South Bali

 

The cliffs of Ulu Watu

Tanah Lot

 

Tanah Lot is one of the holiest temples in Bali. A sea temple allegedly surrounded by ancient snakes, it is steeped in lore. On our visit, the rains came down and it gave the complex a foreboding feel that seemed most appropriate. The surf pounded the temple with loud splashes shooting 10’s of feet in the air. It was amazing.

Kecak Dance

 

The Kecak dance is a Balinese dance that was originally a trance ritual and in the 1930’s became a sort of musical play about the Ramanya. It is a rhythmic dance and watching it on the cliffs of Ulu Watu is not to be missed.

Top 10 Bali experiences

Located just south of the equator, Bali bombards you with beauty, beaches, and culture. The entire experience feels at once effortless and nonpareil – the apex of tropical living. Sure, the beaches provide a gravity that draws travelers from all over the globe to this tiny Indonesian Island, but the culture brings them back. The lure is as persistent and persuasive as a boiler room hustler. There's a saying that God lives in the Himalayas. I have a feeling he vacations in Bali.

There are no direct flights from the United States to Bali. The easiest way to get to Bali is through Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, or Jakarta. From any of these locations, it's simple to hop on a direct flight to Bali's airport in Denpasar. The cheapest international flights to Bali are from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur on Airasia or Jetstar. It's possible to fly from the United States to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur for under $1000 round trip, and onward to Bali for around $100 round trip. This is the cheapest way to get to Bali.

The rich cultures of Indonesia

Indonesia is a sprawling island nation with a rich cultural heritage. From the temples in Bali to the unique street food, it's easy to immerse yourself in all the aspects of Indonesia. If you've ever wanted to know about the culture, scene and surroundings of one of the world's most intriguing destinations, read on...

HDR of the Day

End of Asia - Ulu Watu Bali

Kecak Dance Bali

The Kecak dance in Bali is a performance that utilizes no instruments, just vocal chords.  I have about an hour of footage from this dance, but I really like the harmony in this very dark 5 minute portion.  It is repetitive until the 1 minute 30 second mark, and than it gets fairly sonorous as the small amount of light left in the day fades completely. This is more for ears than eyes.  The last video cracks me up.

A Stop in Bali - Goodbye until next week

Today will likely be the last day that I update the blog until next week.  We fly into Singapore tonight, and off to North Sulawesi tomorrow.  In North Sulawesi, we will be staying in the coastal rain-forest and internet will be nonexistent.  I think we only get 2 hours of electricity per day.  When we return from our technological exile, there will hopefully be grand tales of strange creatures.  I would definitely not describe this area as a tourist destination, so my coverage will be pretty unique.  For the googlers, the area is the Tangkoko nature reserve.  I hope that you forgive my exodus from goboogo, but I can assure you that it is in the interest of good storytelling.  We will be back online next Wednesday, June 23 from Bunaken Island.  I may be able to sneak in a post before, but it is unlikely.      

Padang Bai Market, directly where we got off of the boat

 Motorbikes are the preferred mode of transport 

 Some local snacks

 Stuffed Animals

 Some stalls, Kristin bought a bag of chips that was so gross she could eat only one 

 Indonesian Toys

 A rice farmer, farming

 That is our driver at center, Merde, he is trying to figure out a place for Ryan and Meagan to stay.  They are extremely value conscious, and try to sniff out the best deals.  Just being around them has saved Kristin and I money.  This is after dropping us off in Ubud.

 Furmonster of the day returns with this sleepy wire haired fella

 The details in Bali are great. Salt and pepper never looked so good.

 We had lunch and dinner at this little restaurant on a rice paddy 

 Ayam Betutu - smoked organic farm chicken, fragrant yellow rice, veggies 

 Sate Ayam Lontong - Skewers of chicken with veggies and some kind of white rice morsels 

 On the hunt in the rice fields 

 The details of a fountain 

 These little offerings are everywhere.  The Balinese put them out in the morning.

 A shaded path

 Vespas look cool anywhere, especially orange ones 

 Free Range Market Bird

 An offering on a scooter, we had bad ants in our van and an offering was the culprit.

 A floating floral arrangement outside of a restaurant.  It is the details that make Bali such an interesting and beautiful place.

 A cat store 

 Plant outside our bungalow 

 Kites are huge here.  Pretty much, any time that you look up, you will see kites in the sky.

 A match of footie on the pitch in Ubud 

 The Herons migrating to Petulu 

 The birds roosting, largest birds get top rung with the smallest towards the bottom.  Large birds will also only breed with large birds.  Essentially, the birds have a caste system.

 More Herons - spirits of the fallen

 To reiterate briefly what I said yesterday, the herons showed up in Petulu 1 week after a very violent massacre.  The Balinese believe these birds are the spirits of the fallen.

  This definitely makes sense within the constructs of reincarnation.

 Jockeying for space 

 A typical Ubud street scene 

Ubud - the center for arts and culture in Bali 

Some Underwater Pictures from Gili T