the middle. 
It is all edible and fabulous!

    By the way, here's a photo of the baby turtles we released, prepping for their life in the ocean:

    I think I am slowly adjusting to the heat and humidity. Being in a pool is a lifesaver!

        Leta

March 25--Bali Stories

The more I wonder... the more I love.  --Alice Walker

    I could also say, "The more I wander... the more I love."

    I'm a bit late with this one. We had a very LONG hot day yesterday. We visited GWK Cultural Park to see the world's 4th largest statue representing Wisnu, god of protection, riding on his mythical eagle Garuda, wearing a crown of gold (Kencana). We took an elevator up to the 23rd floor and enjoyed great views of Bali. There was plenty of glass floor to wander on, but I avoided that. 

    Then Komang drove us to Uluwatu for the Bali Kecak Dance. In the area around the stadium where the performance is held, there are awesome views of the cliffs along the Indian Ocean. There are also mischievous monkeys roaming around who will approach and swipe loose objects like hats. Our guides over-exaggerated the dangers--we didn't lose anything. 

    We sat for an hour waiting for the show in the packed stadium. The backdrop was a magnificent sunset. There is no musical instrumentation. All the "music" is supplied by a group of at least 50 men chanting and clicking and moving and clapping. The story is mythical and the costumes fantastical. There is even a fire dance. It is impossible to describe adequately. Here are photos of the cast and sunset:

On the left in white fur is the "monkey,"
who went into the crowd for playful harassment

Nature's backdrop

    Traffic made the trip back to our hotel almost two hours long, hence the late post. 

    More sweating ahead!

        Leta